By Hilbert Haar Putting Curacao and St. Maarten together in a monetary union was never the brightest of ideas. The politicians of these two autonomous countries have proven that they are unable to work together in a sensible way. Therefore, it cannot surprise anyone that the CBCS supervisory board has been without an appointed chairman for four years. There is of course a lot of bickering about which country should nominate and appoint a candidate for that position. This is an unavoidable dispute because the law that rules the central bank does not contain any provision to settle this matter.…
Author: The Publisher
By Hilbert Haar There is a weird Dutch tradition that has found its way to the Caribbean. It is harmless and it does not solve anything but it cost at least some money. Let me explain: if there is a problem, the Dutch tend to establish a committee that has to analyze the situation and (hopefully) come u with a workable solution. I cannot remember a single committee that actually achieved what it was expected to achieve. This thought came to me after the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation decided to charge a committee of experts with the task to come up…
MARIGOT — The Prefecture of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin has launched its 2026 call for projects under the framework of the Mission interministérielle de lutte contre les drogues et les conduites addictives (MILDECA), inviting institutional, associative, educational and health-sector stakeholders in both territories to submit proposals aimed at preventing and addressing addictive behaviors. As part of France’s national public health strategy, MILDECA supports local initiatives focused on prevention, early intervention, risk reduction and harm reduction related to substance use and behavioral addictions. Established in 1982, the interministerial mission coordinates government efforts to raise awareness among vulnerable populations — particularly young people…
MARIGOT — The Prefecture of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin has launched its 2026 call for projects under the Departmental Road Safety Action Plan (PDASR), inviting local organizations and institutions to submit initiatives aimed at improving road safety. Road safety remains a national priority, with the objective of reducing traffic accidents and road fatalities. Through the PDASR, the State of France supports prevention and awareness initiatives led by public institutions, associations, private sector entities and civil society groups. Projects submitted for 2026 must address one or more of the priority issues identified for the 2023–2027 period. These include combating risky behaviors such…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has appointed nine employees of the St. Maarten Police Force (KPSM) and seven seconded officers from Customs as special police officers (“buitengewoon agent van politie”). The appointments were formalized by Ministerial Decree dated February 11, 2026, and published in the National Gazette on Friday. At the request of Chief of Police Carl John, nine KPSM staff members have been appointed for a period of three years. Seven of the appointees serve as Camera Observants, one as an Intaker and one as a Research Assistant. The special police officers are authorized to investigate criminal…
PHILIPSBURG — Residents of St. Maarten who may have an interest in the Lynch Estate in St. Eustatius are hereby informed that a petition has been submitted to the Court of First Instance of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, sitting in St. Eustatius. The petition was filed by James Nathaniel Brice pursuant to Article 3:200a and following of the Civil Code and concerns the long-term undivided estate known as Lynch Estate in the district of Lynch, St. Eustatius. The matter involves two parcels of land. One parcel measures approximately 10,000 square metres (certificate of admeasurement 03/1997) and forms part of the remaining lands of rbr. 2 of 1953. The second parcel…
PHILIPSBURG — Chairlady of St. Maarten’s parliament, Sarah Wescot-Williams, has entered the debate about the leadership of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) with a letter that puts the importance of institutional stability, credibility and public trust above the question of “whose turn it is.” The CBCS supervisory board has been without a chairman for four years. Richard Doornbosch is the president of the bank’s executive board. MP Wescot-Williams outlines in her letter the history of the chairmanship. In 2017 Etienne Ys was appointed as a candidate for Curacao. When his term ended, vice-chair Dennis Richardson recommended…
PHILIPSBURG — Eleven of the projects St. Maarten submitted to obtain subsidies from the Slavery Fund have been approved. It is at this moment unclear which projects have qualified. The fund will make this information public later this year. Countries in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom submitted 34 applications; 24 of them have been approved and the successful applicants will receive a total of $240,000. The subsidy for each project is capped at $10,000. In a second round, the fund will grant subsidies of $10,000 to a maximum of $25,000, but the deadline for applications has in the meantime…
Philipsburg/Marigot – On February 26, the Department of Communication of the Government of Sint Maarten paid a working visit to their French side counterparts of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin, Communication Department, which includes the protocol section. The working visit was to get a deeper understanding of how the French side Department of Communication functions within the Collectivité, to exchange mutual operational information and ideas, and to continue fostering the working relationship. In their Marigot offices, the head/director of the French side Department of Communication Nathalie Longato gave a short presentation and shared an overview of the work and responsibilities. After…
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs, representing the Party for Progress (PFP), this week defended continued large-scale development on St. Maarten even as he acknowledged infrastructure has lagged far behind growth and repeated calls to “pause” major projects. At Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Gumbs said: “Our economy depends on tourism and construction,” in response to a question about whether the country should consider halting development to catch up on roads, drainage, sewage, traffic management and other services. The question stemmed from a recent economic development conference in Bel-Air where participants highlighted what they described as a growing gap between rapid growth and…
