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…
Author: The Publisher
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,…
By Hilbert Haar For anybody who thought St. Maarten would be able to weather the corona-virus crisis on its own, José Jardim, the interim president of the Central Bank presented some sobering numbers during a press conference in Willemstad. In a separate op-ed in the Antilliaans Dagblad former Central Bank President Dr. Emsley Tromp added some more stuff to worry about. But let’s start with Jardim’s alarming numbers. To support the national budget St. Maarten’s government needs between 86 and 104 million guilders ($48 to 58.1 million); per month. And for as long as the corona-crisis continues. Next to that…
Central Bank interim-President Jardim sounds the alarm: St. Maarten needs humongous financial support PHILIPSBURG – St. Maarten’s government needs between 86 and 104 million guilders ($48 to $58.1 million) per month to stay afloat for the duration of the corona-virus crisis. José Jardim, the interim president of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten released these numbers during a press conference in Willemstad. The balance of payment for the monetary union requires another 60 to 70 million ($33.5 to $39.1 million) per month. Jardim made this dramatic announcement during a press conference about the Solidarity Package for Curacao hosted…
Prime Minister Jacobs provides overview of weekend arrivals of Sint Maarten residents who returned home GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said on Sunday that the country has two confirmed positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19, and both are in mandatory self-isolation at home and are recovering. The first confirmed positive case came via the UK-Miami to the island and the second was a student returning from New York. The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) over the weekend collected forms that were filled in by incoming passengers with residency on Sint Maarten, and an overview of the information…
PHILIPSBURG — The Parliament of St. Maarten on Monday became the first Parliament body in the history of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to digitally vote on a law. President of Parliament MP Rolando Brison (UP) chaired the historic meeting on Monday which focused on an amendment to the UTS shares sales initiative law which he initiated last year. With all MP’s adhering to social distancing directives in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, Parliament meetings will now be held via video/remote conferencing until further notice. Each MP, complete with personalized backdrops, participated in the meeting from his or her…
