POND ISLAND — The draft 2019 budget closes with a deficit of 67.2 million guilders. The government projects 478.8 million in expenditures this year and 411.6 million guilders in revenue. The tax office project requires a 60 million guilders investment. Twenty million is for the replacement of obsolete IT-systems, 10 million for arrears and 30 million for the construction of a new building. According to the elucidation with the budget, Finance Minister Perry Geerlings expects that budget deficits over the years 2017 to 2020 will amount to 250 to 275 million guilders, while there are still 64 million in deficits…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The draft 2019 budget closes with a deficit of 67.2 million guilders. The government projects 478.8 million in expenditures this year and 411.6 million guilders in revenue. According to the elucidation with the budget, Finance Minister Perry Geerlings expects that budget deficits over the years 2017 to 2020 will amount to 250 to 275 million guilders, while there are still 64 million in deficits on the books over previous years. “From 2021 St. Maarten will have to deal for ten years with annual deficit compensation of 30 million guilders a year.”
POND ISLAND, Sint Maarten – Two local businesses that were part of a pilot Hospitality Assured (HA) program sponsored by the European Union’s Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) program for SMEs, have become HA certified. The two businesses Alicia’s Inn and Baker’s Suites will now benefit from improved ratings and other accolades from online Rating sites including recognition for improved customer loyalty amongst a host of other benefits. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication TEATT the honourable Stuart Johnson congratulated the two businesses on their prestigious achievement. He said, “Every hospitality business needs to offer quality…
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten (Tuesday March 12th, 2019) — Social & Health Insurances SZV has recently been targeted by a seemingly international phishing scam. As a good corporate citizen, SZV takes this opportunity to warn businesses and institutions on island to be on the “lookout” for this. The scam took place via e-mail correspondence, where the scammers posed as a company insider that requests and approves financial transactions. The scam was of such a sophisticated nature that protocol was not breached. This lead to no initial suspicion of the action. SZV has since increased its ICT security measures as well as…
PHILIPSBURG — Times are still “tough for everyone” and in recognition of this reality, Finance Minister, the Honourable Perry Geerlings, has decided to offer an extension of the deadline for payment of outstanding taxes or create a payment arrangement for businesses if it is proven that they cannot meet their tax obligation on a timely basis. Beginning Thursday this week business owners can visit the Reciever’s Office in Philipsburg to make their request. The Finance Minister issued the instruction to (the tax office more particularly) his Ministry this week with a guideline stipulating that the term of a payment arrangement…
PHILIPSBURG — News coming out of The Netherlands reports that a majority in the Dutch Second Chamber in The Hague yesterday rejected a motion to suspend the relocation of prisoners back to St. Maarten. This despite the growing number of reports from independent experts that situation in the Pointe Blanche prison is untenable and even poses a danger to the society on the island. A motion by MP Nevin Özütok (GroenLinks) to suspend relocation “as long as human detention conditions are not guaranteed according to human rights standards” received insufficient support in the votes in the Second Chamber on Tuesday,…
FORT WILLEM—The Community Aid Sentry Hill Foundation has completed its third home for the less fortunate after the home was devastated by the hurricanes of 2017. The foundation which is headed by Henri Brookson is now on the verge of taking on it’s forth project in Dutch Quarter. The cost of the rebuilding of the home is about $55,000, without the foundation and the septic tank. It would have cost some $70,000 if they had to build it from the foundation up. The two bedroom home is made out of solid concrete with a concrete roof which it is expected…
ST. PETERS — The Police and Detective Departments are presently investigating a shooting incident which took place on March 9th at approximately 10.00 p.m. on the Tangerine Road in St. Peters. Numerous callers informed the Emergency Dispatch that they heard several shots being fired behind of Desam Supermarket on the Tangerine Road. The callers also stated that they could hear someone calling out for help. Immediately several police patrols, Detectives and paramedics were sent to the scene to investigate what had taken place. On the scene the investigating officers located the male victim who was bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds…
PHILIPSBURG — A press release issued on Friday, March 8, 2019, by the PR/Communications Department of the police force (KPSM) has sparked a number of outcries in the community and on social media. The press release in question stated that the St. Maarten Police Force has received several complaints regarding fraudulent activities from a company called Trilogy Multi Service. Based on these complaints the Fraud Department of the police has launched an official investigation in to the matter. Complaints received by the department claimed that the owner with initials L.U. of Trilogy Multi Services presented himself as a home contractor…
POND ISLAND — The St. Maarten Police Force (KPSM) in an effort to provide a safer environment for residents and visitors to the island provided its first robbery awareness training session for the year with the staff of the Telem Group, on Thursday 8th March 2019. The training session was broken down into two parts which consisted of a theoretical and practical part administered by the Police Force Arrest Team which is certified in tactical training. The training at TelEm was well attended and the staff had a firsthand experience during the practical part on how to stay safe in…
