‘Construction to be finalised by the end of Summer’ CAY HILL — Construction of the Oryx Residences in Cay Hill is at 60 per cent according to its developers the Algemeen Pensioenfonds Sint Maarten APS and should be completed at the end of summer this year. This information was conveyed to Finance Minister with oversight on APS the honourable Perry Geerlings who was treated to a “walk-through inspection of the property” on Thursday afternoon. He received a progress report from contractors Liccom and from the management team of APS. The Minister expressed his satisfaction at the APS’s decision to invest in…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The power consumption at public schools varies wildly it appears from the draft 2019 budget. The government intends to save more than 46,000 guilders ($25,720) in 2019 on the electricity bills at eight primary schools and the Vocational School. The Rudy Labega School has the highest budget for electricity: 47,700 guilders ($26,648) – the same as in 2018. The total budget for all nine schools is 193,960 guilders ($108,358), down from 240,000 guilders ($134,078) in 2018. Three schools see the budget for electricity go down dramatically. The Lionel Conner School (30,891 guilders – $17,258 in 2018) has been…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister responsible for Civil Aviation on St. Maarten the honourable Stuart Johnson has issued a Ministerial Decree to temporarily restrict the use of Boeing 737 –Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft in the St. Maarten airspace (Juliana TMA) considering the recent international developments involving these aircraft. Minister Johnson held consultations on Wednesday morning with the Department of Civil Aviation, Shipping and Maritime along with the Management Team of the Princess Juliana International Airport to determine a way forward “that both safeguards the lives of travelers to the destination and protects the island’s economic interests.” “It is not an…
PHILIPSBURG — On Monday March 11 the Ministry of VSA hosted an interactive stakeholder consultation session for local medical professionals facilitated by representatives of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The topic of the session was to learn and exchange views on the concept of universal health insurance and the implications of General Health Insurance (GHI) on Sint Maarten. Minister Lee commented: “we had an excellent meeting, the discussions were extremely positive. Everyone was focused on giving constructive criticism, which can be incorporated in the draft legislation.” The Department of Public Health had the opportunity to explain part of the draft…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of VSA Emil Lee attended the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino job fair on Friday March 8th at the Belair Community Center. The resort is re-opening in phases and is eager to recruit local talent for various departments. Minister Lee spoke with the resort recruitment team, applicants at the fair and was pleased to see some graduates of the skills training program of the Ministry of VSA in attendance. “The resort is looking for people to start immediately, there is an urgent need. This is great news for our economy, it is a good sign the…
AIRPORT — These photos show the impact the SXM Festival internationally, as on Wednesday afternoon Minister of Tourism the Honourable Stuart Johnson greeted the first passengers from American Airlines who arrived on St. Maarten specifically for the SXM Festival. The festival is being considered an “electronic music takeover of the Caribbean” and attracts people from around the globe to the island. Photo caption: In the photo from the left is Member of Parliament Rolando Bryson, Multiple World Champion boxer Miguel Angel Cotto Vazquez, CEO of Coco-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers Alberto De la Cruz, and Tourism Minister the honourable Stuart Johnson.…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI) has decided to waive all fees pending prior to and including 2014. The waiver was announced as part of the Chamber’s 40th anniversary celebrations this year. The waiver, which ends on June 3o, offers struggling and payment-delinquent businesses a way out of paying their outstanding annual St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry fees up until 2014. However, payment of outstanding fees by businesses for 2015 to 2019 is required for businesses to remain current in the Chamber of Commerce’s system.
PHILIPSBURG — The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT) has placed restrictions on the use of drone aircraft in several areas such as the Princess Juliana International Airport, the Harbor, the House of Detention in Pointe Blanche, the Detention Center is Simpson Bay, TeLEm, St. Maarten Medical Center, The Fire Department in Cay Hill, the Court House in Philipsburg, the Coast Guard offices, the Police Detention Center in Philipsburg, the Government Administration Building, the island utility company GEBE, SOL and Texaco fuel farms in Cay Bay, the Parliament building, the and the Central Bank building. Minister responsible…
GREAT BAY — NAGICO Group, a diversified insurance company serving 21 territories in the Caribbean, is pleased to announce the launch of its LIVE FIT health program in St. Maarten. The health plan will provide gym members and persons that use wearable technology the opportunity to earn discounts on NAGICO’s flagship “Gold Plan”, and they will also receive up to $35,000 in critical illness coverage. LIVE FIT, as the name of the plan suggests, is designed to encourage customers to focus on their lifestyle and to reward them for being healthy. Annual gym members and persons that utilize fitness trackers…
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…
