PHILIPSBURG – It did not go without some hiccups, but Gracita Arrindell’s People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) did manage to get enough endorsement signatures to qualify the party for participation in the February 26 parliamentary elections. From 86 on Endorsement Day the total jumped on Monday to 249. During last week’s Endorsement Day, the PPA failed to reach the threshold of 142 signatures – one percent of the number of valid votes in the 2016 elections. But on Monday morning, when the party got a second chance to complete this mission, things were looking up early on. By a quarter past…
Author: The Publisher
Simpson Bay – The Managing Board of the Princess Juliana International Airport SXM hosted a guided tour for the Honorable Minister of Justice and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), Cornelius De Weever on Monday January 15th, 2018 at the terminal building. The PJIAE Managing Board members included the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Michel Hyman, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ravi Daryanani. The walk-through tour included an up close and personal look, into the devastated terminal building. PJIAE suffered severe damages, as a result of the Hurricane Irma on September…
PORT ST. MAARTEN – Carnival Cruise Lines returned to the destination on Monday with Carnival Sunshine. Carnival Pride will be in on Tuesday, January 16. Carnival is one of the destination’s strategic cruise partners and has been a loyal and committed cruise stakeholder for several decades. Passengers were greeted early Monday morning, with a warm festive St. Maarten welcome from DOW’s Steel Pan Band, stilt walkers, and Carnival dancers fitted out in costumes. Carnival Sunshine has a guest capacity of 3002 and a crew complement of 1040. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 102,853 and is 892 feet long.…
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) in its recent epidemiological report about yellow fever in the Americas, encourages Member States to continue efforts to immunize the at risk populations and take the necessary actions to keep travelers informed and vaccinated, when heading to areas where yellow fever vaccination is recommended. Between January 2016 and December 2017, seven countries and territories of the Region of the Americas reported confirmed cases of yellow fever: the Pluri-national State of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and Suriname. The number of human cases and…
POND ISLAND — The PPA has garnered 170 signatures. With that endorsement, which was achieved around 12pm today, the party is now qualified to participate in the upcoming February 26th, 2018, elections. Photo caption: PPA leader, Gracita R. Arrindell, here seen at the entrance of the Census Office building on Pond Island, being congratulated by the chairman of the Main Voting Bureau, Jason Rogers.
Chairperson of Parliament, Members of Parliament Prime-Minister, Ministers, Préfète déléguée of Saint Martin and St. Barths President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin Distinguished Guests, Good Morning, On November 2, 2017, a shift in the majority in Parliament took place creating the basis for the transfer of governing responsibility to a new team of Ministers. Today, almost two and half months later we have before us a council of ministers supported by the new majority in Parliament. During the formation period for this interim cabinet, I consulted with various persons and named Mr. Franklin Meyers and subsequently Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams…
We have been asked by one of our readers why no one is posing questions to the COO of PJIA airport about the status and progress of the airport’s insurance claim. The reader writes that he thinks everyone is eager to know this information, but we have yet to receive any updates on the airport situation. He is surprised how they can keep the public in the dark for so long. Another reader informed us that the insurance company has only paid out an advance of 5 million guilders. We at StMaartenNews.com know from our research into insurance claims handling…
PHILIPSBURG — The honourable minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports gave an address to the gathering at the National Day of Prayer event on Sunday, January 14th, 2018, at the Government Administration Building on Pond Island. The following is the text of her address: The theme of this National Day of Prayer “Repentance will result in the Glory of God in the Land” and I daresay St. Maarten is so fitting for the time we are in. This morning in service I was blessed by this word by the boys and l again to recognize the power of God…
Philipsburg — Minister Lee on Friday afternoon, January 12th, met with the Sint Maarten Consumer Coalition coordinators to address their concerns with the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) tariff increase of 41.8% per January 1st, 2018, and the quality of the services of the institution. Minister Lee informed the coordinators that the precarious financial situation of the Medical Center had his attention since he became Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor. The deficits of the SMMC were increasing annually and the annual costs of health care also were going up each year. To guarantee financial stability for SMMC…
Simpson Bay — The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation has expressed its grave concerns regarding the unrestricted flow of waste water being entered into an area of Kim Sha Beach. During inspections carried out at various times at the area waste and possibly sewage water was clearly seen being pumped from the wall of the Atrium Hotel parking area directly unto a section of Kim Sha Beach, close to the ruins of the Old Simpson Bay Bridge, which is listed as a historical monument. Building construction material was also found to be illegally dumped at the site. “We responded to several…
