PHILIPSBURG — On Thursday, January 18th more than one hundred students from nine participating primary schools and afternoon care organizations received certificates of appreciation from Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Jorien Wuite at a small ceremony held in the courtyard of the Government Administration Building. The auction which took place in November as one of the pre-St. Martin’s Day activities raised over 15,000 guilders for much needed school repairs after the passing of Hurricane Irma. In her welcoming remarks at the ceremony the Minister told the gathered audience that “the post Irma art auction gave us the opportunity…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – On Tuesday afternoon following an introductory meeting to assess the current state of the Postal Services Sint Maarten (PSS) a delegation including the Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever and Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin visited to the offices of the PSS to observe the working conditions and to better understand the severity of the financial situation that PSS finds itself in today. “Management of PSS and the SMCU union are on the same page and that is a positive sign. We are all fully aware that postal services as a business is no longer viable locally and…
PHILIPSBURG – Over the next two weeks a World Bank team will work with Government civil servants to identify priorities for the recovery and reconstruction of Sint Maarten. The team was welcomed by Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin on Friday and held its first meetings on Monday. The World Bank team comprises of recovery program specialists and operations advisers. As a first step, the team will assist the Government in finalizing the damage and loss analysis of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. At the same time, the World Bank team will work closely together with the Government of Sint Maarten on…
Philipsburg — The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry will like to inform the general public that on January 17th, 2018, where the newest members of the COCI’s Board of Directors were sworn in after all of their credentials were confirmed and in order. Our new members have few words to give to the general public. “I am very happy to be on the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. I’ve been trying to be part of this board for a while now and I promise that I’ll do my best and work as hard as I…
Philipsburg — On Wednesday, January 24, 2018, the special anti-corruption taskforce TBO (Team Bestrijding Ondermijning) searched the office building of a construction company in Sint Maarten. No people have been arrested at the moment. The construction company and persons who work there or have worked there are associated with bribery of civil servants, authorities and persons in the construction sector. These practices would have been taking place on Sint Maarten for years; all suspicions are related to (public) works carried out in Sint Maarten. In connection with the reconstruction of Sint Maarten, the TBO has given extra attention to signs of…
Philipsburg — The Minister of TEATT informed the Ombudsman that the recommendations provided in the Final report regarding the complaint of the Market Vendors are accepted as issued. On Monday 22 of January 2018 the Ombudsman received a response of the Minister of TEATT dated 12 January in reaction to the Final Report drafted by the Ombudsman regarding the outcome of the investigation of the complaint filed by the Philipsburg Market Vendors post hurricane Irma. The then Minister of TEATT, the Honorable Melissa Arrindell-Doncher, informed the Ombudsman that the recommendations are accepted. Upon investigation of the complaints filed by some…
We can’t help the feeling that it is going to be a while before St. Maarten sees the funds from the World Bank allocated to where it is badly needed. In our report on the World Bank, we read too many big words and too many acronyms. GFDDR, NRP, ECLAC, PDNA, etc. etc.. All this spells to us is B U R E A U C R A C Y and too much bureaucracy is not efficient and helps no one, certainly not the people that need it most. We hope we are wrong, but we just can’t shake the…
~ Featuring Remo & Barbwire Band ~ MIDDLE REGION – ‘Pure Reggae’, slated to bring good vibes that the entire family can enjoy, will kick off on Sunday, January 28, at Buccaneer Beach Bar with Remo and the Barbwire Band. An Xtratight production, in collaboration with Buccaneer Beach Bar, the event will be held every last Sunday and will feature different local artistes and bands. ‘Pure Reggae’, the brainchild of Music Producer Bertaux ‘Mr. Rude’ Fleming, will be a philanthropic collaboration between Fleming and Buccaneer Beach Bar the whole year through, except during the Carnival season, as a way to…
By Hilbert Haar The call by MP Sarah Wescot-Williams to immediately put a stop to the payment of political pensions to ousted ministers and members of Parliament comes at a curious moment. It’s election time, remember? The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) jumped on the bandwagon to support Wescot-Williams’ initiative, adding a proposal to cut the salaries of members of Parliament by 30 percent. It all makes sense, but it is not going to happen. Why? Because the people who will be affected by such measures are the people who will have to approve these proposals. The fifteen…
PHILIPSBURG – The Windward Islands Bank has taken a loss of 6 million guilders on the grace period it extended after Hurricane Irma to private clients, WIB-director Derek Downes, chairman of the Bankers Association, said during a meeting of the finance committee of Parliament on Tuesday morning. The WIB offered clients in good standing a grace period of six months and turned the interest rate for that period to zero. The bank offered business clients a 3-month grace period. Downes said that the bank is prepared to extend it for an additional three months to businesses who were not, or…
