PHILIPSBURG – Pro bono lawyers continue their strike that began eleven days ago on Tuesday. The attorneys have not been paid by the government since January. Furthermore, the government refuses to pay higher tariffs. The attorneys went on strike for the first time in September 2016. They demanded higher tariffs for pro bono work – 1,800 instead of 900 guilders. Such tariffs were at the time already in place in Curacao. In 2017, there was another strike, also about outstanding payments and about the tariff structure. This time around it is no different, be it that the current Minister of…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – The Council of Ministers has appointed Mr. Marcel Gumbs as the representative of Sint Maarten to the Steering Committee of the World Bank Trust Fund. Under the Trust Fund, decisions on the financing of recovery and resilience projects are made by the Steering Committee, in which Sint Maarten, the World Bank and the Netherlands will be equally represented. In the next seven years, the Trust Fund will channel 470 million euros (about US$580 million) to support the recovery of Sint Maarten and to increase the country’s resilience following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma & Maria. This week…
HILVERSUM – What will happen with the Caribbean countries in the Kingdom if Europe became a republic? Rik Haverman examined this hypothetical situation for Caribisch Netwerk with Caribbean-expert Wouter Veenendaal, who teaches political science at Leiden University. Europe is debating more or less European Union. On Sunday the formation of a coalition in Italy failed because of this issue. But what would happen with the Caribbean islands in the Dutch Kingdom if Europe became a republic? “That is a complicated question,” says Veenendaal. “So far the European integration has had little influence in the Dutch Caribbean.” According to Veenendaal this…
PHILIPSBURG – The Aruban department of Education wants to translate Loekie Morales’ book ‘The Magic Wedding Cake’ into Papiamento, the Aruban native language, and donate the books to all Aruban schools for reading purposes. In 2012 the book with the magical story was published in four languages by Beyond Writing Foundation in two bilingual versions, English-Spanish as ‘The Magic Wedding Cake‘/’La Mágica Tarta Nupcial’ – and Dutch-Papiamentu as ‘De Magische Bruidstaart’/’E Bolo di Batrei Mágiko’. Back then, the book was mainly subsidized by AMFO and the Prins Bernhard Cultural Fund and was donated by the Beyond Writing Foundation to all…
Right now St Maarten is dealing with an ongoing issue, the landfill and fires that have become more frequent. Over the years many have “had the solutions” to fix the problem but still the people are, in 2018, inhaling toxic fumes when it ignites. While many feel that the landfill situation is an issue only to be solved by the government I disagree. It is not the government alone that can solve this problem. The people of St. Maarten can do their part by lessening their waste that ends up on the landfill. Ultimately, what the government can do is…
by Chris Morvan There’s a blog that I follow, called Women Who Live On Rocks. It’s a jovial, whimsical thing, started by a yoga instructor, a good-looking, bikini-wearing type who looks great in photographs. I don’t know how she came to be living on a small island in the Caribbean, but she clearly likes it, as do the many contributors whose playful efforts add to the tales of sophistication-gone-native. She talks of “the patience required for an island lifestyle that has the tendency to move at the speed of a hermit crab.” The blog is apparently just for fun, a…
By Antonio Carmona Báez, Ph.D.* My recent appointment as President of the University of St. Martin has been accompanied by a warm welcome from many of the island’s residents, as well as a strong sense of encouragement and support expressed by my colleagues from around the world. As a newcomer, I hope to use my experience, strengths, and knowledge to collaborate with local talents and doers in the reconstruction of the country and the reconstitution of its main public institution of higher education. I have come to learn about the commonalities and differences between St. Maarten and my homeland Puerto…
By Hilbert Haar Should the court grant the public prosecutor’s office its wish to conduct a civil inquiry at the port companies? The answer to that question is currently under consideration. On June 26, the Common Court of Justice will pronounce its ruling. My opinion? There is much to be gained and nothing to be lost from such an exercise. As far as I am concerned, the court should give the prosecutor’s office the green light. The harbor opposes the civil inquiry, saying that there is nothing more to investigate because all the facts have already surfaced from the criminal…
PHILIPSBURG – The attorney for the public prosecutor’s office, Rogier van den Heuvel, presented a blistering picture of mismanagement and fraud at the harbor companies on Thursday at the hearing with the Common Court of Justice to obtain the right to conduct a civil inquiry. The prosecution got wind of fraud at the harbor through the Emerald-investigation. That started after O’Neal Arrindell took over Checkmate Security and obtained a contract that was three times higher than the contract the same company had for the same work under previous ownership. The investigation showed that port director Mark Mingo and Arrindell were…
PHILIPSBURG – After twelve years of service Philipsburg Jubilee Library-director Monique Alberts leaves St. Maarten per august 1; she has accepted a job as the manager of the Mongui Maduro Library, established at the historical plantation house Rooi Catootje in Curacao. Alberts informed the library’s supervisory board on Tuesday of her departure; she informed the staff on Wednesday. Albert’s departure comes as a shock to many who considered her a fixture at the library. In 2014, the now defunct newspaper Today named her its Person of the Year and one of the things she said in an interview with that…
