PHILIPSBURG — The tourism industry is slowly but surely getting back on its feet, but the numbers, presented by the Department of Statistics (STAT) show that we are still far from the top years 2014 and 2016. In 2014, St. Maarten welcomed 2,001,996 cruise arrivals, the first and so far only time the industry beat the two million mark. In 2016 stay-over arrivals peaked at 528,153. Stay-over tourism experienced its worst year in 2020 when, due to the corona-pandemic, just 106,425 visitors arrived. A year later the number increased to 248,852 and since then the numbers kept going up. In…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The formation of a new government will take at least 78 days. This appears from a press release from Governor Ajamu Baly based on an update from formateur Dr. Luc Mercelina. The release states that the screening of candidate ministers is still ongoing and that Mercelina needs more time to present the new government. Governor Baly asked him to present his final report by March 29. Mercelina is working on a government consisting of his own party Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM), the Democratic Party (DP), Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) and the Party for Progress (PFP). But…
PHILIPSBURG — Financial supervisor CFT has expressed its concerns about the future of the old age pension (AOW) in St. Maarten. In a press release, the Cft notes that, starting in 2029, premiums will not be sufficient to cover AOW-payments to an ageing population. It advises the government therefore to take measures. Another serious concern is the national budget. Since 2010 St. Maarten has not managed even once to present an approved budget to the Cft by the deadline of December 15 of the previous year. It urges the government to establish an approved 2024 budget by March 31. The…
ORANJESTAD — The Aruban Parliament is dragging its feet with the handling of an initiative law that aims to make marriage between partners of the same sex possible. Coalition-partner RAIZ and opposition party Accion 21 are fed up with the attempts of the MEP to prevent the introduction of same-sex marriages. RAIZ has two seats in the 21-seat Aruban parliament; Accion 21 has one seat. The ruling MEP party has 9 seats, the AVP 7 and MAS 2. RAIZ is part of a coalition government with the MEP. A letter signed by RAIZ faction leader Raymicheline Raymond, RAIZ-MP Raymond Kamperveen…
By Hilbert Haar Much has been said but little has been done about the generous pension plans for politicians who miss the cut during an election – and it is costing the country, and by extension the tax payers, a fricking fortune. The result of the January 11 elections shows that ten members of parliament have lost their seats. They will not return and they will therefore be out of a job. However, money-wise they have nothing to worry about. This is due to the self-imposed political pension scheme for politicians that lose their seats. In a country where a…
~ More and more English is now being used in court to support language rights ~ Great Bay, Sint Maarten – On Monday, February 19, Dr. Linda Richardson officially presented her book “Trilingual Terminology in Criminal Proceedings” to the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Honourable Silveria Jacobs. This book is a reference tool, ideal for those within the justice system and connected to it to ensure that the standard of translation and interpretation is raised. With more than 50 years as an interpreter/ translator and more than 40 years of experience within the justice chain – from interrogations to appeal,…
By Hilbert Haar Is it the role of the media to educate as some politicians seem to think? I strongly disagree with that idea. Schools educate. Parents, if you’re lucky, educate as well. Serious news media inform. Back in the day, when a newspaper was considered to be a gentleman, people trusted what they read but those days are long gone and that makes it rather complicated to get your hands on information that is actually true. If we take the media landscape in the Netherlands as an example, we see that there are only a couple of big players…
CAY HILL, St. Maarten – The Insurance of the West Indies (ICWI) Ltd hosted its first Annual Broker’s award ceremony on Friday, February 2, 2024, to celebrate excellence and recognize the outstanding contributions of local insurance brokers. The event showcased the dedication and professionalism of insurance brokers across the island. Enterprise/McRae Insurances emerged as the “Insurance Broker of the Year,” earning accolades for their commitment to excellence and customer service. Additionally, several other brokerage firms were honoured in various categories, highlighting their achievements and impact on the local insurance landscape. Among the winners in other categories were Boogaard Insurances, Sun…
PHILIPSBURG — National Alliance stalwart MP William Marlin said farewell to his political career in a speech during his last appearance as an MP on Friday, February 9. The family-tradition will continue though, as his son Cloyd Ondhae has in the meantime taken his seat as a member of the newly elected parliament. Marlin’s political career began 45 years ago, of which he spent 37 years as an elected candidate – be it as commissioner in the Executive Council of the island territory, a member of the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles, a member of parliament, as Minister of Public…
KRALENDIJK — The Island Council of Bonaire approved on October 3 a dramatic increase of $480,000 for its five factions but not everybody is happy with the 255 percent increase. State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen was “amazed” when she heard about it and Hennyson Thielman, the party-leader of Movementu di Pueblo Boneriano (MPB) told a reporter of the website Bonaire.nu that he disapproves of the measure though his faction voted in favor. “There are significant differences between the first proposals and the regulation that has been approved,” he said. “We want to discuss this again, because something went wrong.” Dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl…
