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…
Author: The Publisher
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…
PHILIPSBURG – The Council of Ministers agreed on Tuesday to make money available to cover the salaries of the post office employees for November and December, Minister of General Affairs Rafael Boasman said on Wednesday. The post office is unable to pay this month’s salaries. On Monday disgruntled postal services employees marched to the government administration building demanding a solution. Boasman received a delegation, consisting of manager Antonia Wilson, chairman of the board Stuart Johnson and the president of the St. Maarten Communication Union, Ludson Evers. “The Council of Minister approved on Tuesday the injection of money into the company…
PHILIPSBURG — World Interact Week is celebrated every year during the week of 5th November to commemorate the founding of the first Interact club in 1962. To mark this occasion with Interactors and Rotarians around the world, Interact clubs, in partnership with their sponsor Rotary clubs, are encouraged to participate in joint projects during World Interact Week. This year the Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle invited the Interact Club of St. Dominic’s High School to chair part of their weekly meeting. Accepting the invitation were President Naisha along with her board Secretary Lavisha, Treasurer Mahima, VP Vanesca and their Sargent…
~ Charlotte Brookson Academy Receives Scholarships from CSMA ~ PHILIPSBURG — At the end of day 2 of the first annual St. Maarten Customer Service Week organized by the Customer Service Mobile Academy (CSMA) and hosted and sponsored by Holland House Beach Hotel (HHBH), CSMA announced that the Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA) of the Performance Arts school had been provided with four (4) scholarships for their 4th and 5th form students. The scholarships were granted to the students to support their Business Week Program pre-hurricane Irma. One of the Charlotte Brookson Academy students attending the Customer Service Week as a part…
PHILIPSBURG — The seven public schools, namely Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Oranje School, Prins Willem Alexander School, Martin Luther King Jr. School, Leonald Conner School, Ruby Labega School and St. Maarten Vocational Training School, which fall directly under the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, through the Division Public Education (DPE), have been received their school supplies, which are a part of the emergency aid sent from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW) in the Netherlands. The schools, after much assessments, provided, like other subsidized schools, a list of emergency school items, for both the classroom…
GREAT BAY — Member of Parliament, Rodolphe Samuel, in a press release issued on Tuesday, November 28th, called on the Minister of VSA (Health, Social Welfare and Labor), Minister Emile Lee, to publish in the papers and elsewhere the criteria for people to obtain help from the Government. “Nearly three months after the passing of hurricane Irma, the people of St Maarten are still grappling to get their lives back in order.” Samuel writes in his press release. “One of the main things that has to happen without further delay is the repairing of the roofs and especially those of…
Philipsburg — Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Mellissa Arrindell Doncher on Tuesday announced that an exemption has been made to the official public holiday regulations to allow businesses to open on Christmas Day. With two cruise ships in Port, with a compliment of 5,000 people, the Minister said extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. She said government, the Port of St. Maarten, merchants, tour operators and other partners has worked diligently to ensure that the island is ready in December to welcome cruise visitors. “In a sense we are playing catch up in the season…
