MARIGOT – The French Insurance Federation has released a new account of damages caused by Hurricane Irma in Saint Martin and St. Barths. At the beginning of November, the insurance companies had received 16,400 claims, worth an estimated €830 million ($1,029,200,000). On Monday, the insurance companies announced a new total: 24,700 claims, worth a combined €1.83 billion ($2.23 billion). This makes Irma the most expensive natural disaster in French history. The previous record stood at €1.74 billion ($2.16 billion) – the cost of the drought that hit France back in 2003. According to the website soualigapost.com two-thirds of the claims…
Author: The Publisher
WILLEMSTAD – The public prosecutor’s office aims to seize more than 2 million guilders from Curacao’s former Prime Minister and leader of the MFK-party Gerrit Schotte and his partner Cicely van der Dijs. On February 15, the case is in court for a pro forma hearing where the defense will have the opportunity to request additional investigation. The public prosecutor wants to reclaim 1,861,692 guilders (a bit more than $1 million) from Schotte and 205,274 guilders (close to $115,000) from Cicely Van der Dijs. The claim against Schotte includes a payment of more than $800,000 Schotte received on the Swiss…
Philipsburg — The following is a statement issued by the National Alliance in response to the news that the Dutch Kingdom Government refuses to discuss the annulment of the dissolution decree which led to the snap elections being organized. Across the length and breadth of Sint Maarten citizens are concurring that former Prime Minister William Marlin had it correct and best understands governance. Yet again William Marlin has shown that his choices were in the best interest of the people of Sint Maarten. Citizens were heard chiding “I told you William Marlin know the right thing”. William Marlin expressed that…
PHILIPSBURG –Member of Parliament (MP) Tamara Leonard of the United People’s Party (UP) will along with the assistance of other MPs request an urgent meeting of Parliament with the Hon. Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Emil Lee. The emergency meeting will tackle the issue of laborers from abroad who will be coming to Sint Maarten to assist with the rebuilding in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria. The MP is curious to know if local laborers will be given first preference when it comes to the rebuilding of our country. It was stated in the media…
St. Kitts-based broadcast journalist and media personality Andre Huie will be hosting a new morning radio show. Caribbean Morning will air live on weekday mornings from 7am to 9am on online radio station Voice of the Caribbean (VOC) Radio (www.voiceofthecaribbean.net) starting February 5th. The show will feature Caribbean music, interviews and various feature segments each day and will air live from the station’s office on Market Street in Basseterre. “I am really excited about this new venture. Voice of the Caribbean Radio has been broadcasting for just over two years and this is the first time we are hosting a…
THE HAGUE – The Daily Herald, now the only newspaper that is still being published on Sint Maarten after Hurricane Irma, can barely keep its head above water due to the lack of advertisements. “That the press on Sint Maarten is in danger, I would dare say,” according to the Editor-in-Chief Gordon Snow. “The advertising market has significantly collapsed, because many companies are still closed. Radio stations are also dependent on advertising revenue. We have even greater costs, because we are a big company with a little more than a hundred people,” says Snow. The Netherlands will make over half…
Dear Mr. Editor, As a community spirited person and the former Minister of VROMI who believed in helping institutions such as the Mental Health Foundation, during my tenure I assisted the former with a parcel of land around the zoo to build their own facility to help our mental patients on the island. At the same time I also assisted them with the drawings for their new facility. Mr. Editor, I think this is the time for the Mental Health Foundation to start having discussions with the zoo and the animal welfare foundation to do one joint project where they…
Two major documents play a pivotal role in the electoral process. They are a party’s political program, popularly known as the manifesto and the governing accord which we call the governing program. By law parties are obliged to present a manifesto, but people expect a governing program. One of the legal requirements to be able to establish a political party is, that the party’s Articles of Incorporation must include the commitment “to publish a political programme in good time before the elections”. Nothing further is said about the content or the format of said program. Political parties therefore are free…
POND ISLAND – The challenges being faced by InselAir airlines from Curacao and PAWA Dominicana airlines in the Dominican Republic, has the full attention of Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever. The Minister received reports about the grounding of aircraft by civil aviation authorities in those two countries and has been monitoring the situation very closely. Minister De Weever has discussed the current issue with the Department of Civil Aviation, Shipping and Maritime Affairs to look into the matter and give advice on possible solutions. The Council of Ministers (COM) are well…
Philipsburg — The Electoral Council would like to invite all political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections to an information evening on registration of donations. Other interested persons are also invited. This informative session will be held at the Government Administration Building in the Conference Room on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. During the session, there will be a demonstration on how to digitally register via the online database, established for this purpose by the Electoral Council, the donations received, be it in cash, by check or in kind. The Electoral Council advises…
