PHILIPSBURG — Several Members of Parliament have requested an urgent parliamentary meeting to discuss the future of the monetary union between Curaçao and Sint Maarten, raising concerns about the potential economic implications should the arrangement come under pressure. The request, led by Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and supported by other MPs, calls on the Chair of Parliament to convene a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament to address recent developments surrounding the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) and the sustainability of the monetary union. According to the MPs, Sint Maarten must begin…
Author: The Publisher
A Caribbean masterstroke by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert The Caribbean rarely gets the chance to define its own mythic universe. St. Tosia is Caribbean innovation in a genre the region has never claimed before. It is doing something the region has never done before, offering a large-scale fictional island that provides a shared cultural setting for humor, spirituality, and satire. A fictional island becomes a neutral Caribbean space without favoring any real island or sparking competition or conflict. Real islands may inspire, but a fictional island can unify. A sitcom, situation comedy TV series, set in the Caribbean could become the…
More than two decades after a major tourism carrying capacity study warned that St. Maarten was approaching the limits of what its infrastructure, environment and communities could sustain, large-scale development on the island continues largely unabated. Luxury condominium towers, resort apartments and mixed-use projects aimed at foreign investors are being approved across key tourism districts, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of the island’s tourism model. The carrying capacity study, completed in 2004, concluded that several areas of the island—including Simpson Bay, Maho and the French–Dutch border regions—were already approaching thresholds for traffic congestion, water supply, sewage capacity and environmental resilience. The report warned that continued large-scale…
The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) continues its efforts to combat violent crime and remove illegal firearms from the streets. As part of these ongoing efforts, officers arrested a suspect on the evening of Thursday, March 12, 2026, believed to be involved in a series of armed robberies that have taken place across the island. At approximately 8:30 PM, during a routine traffic control operation on A.Th. Illidge Road, officers stopped a vehicle for further control. While verifying the identity of the occupant, officers discovered that the individuals was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant. The suspect, identified…
THE HAGUE – Novatech Solutions, a provider of illegal online gambling games received a fine of close to 25 million euros from the Dutch Games of Chance authority KSA. Novatech is based in Curacao. The company was fined for recruiting customers in the Netherlands while it did not have a permit to do so. There is a legal maximum of 10 percent for these fines. Otherwise the fine could have been 100 million euros or higher. “Such a fine would have been more fitting for this violation, said KSA-chairman Michel Groothuizen in a report published on dossierkoninkrijksrekaties.nl. Based on the…
Authorities from the Dutch and French sides of the island formalized a new step in cross-border law enforcement cooperation on Tuesday with the signing of a treaty allowing maritime “hot pursuit” during anti-drug trafficking operations in the waters surrounding Sint Maarten and Saint Martin. The agreement was signed at the police station in Cole Bay by Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and French Minister of Overseas Territories Naïma Moutchou. The ceremony brought together senior officials from both administrations and maritime law enforcement agencies. Among those present were Governor Ajamu Baly, Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling, French state representative Cyrille Le Vély and President of the Collectivité of Saint Martin Louis Mussington. …
The long-delayed Soualiga Marketplace reconstruction project has been redesigned again, pushing the estimated cost to Cg. 2.851 million—more than double the original contract sum of Cg. 1.236 million—according to Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten. The Democratic Party minister provided the update during a public meeting of Parliament on Wednesday, outlining a new phased construction plan for the Philipsburg vendor marketplace. Once construction begins, the project is expected to take about nine months to complete. The latest proposal represents the third redesign of the Soualiga Marketplace project, which has been revised several times under successive ministers responsible for the TEATT portfolio. The initiative originated under former…
The Collectivity of Saint-Martin has announced temporary road closures and parking restrictions in Marigot on Sunday, March 15, for the annual cycling event “Le Grand Prix de l’Ouverture.” The race, organized by the Territorial Cycling Committee of Saint-Martin, will bring together more than 80 young athletes. According to the official decree issued by the President of the Collectivity, the road closures will be implemented from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the day of the event to ensure the safety of participants, spectators, and property. From 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Boulevard du Docteur Hubert Petit and the roundabout at…
The Prefecture of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint Martin announced that several tests of the FR-Alert “cell broadcast” system will be conducted over the coming weeks to ensure the effectiveness of the island’s population alert system. The FR-Alert system allows real-time notifications to mobile phone users in areas of potential danger, providing guidance on how to stay safe. These tests, coordinated by state services, aim to evaluate the performance of the alert system under realistic conditions. On Thursday, March 12, a “silent” technical test will be conducted by mobile operators. While the operation is configured to remain largely invisible and inaudible on most devices, some phones…
Lissabon case highlights growing cryptocurrency use and shadow economy in St. Maarten PHILIPSBURG—The high-profile Lissabon case involving former Member of Parliament Rolando Brison has drawn renewed attention to the growing role of cryptocurrency in St. Maarten’s economy and the challenges authorities face in monitoring digital financial activity. Brison, the former leader of the United People’s (UP) party, is accused of passive bribery and abuse of office as Member and Chair of Parliament. During court proceedings he addressed questions about cryptocurrency transactions referenced in the case, explaining that he trades in several digital currencies and that Bitcoin Cash is particularly popular among users on the island. The…
