PHILIPSBURG – “This budget will not win any stellar awards,” MP Wycliffe Smith (St. Maarten Christian Party) said on Monday during the first day of the 2018 budget debate. “It shows a deficit, it is not adapted to the post-Irma reality and it is unable to address the connection between the national recovery and Resilience Plan and the budget.” Smith addressed the responsibilities of parliament in his address and he was highly critical. He expressed his disappointment that only three MPs had shown up last Friday for the memorial day ceremony and he further observed that, in the past, parliament…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – Legalize marijuana and call a referendum about independence. Those were the two messages MP Christophe Emmanuel (National Alliance) brought to the table during the first day of deliberations about the 2018 budget on Monday. “I did not come here to talk about the flag project or about land issued in long lease on the ring road,” Emmanuel said, thereby moving two controversial issues out of the way in one sentence. Instead, the former Vromi-minister focused on alternative solutions for tackling the 197 million guilders deficit in the 2018 budget. He referred to the revenue the state of Nevada…
PHILIPSBURG – “Your sources are not correct. We have not paid Mr. Buncamper to promote our waste-to-energy project, nor would we. We take such rumors seriously as we are supported by the Canadian government through Export Development Canada and we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of both the United States and Canada, as are our partners.” That is the answer stmaartennews.com received from Douglas Quade, Chief Operating Officer at the Canadian company Envirogreen Energy to a question about a rather persistent rumor that St. Maarten’s head of Infrastructure Management at the Ministry of Public Housing, Urban Planning,…
MARIGOT – The French state has made available €3 million ($3.57 million at the current rate of exchange) for the removal of Sargasso from beaches on French territories in the Caribbean, including Saint Martin. During the past weekend huge amounts of the brown seaweed landed on especially Orient Beach and in Cul-de-Sac. Residents in Cul-de-Sac are once again experiencing the effects of hydrogen sulfide on the air as a result of decomposing Sargasso. A bit further down, huge amounts of Sargasso have turned the eastern part of Orient Beach into a smelly place where no tourist wants to go. “We…
Social media is here to stay. Despite privacy issues, people continue to bare their souls on Facebook and other social media channels. Intimacy between family, friends and loved ones have been exchanged for a permanent link between a person and their smartphone. Conversations are no longer held in person but via chats, posts, tweets and status updates. Research now identifies dopamine addiction as the main contributor to conversations taken place via social media rather than in person. However, from a business point of view, social media is now becoming the primary form of marketing contact between companies and their target…
PHILIPSBURG — Shauntaigh Lewis and Leatton Douglas, young dancers who aspire to become dance instructors, are holding a kids friendly event “Dance ‘til you Drop” on Boardwalk, Philipsburg on Thursday 10th from 10am to 4pm. Children ages 5 to 14 are invited to come, dance, and have fun. They are advised to carry a bottle of water and a hat for the sun. Registrations are from 10am to 11am – starting the party off at 11:15. There will be no fees for this event. Three simple dances will be choreographed for the participating children, and the day will end off…
PHILIPSBURG – The Council of Ministers has appointed Mr. Rafael Boasman as Quartermaster of the Integrity Chamber with the task of setting up the institution on Sint Maarten. The setup of the Integrity Chamber involves finding an appropriate office location and the hiring of qualified staff to run the day-to-day operations among others. The Netherlands has also appointed Mr. Hans Lobber as Quartermaster and he is expected to visit Sint Maarten shortly. Communication between both men has already commenced as preparations for the establishment of the Integrity Chamber remains of utmost importance for the Government of Sint Maarten. On Friday…
By: Koos Sneek May 6th 2018 On April 3 the judge ruled in the case which former interim island secretary Koert Kerkhoff had initiated against St. Eustatius Island government. The judge ruled in favor of the government. Kerkhoff had requested the court to instruct government not to obstruct him to continue doing his job as island secretary. First of all, it is kind of remarkable that only last week through Facebook this verdict became known to the public. It gives the impression that the former coalition parties have attempted to keep this information, which also can be considered a loss…
Dear Editor, The Board of the Sint Maarten Christian Party (SMCP) would like to extend sincere condolences to the wife, family and friends of the late Joseph Emmanuel Richardson, affectionately known as Joe. “As leader of the SMCP, I have a strong connection to Mr. Richardson who was always a source of inspiration and encouragement to me,” Smith said. “Joe was the youngest person in the Netherlands Antilles to be appointed as Administrator, which inspired me to eventually also pursue a career in government.” In October 1969, the well-known Ebony Magazine published an article about Joe (see photo above, Ed.),…
PHILIPSBURG — Settlement of the insurance claim for the repairs to the New Government Building due to the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria pave the way for reconstruction of the building with an anticipated completion date before the start of the upcoming hurricane season. The building is owned by SZV but rented by Government. Damages sustained were both to the exterior and interior of the building and were estimated at USD 2.653.000,-. The insurance claim for the damages was settled for USD 2.450.000,- after a deducible of USD 540.000,-. The exterior damages being namely to the roof and the…
