PHILIPSBURG – The governments of Curacao and St. Maarten have to appoint one or two “international heavyweights” to strengthen the management of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS). That at least is the opinion of several lobby organization in Curacao’s international financial service industry, expressed in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Eugène Rhuggenaath and Finance Minister Kenneth Gijsbertha. The signatories to the letter are the International Financial Services Association (CIFA) and Curacao International Financial Center (CIFC), the Chamber of Commerce and the Curacao Business Association (VBC). The Antilliaans Dagblad reported about the letter that is –…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – The Foundation for Catholic Education in St. Maarten (SKOS) has survived an attempt by the St. Catharina Foundation to kick it off the property where the St. Joseph School is located. The Court in First Instance ruled that SKOS is entitled to put an attachment for the purpose of delivery on the school grounds on Front Street in Philipsburg – thus preventing the Catharina Foundation from selling the property for $1.7 million to a third party. The dispute between the two foundations finds its roots in an agreement they signed back in 1990, the year when the Catharina…
PHILIPSBURG – De Windward Islands Bank (WIB) has prevailed in a lengthy legal battle against travel agency Travel Planners over the payment of the 1 percent foreign exchange license fee for bank transfers to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In 2017 the Court in First Instance ruled that the WIB was not allowed to charge this fee to Travel Planners but the Court of Appeal has now overruled this decision. The troubles for Travel Planners started back in 2012 when the Central bank decided that the bank account of the IATA in St. Maarten was no longer a resident-account.…
PHILIPSBURG/WASHINGTON — The Sint Maarten Trust Fund steering committee gave the final go-ahead to start the reconstruction of the Princess Juliana Airport on Sint Maarten. USD$72 million from the Trust Fund, financed by the Netherlands, is allocated for the reconstruction. The European Investment Bank is also contributing with a loan of USD$50 million. “I am very pleased that we were able to approve the governance conditions for the airport. Now the reconstruction of the airport can start and we can ensure that the resources are spent responsibly and sustainably”, said Frans Weekers, the representative of the Netherlands of the Trust…
PHILIPSBURG -– The Law Enforcement Council is positive about the way in which the Sint Maarten Police Force KPSM has taken up part of the recommendations by the Council with regard to the Integrated Professional Skills Training (“Integrale beroepsvaardigheden training”). According to the Council, not only does the police force benefit from this training, but other organizations within the judicial chain such as Customs, Immigration Service and the Prison and Detention Center profit as well as they are also allowed to participate. Through this training, structural attention is paid to the use of (proportional) force by and against police officers…
PHILIPSBURG – The Court in First Instance sentenced former Member of Parliament and leader of the United St. Maarten party (USp) Frans Richardson on January 29 to 3 years of imprisonment. The court also took away Richardson’s passive voting rights (the right to be elected) for a period of five years. The verdict marks the end of the Emerald-investigation into bribery and fraud. StMaartenNews.com brings you an analysis of the court verdict. The court found Richardson guilty of accepting bribes to the tune of $370,000, of money laundering and of tax fraud. The verdict reveals how the former director of…
PHILIPSBURG — Utility company GEBE has been commissioned by the Minister of VROMI to provide the boardwalk in Philipsburg with new lighting. From Walter Plantz Square to Bobby’s Marina, the ornamental lamp posts are being removed and replaced with galvanized steel supports. In total it concerns 46 lampposts, over a distance of almost two kilometers. It is a difficult job for GEBE employees: no one knows exactly where the power lines run, there are no drawings, and the wiring is cast in concrete. This morning, electricians have traced a line that, seen from Walter Plantz Square, runs to the second…
PORT ST. MAARTEN – The turnaround operation involving the Fred Olsen cruise ship Braemar can be considered a success Port St. Maarten Management said on Sunday evening when the operation came to an end around 11:00pm. The turnaround operation included disembarking and embarking passengers at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility. The turnaround entails when one set of passengers departs the ship and another set embarks. 636 passengers disembarked; 556 embarked; 56 were in transit passengers; four disembarking crew and 380 in transit crew. We have been working closely with the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport) Operations…
AIRPORT — On Sunday, March 1, 2020, rumors abounded that a massive operation was underway to fly out 550 cruise ship passengers on charter flights. These passengers would be arriving on a cruise ship that was apparently turned away from The Dominican Republic. Tonight the government of Sint Maarten confirmed via a press statement that the cruise ship Braemar of the Fred Olsen cruise line, arrived at Port St. Maarten on Sunday and that a ‘turnaround operation’ had commenced. A turnaround entails when one set of passengers departs the ship and another set embarks. ~ Turnaround operations of Braemar cruise…
By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert In the Caribbean, too little attention is given to the visitor segment of high-end clientele that use private jets to come to a destination. Better not consider them tourists or treat them as tourists. Every passenger who arrives on a private jet is a potential investor in the region…, provided that the destination will meet their standards and criteria, and that they eventually fall in love with the island. They will make the preferred destination part of their lifestyle and invest in that element of their way of life. They are repeat visitors and usually attract…
