PHILIPSBURG – The Honourable Stuart Johnson, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (TEATT) has finalized months of discussions with the island of Saba and recently signed an MOU with the neighbouring island on co-operate and collaborate in fostering a closer working relationship in the tourism development and promotion of the islands of Sint Maarten and Saba. The MOU, signed by Minister Johnson representing the Council of Ministers and Government of St. Maarten and Saba Commissioner Bruce Zagers representing the Saba Tourism Bureau, states that both parties agree to “co-operate in participating together at Marketing and Sales promotions in…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – Cruise Tourism in St. Maarten is in a deep existential crisis, no matter how seemingly optimistic outgoing Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson spins the story. Cruise tourism has been a boon to the destination for decades; now it has turned into the local economy’s Achilles’ Heel. The numbers paint a gloomy picture of an industry that is desperately fighting to get back on its feet after Hurricane Irma. In 2014, the port welcomed a record number of 2 million cruise passengers who spent on average $191 on the island. But in the wake of Hurricane Irma,…
POND ISLAND – The Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings on Monday took note of an article attributed to the Sint Maarten Consumers Coalition with respect to the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between Social and Health Insurances (USZV) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Glen Carty and the minister as merely a ‘publicity stunt.’ Minister Geerlings said, without any further explanation on the aim of the alleged ‘publicity stunt,’ the Consumers Coalition is incorrect, and this is a form of ‘cheap politics.’ “The payment arrears are part of debt servicing to be solved and is an integral part of the…
PHILIPSBURG – Farm today or die tomorrow. That was the in-your-face text on a billboard in front of the agricultural ministry in Anguilla several years ago. Agriculture in St. Maarten has always been a bit of a sideshow with a few locals – like Bushman, Joselyn Richardson and Denicio Wyatte – among the few who make serious work of it. Now there is Shola the Farmer, a young woman who went from growing vegetables in her backyard to a full-blown organic farm in Cupecoy, heralding the arrival of a new generation that could make farming palatable to more locals. Shola…
PHILIPSBURG — The Electoral Council hereby wishes to inform prospective political parties desirous of participating in the upcoming elections on 9 January 2020 that: In view of the fact that postulation date has been set by National Decree (LB-19/0675) on 21 November 2019, new political parties would have to submit a written application to register with the Electoral Council no later than Wednesday, 9 October 2019 at 6 p.m. Together with the application for registration of the political party, the following documents should be submitted: Notarial deed containing the Articles of Association of the party; Excerpt from the Chamber of…
Legal opinion piece titled “An Elected Prime Minister for Sint Maarten” by attorney at law and member of our legal review committee, Mr. Reynold Groeneveldt. Introduction: In our current Governmental system the Prime Minister is chosen and appointed by the majority in Parliament. It is in fact the coalition in Parliament that determines who will become the Prime Minister of the Country after an election. Traditionally this position should go to the Political leader who obtained the majority of votes during the Parliamentary election. As this is not a written rule in our constitutional system, parties have often times deviated…
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) will be participating in the second annual Nagico Health & Fitness Fair, at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex. Youth Health Care is inviting parents and guardians to bring their child (ren) ages 12-17 years (mainly) with birth years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 to the Nagico Health & Fitness Fair on Saturday, October 5 from 8.00am to 2.00pm. CPS Section Youth Health Care will have a booth at the Health & Fitness Fair which will allow parents/guardians to check their child (ren’s) vaccination status and to verify if it…
GREAT BAY — On Thursday, October 3rd, 2019, approximately 2:45 pm a concerned citizen call the police dispatched, concerning a suspicious yacht that just docked at Walther Plantz pier. At the location the police patrol encountered a yacht with the name SOLETUDE with about 14 passenger with a 3 man crew aboard. The captain and crew could not give a good reason for docking in Sint Maarten without first clearing customs and immigration. The passengers and crew members were brought over to the police station and being held for questioning. The human smuggling team together with immigration department are busy…
PHILIPBURG — MP Sarah Wescot-Williams has failed St. Maarten in her capacity of Chairlady of the Electoral Reform Committee and is now making disingenuous statements about the subject of electoral reform to cover her failures and shift blame. So said USP Faction leader MP Rolando Brison who asked the public not to get fooled by Wescot-Williams attempt to refer to electoral reform as a “mission impossible”. “MP Wescot Williams was the Chairlady of the Electoral Reform Committee of Parliament ever since the committee was established by Parliament on September 14th 2018. Since that period, the MP Wescot-Williams did not make…
GREAT BAY — The pier at the Walter Plantz Square was the scene this afternoon of an unusual situation. A group of young police trainees were seen in action and it was not a police training exercise. A group of 16 people arriving illegally on a sail boat into Great Bay were arrested red-handed on the spot at the dock at the Walter Plantz Square. According to reports reaching our news desk, police were informed via a phone call from someone on the boardwalk that he had seen a boat spinning around in the Great Bay harbor. The boat first…
