CUL-DE-SAC — The Traffic Department and Police Patrol were dispatched to the L.B. Scott Road early Wednesday morning around 7 am for a traffic accident where two minors were struck by a car. According to the information gathered, the two students were hit by the driver of a black Elantra with the number plate M-5454 while crossing the L.B Scott road near the Star Mart gas station. One student, age 13, suffered minor injuries and was treated on the scene. The other student, a 16 year old, was transported by ambulance to the St. Maarten Medical Center for treatment due…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — A breakthrough in the joint wastewater management program for St. Maarten and St. Martin is long overdue. While government secured some €6.1 million from the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), and €7 million is waiting to be secured, steps need to be taken to move the Sewage Project another step closer to reality. Exactly six months ago Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops announced that he expected a breakthrough in the sewage treatment plant project. Knops made the announcement on April 23rd during a general debate in the second Chamber of the Dutch…
PHILIPSBURG – The ministry of justice announced in a press release that amendments to the national ordinance on the obligation to report cross-border money transports took effect on July 30. However, according to the National Gazette of October 11, the amendments were ratified on July 30 and they took effect only two days later, on August 1. Citizens and travelers now have to be aware that they will have to report to customs if they are taking more than 25,000 guilders ($13,966.48) out of the country. The previous threshold for reporting was 20,000 guilders ($11,173.18). The rules also apply to…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten is lagging far behind other Caribbean nations in terms of EU-support. The government has failed to take the steps necessary to establish, with the European Community, the cooperation programs provided for under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA). As a result, the territorial funding of €7 million ($7.7 million) for the period 2014-2020 has not yet been signed off. St. Maarten is one of two Caribbean island territories still working on a program to meet sustainable development goals centered on the people. The other nation that is not yet ready for funding under the 11th EDF is…
~ Emil Lee reacts to news about search of MP Emmanuel House ~ PHILIPSBURG — This morning suspects C.T.E. and M.A.R. were arrested by the National Detectives of Sint Maarten. One of the suspects is Member of Parliament, Christophe Emmanuel, who is a former Minister of VROMI in 2017. The other suspect was Chief of Staff of the VROMI Cabinet during the same governing period. After a lengthy investigation the two were arrested on suspicion of abuse of function and forgery or complicity in such acts, during their tenure at VROMI. The suspects are accused of unlawfully long leasing government…
WILLEMSTAD – Dr. Emsley Tromp can count on 344.135 US Dollars in compensation for legal expenditures. The Court of Justice has ordered that Curaçao has to pay the former President of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) this amount in damages. Tromp has twice been acquitted of tax fraud. During his trials Tromp was represented by Niels van der Laan, partner of law firm De Roos & Pen in the Netherlands, and Mirto Murray of Murray Attorneys at Law in Curaçao. He paid his legal counselors around 244.000 and 78.000 US Dollars respectively. Several experts were called…
PHILIPSBURG — The Government of St. Maarten and that of St. Martin has joined together to establish a Doppler weather radar (station) on the South side of the island. Head of the Meteorological Department, Walter Isaac, said that the primary objective of this project is to provide additional weather information daily but in particular during the Hurricane season to the island and the immediate neighboring island territories. The Met Department can then receive more detailed information on the intensity, position, movement, direction and speed of immediate weather systems in the area. This information is then passed down to the Emergency…
PHILIPSBURG — The Government of Sint Maarten signed the OCTA Oceans Declaration and Roadmap in Brussels last week. This declaration highlights common marine priorities amongst OCT’s, encourages blue economies and calls for united action for the preservation of oceans and marine wildlife. A commitment that will ensure Sint Maarten contributes to the achievement of SDG14 on a local level. The conference took place on October 16 and 17 and was chaired by the Prime Minister of Curacao, the Honorable Mr. Eugene Rhuggenaath. The declaration commits each signatory to strengthen human capacity. Extra capacity to develop legislative frameworks for the conservation…
PHILIPSBURG – On Monday afternoon, October 21st the Council of Ministers during an extraordinary general meeting of the Shareholder took the decision to extend the contracts of the Managing Board of Directors for a period of six months. The contract extension of the Managing Board of Directors will commence on November 1st 2019. Based on the resolution of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Kenrick Chittick will continue as Chief Executive Officer while Mrs. Iris Arrindell-Smith and Mrs. Veronica Jansen-Webster will remain as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer respectively. Additionally, the Council of Ministers has requested the Supervisory Board…
PHILIPSBURG — MP Sarah Wescot-Williams issued a press release stating that she is “utterly disappointed by the last minute postponement of the airport meeting.” The meeting in question regarded the continuation of an urgent plenary public meeting of Parliament that was to be held Monday, October 21, 2019, at 2pm with agenda point: State of affairs at the Princess Juliana International Airport. This meeting was originally requested by MP R. Brison, MP E.J. Doran, MP C.T. Emmanuel, MP W.V. Marlin and MP F.G. Richardson. This meeting has been postponed until further notice. “I was so looking forward to the parliament…
