~ Cruise lines toured area ~ PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher, in consultation with Port St. Maarten and several cruise lines, has approved the temporary designation of the section of Simpson Bay Beach known as Kim Sha, as a temporary market and activity place for a period of 1 year, with possible extension based on the success of the pilot project. The Minister explained that given the present circumstances post hurricane Irma, she saw the need for the designation and grant an exemption to the moratorium on Beach Activities for the section of Simpson Bay…
Author: The Publisher
Harbour View — The Royal Couple, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will be visiting St. Maarten on Saturday December 2, 2017. With this visit the Royal Couple shows their support for the people of Sint Maarten and their interest in the reconstruction of Sint Maarten. During the day, the Royal couple will visit reconstruction and aid projects and meet with affected individuals, volunteers, aid workers and first responders. The program will include visits to receive updates regarding the work of the Nature Foundation, the Charlotte Brookson Academy, the Red Cross, the White and Yellow Cross, K1-Britania, Qredits as…
PHILIPSBURG – There is still hope for the university of St. Martin. On Wednesday afternoon Minister Silveria Jacobs (Education) met with members of the USM board and presented a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU). Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet, The President of the USM-board, told stmaartennews.com on Thursday that she needs some time to peruse the proposal. The university needs 250,000 guilders per month to survive. So far, minister Jacobs has declined to make a move, saying that USM has to present audited financial reports over the past couple of years. Wycliffe Smith, vice-president of the USM-board said on Tuesday during a central…
By Hilbert Haar The estimate of 6,000 unemployed citizens in the wake of Hurricane Irma is a classic horror scenario for St. Maarten. And mind you – this is only the number for the Dutch side of the island. On the French side, President Daniel Gibbs has earlier mentioned an expected unemployment rate of 65 percent. While we do not know how many jobless citizens this 65 percent represents, it is safe to assume that the number will be close to the 6,000 unemployed the labor office on the Dutch side expects. Fixing roofs and houses will of course help…
~ “Contractor could have done a better job” ~ PHILIPSBURG – The government building on Pond Island sustained quite some damages during Hurricane Irma, but the Government had one thing going for it: it does not own the building. Social and health insurances SZV is the owner and its director, Glen Carty, says that the building was well-insured. “We are almost done with the damage assessment with the insurance company,” he says. We have ordered all the materials we need to do the repairs and the government keeps paying the 485,000 guilders rent every month.” That the government moved into…
~ “Return of cruise ships crucial for economic recovery” ~ PHILIPSBURG – Helping people in need and kick-starting the economy: those two issues have to be tackled simultaneously, says Dennis Richardson, the chairman of the workgroup National Recovery Plan. “The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor expects 6,000 unemployed,” Richardson says in a conference room of the Central Bank on the Pondfill. “Multiply that by the minimum wage and you need 80 million guilders a year to help these people alone.” The state of emergency is over, Richardson says. “But there are still people in need. They have…
Philipsburg — Local authors Ralph Cantave, Joseph H. Lake Jr and UK author Jacky Rom, will be guest authors at the Engage in Literature First Annual Read-a-ton Fundraiser. No stranger to St. Martin’s literary world, author and political scientist Joseph H. Lake Jr. has been known for his work as a journalist, newspaper editor, and publisher for over three decades. In 1976, Lake founded the Windward Islands Newsday and in the early 1990s the tourism magazine Welkom/Bienvenue. “His literary contributions to the country are profound and we are elated to have him be part of this event.” stated Engage Foundation.…
~ Positive Cruise Experience can Influence Future Calls ~ PORT ST. MAARTEN – Port St. Maarten is ready for the return of the first commercial cruise ship call by Viking Cruises on Monday, December 4 with the cruise ship Viking Sea. Port St. Maarten Management calls on all stakeholders, businesses and the public to use this weekend to finalize all preparations for clean-up and beautification as the first cruise ships return start on Monday, December 4. Port St. Maarten has been laying the ground work leading up to the first commercial cruise ship call by sensitizing the community via broadcast media…
~ Connecting sustainable businesses, investments, innovation, between the Netherlands, Dutch Caribbean and Latin America ~ Great Bay – St. Maarten joined countries of the Kingdom for a two part trade mission in the Netherlands, this week. The event looked at ways to achieve sustainable business between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Latin America and the Caribbean region and to explore what opportunities entrepreneurs have on all sides. The theme for the event was ‘Connecting sustainable businesses, investments, innovation, between the Netherlands, Dutch Caribbean and Latin America’. The event included a congress with 20 leading keynote speakers and a matchmaking initiative,…
PHILIPSBURG –The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation continued to plant seeds of love when it donated a number of relief items to 100 Over the Bank residents recently as part of its “three goods” principle. The three goods principle encourages persons to “think, speak and do good.” For the relief aid, Tzu Chi donated 750 pounds of rice, 100 sandals, 100 polo shirts, 120 one liter bottles of water, 120 12oz bottles of water, children’s lunch kits and clothes for around 100 persons. A total of 18 Tzu Chi volunteers participated in the exercise. Tzu Chi decided to do the…
