PHILIPSBURG – National Alliance MP Christophe Emmanuel and United Democrats MP Franklin Meyers are not in favor of a national ordinance that aims to regulate the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. “I cannot support this,” Meyers said in a central committee meeting on Thursday. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, who chaired the meeting, expressed concerns about the government’s intention to skip the review of the legislation by the office of the Ombudsman. The deadline for approving the legislation is March 27. Ligia Stella, director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (MOT – Meldpunt Ongebruikelijke Transacties) outlined the draft law…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — In regards to the recent report that indicated that the Dutch Government is prepared to stop the liquidity support to St. Maarten if members of Parliament do not reduce their salaries, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Wycliffe Smith in response to these comments said that it was decided for some time that the Council of Ministers have agreed to give up 10% of their salaries. He indicated that it is a tedious task to change the salary structure of the Ministers and a lengthy legal process. The Ministers and Parliamentarians have…
PHILIPSBURG — Emilio Wilson Park is to be the first terrestrial land based protected area on St. Maarten. The creation of a nature park can only have a positive impact on the flora and fauna, and also have a positive impact on the tourism product, said Minister responsible for Public Works (VROMI) Miklos Giterson at the Council of Ministers press conference on Wednesday morning. He explained that while some areas have been deemed important on the island for conservation it is not feasible establish all the areas that is identified at present, he said. “It should be no surprise that…
CAY HILL — BZSE, the largest law firm in St. Maarten, expanded its team of Attorneys with a new member. Jeroen Vlasblom was admitted to the bar of St. Maarten on February 22nd, 2019. BZSE already had 9 attorneys in St. Maarten and 2 in Curaçao. Vlasblom grew up in Dordrecht (the Netherlands). He holds a master’s degree in both law and sociology and started his legal career at a German Dutch law firm in Berlin. Afterwards, he worked as a paralegal for De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, a major Dutch lawfirm in Amsterdam. Vlasblom said that he was very happy…
By Dr. Rhoda Arrindell Just the other day, I asked some folks in a gathering if they were happy with the way things are taking place on our island, and, like me, they are not happy. When I asked if what they intended to do about it, the response was tepid. That was a warning bell to me and even more reason to fear the direction our island nation is headed. A few years ago, when he visited the St. Martin Book Fair, the young professor MK Asante left a message with the audience: “If you have an observation, you…
MARIGOT—The Collectivite of French St. Maarten is forging ahead with the reconstruction project. Vice President responsible of Urban Development Steven Patrick in comments on Monday said that even though it may seem that nothing is being done there is “a lot going on behind the scene,” he said. He mentioned that among what is being done is the demolishing of some buildings so that they can be rebuilt since they had extensive damage. He explained that with regard to the rebuilding of the private homes they have extended the provision so that they could rebuild their homes back to what…
WILLEMSTAD – The Common Court of Justice declared Insel Air bankrupt on Tuesday morning. All efforts to save the troubled airline have failed. Even before the court declared the company bankrupt, it announced in a Facebook message that it had ceased operations effectively February 16, 2019. “On behalf of the entire Insel Air family, past and present, we thank everyone of our passengers for their loyalty; it was truly a pleasure to serve each of you over the past twelve years.” Passengers with tickets issues on flights 2511/2513 from Curacao to St. Maarten and flights 2512/2514 from St. Maarten to…
Reports coming out of Holland indicate that the Dutch government is prepared to stop the liquidity support for the St. Maarten government if the members of Parliament do not give up their exorbitant salaries. The authorities in Holland are expecting for the St. Maarten government to once again run out of money and needing a financial injection from The Hague as was the case last year when it received 32.6 million guilders in liquidity support. In reports, St. Maarten politicians are being labelled as ‘greedy’. We will be eagerly awaiting the response of the St. Maarten government to this latest…
By Hilbert Haar It is not for the first time that the bloated remuneration of parliamentarians in St. Maarten has drawn the attention from politicians in the Netherlands. The issue is not new, because shortly after St. Maarten assumed the status of autonomous country in the Kingdom on 10-10-10, the now defunct newspaper Today already published all the details about the exorbitant tax guilders that would flow into the pockets of local ministers and parliamentarians. Members of the Second Chamber in The Hague see every month the equivalent of 16,017 guilders ($8,948) arrive in their bank account, while their colleagues…
PHILIPSBURG – There is no proposal at the parliament in St. Maarten to use money earmarked for the reconstruction after Hurricane Irma for “a new expensive parliament, a futuristic project for a salt-crystal building of $145 million,” State Secretary Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) wrote in answer to questions from Socialist Party MP Ronald van Raak. Van Raak’s question is based on a remark MP Claude Peterson (Christian Party) made in the ad hoc committee of parliament that deals with plans for the construction of a new parliament building. Peterson quipped on that occasion that the country ought to approach the…
