~ Says Stimulus Package not discussed ~ PHILIPSBURG — Parliamentary Faction Leader of the United People (UP) party MP Grisha Marten-Heyliger on Friday said communication and cohesive efforts by the coalition leaves a lot to be desired as St. Maarten is in a fight to keep its residents safe from the Coronavirus. She stressed that once the new Council of Ministers is sworn in, this lack of communication and cohesiveness must be remedied to yield effective governing that the people of St. Maarten expects in these uncertain and crisis-driven times. “Communication cannot be underestimated in these times when people expect…
Author: The Publisher
~ Largest cruises halted for two months ~ PHILIPSBURG – Due to the spread of Coronavirus Royal Caribbean International and Carnival’s Princess Cruises have extended the suspension of their operations with another 30 days, until May 12th. Norwegian Cruise Line still focuses on April 11th. All three likely won’t benefit from the $2 trillion coronavirus bailout package the American Senate has passed because the companies are not registered in the United States. Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line are the biggest cruise lines in the world. Together they control 82 percent of the global market. While they…
Harbour View – On March 26, 2020, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the updated final report from formateur S. Jacobs. The formateur has accepted the commission to form a new government which has the support of a broad majority in Parliament comprised of the NA-fraction and the UP-fraction. The new government consists of Ministers who are committed to the promotion of the wellbeing of Sint Maarten, who will amongst others give priority to concluding the legislation regarding the combating of money laundering and financing of terrorism, including the penal procedure code, the development of…
PHILIPSBURG – Plans for emergency measures to mitigate the effects of the corona-virus so far do not include the key recommendations proposed by private sector organizations. The government published its so-called Stimulus Plan on March 26. It does not contain direct measures, but only a list of eighteen proposals designed to provide relief for the next three to six months. Quite some proposals require the cooperation of third parties. Where the private sector organizations want an across the board payroll subsidy of 90 percent, the government offers payroll supplement for employees that risk losing their jobs. The supplement is 750…
PHILIPSBURG – Private sector organizations and labor union WIFOL applaud the government’s initiative to project support for the next twelve months but they plead at the same time for a short-term rescue package for the next six months in an attempt to weather the economic downturn caused by the corona-virus. This appears from a press release issued by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), on behalf of the Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), the Timeshare Association (SMTA), the Indian Merchant Association (IMA) and the WIFOL. These organizations have chosen the SHTA to speak on their behalf “for continued representation…
PHILIPSBURG – The meeting of parliament about establishing amendments to the Penal Procedure Code was reportedly driven by the need to tweak an amendment proposed by parliament-chair Rolando Brison and MP Claudius Buncamper. While the approval of this legislation drags on, the risk that St. Maarten will be blacklisted increases. Closer inspection of the tenth follow-up report of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) shows that St. Maarten is not in the clear by a long shot. The report, written after the CFATF’s plenary meeting of November 2019 in Antigua and Barbuda, mentions “a wide range of shortcomings concerning…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten already complies with recommendation 35 of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and there is undue pressure on parliamentarians to urgently approve amendments to the Penal Procedure Code, Member of Parliament Rodolphe Samuel (National Alliance) declares in a press statement. “The idea that Sint Maarten faces the possibility of being blacklisted allegedly has some members of Parliament advocating skipping the debate and proceeding to approve the concept ordinance Penal Procedure Code,” Samuel states, adding: “They just want to vote it into law, because it is said that this will save Sint Maarten from being blacklisted.”…
GREAT BAY — Given the rapid spread of the Coronavirus Covid-19 in our region, the health and safety of the population is of paramount importance. With this in mind, NAGICO Insurances is encouraging our clients to make use of our online services at www.nagico.com/coronavirus-helpline/ for all your insurance needs, as we try to flatten the curve by reducing the risk and rate of the virus spreading. “As the largest insurance provider on the island, we generally receive a high level of foot traffic in our offices and as such have taken steps to provide a safe environment for our staff…
By Alicia Bárcena Ibarra* Everything seems to be one gigantic mistake. We console ourselves by saying that everything has happened as it should not have happened. But it is we who are mistaken, not history. We must learn to look reality in the face; if necessary, we must invent new words and new ideas for these new realities that are challenging us. Thinking is the first obligation of the intelligentsia, and in certain cases it is the only one. Octavio Paz The Labyrinth of Solitude It is true that history recounts the devastating impact of past pandemics, but none of…
CAY HILL — In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent traveling restrictions imposed worldwide, one of the consequences is a possible extension of the original construction timeline for St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH). However, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and the main contractor are exploring avenues for acceleration of certain aspects of the project in order to avoid or minimize the impact. In the preceding months, the first construction activities in relation to the SMGH project have taken place which mainly consisted of mobilization activities such as site clean-up, installation of temporary fencing, rerouting of the site drainage system,…
