By Hilbert Haar Minister Plasterk said it during his last visit to St. Maarten: the Netherlands is not just going to open a bank account and let the island help itself. That makes sense. Funds that are available from the European Development Fund (EDF) are not forked over to the government either; a project needs to be tendered and executed and then the EDF pays the bills. Not a penny flows through the government’s financial system. It comes therefore as no surprise that the Netherlands wants to appoint a High Commissioner to oversee the rebuilding efforts. For this position, the…
Author: The Publisher
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PHILIPSBURG — The Executive Agency Social and Health Insurance (SZV) of Sint Maarten hereby makes the following known to all SZV insured persons currently staying on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. The SZV card does not entitle you to free medical treatment outside Sint Maarten unless you have been referred abroad for specific medical treatment by SZV. Due to the state of emergency after Hurricane Irma, a temporary provision was established for those insured persons that needed doctor consult or medication while staying on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Now that the state of emergency has been lifted and airlift with Sint…
Philipsburg — As of Wednesday, October 11th, the Police Force of St. Maarten (KPSM) with the assistance of the Police force of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, the Royal Marechaussee, the VKC and VKS intensified the general controls at different locations on the island. Police controls took place at the roundabout at the former Eddy’s Auto Supplies store and the Churchill roundabout, where a total of 40 private vehicles were checked with illegal tinted windows which were removed. A total of seven scooters were brought in because the riders did not have valid documents for them including one stolen car which…
Philipsburg — After the passing of hurricane Irma all day care centers suffered damage, some more extensive than the other ones and were left without power and potable water. In accordance with the law, day care centers must be able to operate in a safe and healthy manner. Power, being form the grid or through a generator, drinking water, proper ventilation and suitable and safe playground are some of the requirements. An inspection team consisting of inspectors from the Ministry VSA, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of VROMI have conducted inspections on health, safety, infrastructural and educational aspects.…
PORT ST. MAARTEN – Port St. Maarten has sent a message to members of the Caribbean Shipping Association’s (CSA) 47th CSA Annual General Meeting (AGM), Conference & Exhibition, hosted by Barbados Port Inc. and the Shipping Association of Barbados. Port St. Maarten Management provided a post-Irma/Maria update report that was read out at the 47th CSA AGM to shipping executives, shipping personnel such as agents, customs and maritime authorities, port and terminal operators and shipping agents from more than 20 countries from across the Caribbean, North, Central and South America and Europe. Part of the report reads: “Prior to the…
National Institute of Arts – NIA students Jeremiah David, Kiara Vanterpool, Ray Angel Simon to perform at Dance Curaçao Dance Festival and Workshop. Dance Curaçao is a dance event organized especially for talented dancers from the Dutch Caribbean. This event creates a platform for talented dancers by bringing international influences, teachers and skills closer to home. The aim is to provide a basic expertise for the dance sector on Curaçao and the other islands of the Dutch Caribbean. This unique event contributes to the development, deepening and broadening of our local talents and skills, with the goal to stimulate and…
Philipsburg — ENNIA recently paid out the first insurance claims in connection with hurricane Irma through its St. Maarten branch. The insurance company’s chief executive officer, Ralph Palm, confirmed that ENNIA strives to resolve all claims as soon as possible. ENNIA is also willing to advance a portion of the loss payment to eligible clients in order to speed up recovery from the catastrophe. According to Palm, a rapid recovery is primarily in the interest of the client, but will also benefit the country as a whole. Currently, a high number of insurance claims have already been filed. “We expect…
Philipsburg — Minister of General Affairs, the honorable Prime Minister William Marlin on October 11th, received letter from the leader of the Democratic Party, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, as a result of the allusions made by (outgoing) Dutch Minister Plasterk regarding Dutch reconstruction aid for St. Maarten. The Dutch minister in essence accuses the local government of jeopardizing the reconstruction aid from the Netherlands. While the timing might be suspect, the fact remains that the storm did not blow the integrity chamber issue away. It was there and talks between the two governments on the matter were well advanced. Some persons…
PHILIPSBURG – The Ministry of TEATT, Public Health Department, Representatives of the Business Community and the Association of Psychologists and Allied Professionals has come together to give support in the psychological first aid of companies and organizations in the connection with the passing of hurricanes Irma & Maria. After a disaster there are specific risk groups that are more likely to develop (trauma related) psychological complaints such as, first responders and others whose jobs are directly linked to disaster management. The trauma may also affect workers who were in one way or the other affected by the storm and are…
Saint Lucia — From October 5 to October 9, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LBTQI) activists from across the region gathered on Saint Lucia for the 5th annual Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference (CWSDC). The groundbreaking pre-eminent networking event for LBTQI activists was convened under the theme ‘Self-Development for Community Empowerment’. “The first ever Caribbean Women and Sexual Diversity Conference was held on Curacao in 2013. Since then the event has traveled the Caribbean from Suriname to Trinidad to St. Croix and now, because of the steadfast involvement of United and Strong, to Saint Lucia,” organizer Kenita Placide…
