~ 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,…
Author: The Publisher
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…
PHILIPSBURG — “I am Dr. Gittens, a woman that experienced the storm firsthand; a woman who is not afraid to get up after observing much devastation; a business owner that has been rejuvenated to be more creative, innovative and reinvent services and courses that matter.” This statement was made on the 3rd day of the 1st annual St. Maarten Customer Service week organized by the Customer Service Mobile Academy (CSMA) at the host venue Holland House Beach Hotel from Monday, November 27th to Friday, December 1st. “Although many companies offering similar services have left the island, Training Professionals International Firm…
PHILIPSBURG – The court in first Instance sentenced two armed robbers to respectively 7 and 8 years of imprisonment on Wednesday. The men had robed several supermarkets in March of this year, capturing altogether around $1,250 in cash, phones and topup cards. Clifford Nathaniel Noel, 23, was sentenced to 8 years; he also has to serve the conditional part of a previous sentence (157 days). Shyiem Juirhon Capleton Simmonds, 21, has to serve 7 years. Noel robbed the Ahui supermarket on Illidge Road on March 17, whereby he took $400 and several topup cards. On March 19 he hit the…
PHILIPSBURG – An anonymous tip set the police on September 26 on the trail of Agropino Ambrocio Ash. During a search of his father’s house at Grenada Road where he stayed, police found DVD-players in their original packaging, a blender and cigarettes, but also three firearms. He also had a shotgun with a sawn off barrel; another weapon had a silencer. The Public Prosecutor charged the 31-year old Ash with theft and firearm possession but during the court hearing on Wednesday the Prosecutor said that there is insufficient evidence for theft or fencing of the items the police had found.…
PHILIPSBURG – Putting on his favorite hat of Minister of Justice, Rafael Boasman announced on Wednesday that his ministry has asked for an extension of the stay of the Dutch National Police on the island. “We expect that things could get a little rough.” the minister said, referring to the upcoming holiday season, the expected arrival of cruise ships and the fact that many people are out of a job. “We must be able to guarantee the safety of our people and our visitors.” The minister said that the request has been made as part of the recovery program for…
PHILIPSBURG – ‘On Tuesday we agreed in the Council of Ministers that we must do something for the University of St. Martin (USM),” Minister Silveria Jacobs (Education) said on Wednesday, adding that the university ‘still has its responsibilities.” The minister said that she had invited USM “for a more serious discussion on Wednesday afternoon. “No one wants the USM to close. We are willing to work with the USM towards an agreement.” Jacobs said that she is looking forward to a solution “before the deadline of November 30 when all will be lost if we are unable to assist.” The…
PHILIPSBURG – The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor has so far received more than 1,800 applications for basic needs food vouchers, minister Emil Lee said on Wednesday. More applications are coming in so the number is still increasing. “We are approving roughly 70 percent of all applications for basic food vouchers,” the minister said. Minister Lee used the opportunity to thank his staff. “Everybody has been working very hard even though many of them have challenging personal situations. Furthermore they are dealing with people who are agitated. Everyone is very stressed.” The first phase of the basic…
The news about the landmark ruling in the court case against Windward Islands Bank shows that not everything that is considered common practice here in St. Maarten, especially after we achieved Country Status on 10-10-10, has a legal basis for it. Windward Islands Bank (WIB) charges clients a 1% foreign exchange fee. This 1% license fee is what the bank has to pay the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) in order for it to operate as a currency exchange bank. The bank passes this fee on to the clients. The court ruled there is no legal basis for…
The workers of the post office, their union and their management team got the government to agree to cover their November and December salaries. However, during a recent press briefing, Boasman, who is the interim Prime Minister in the present caretaker cabinet for the National Alliance-led government, mentioned that the option for the post office of the BES-islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, operated by the concession-holder Flamingo Express, to take over the postal services on St. Maarten was being considered.
