Kralendijk – During its visit to Bonaire on October 3rd the Board of financial supervision Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Cft) emphasized the need for an adequate budget execution (such as key role functions) and the management of government entities in its meetings with the Executive Council and the Island Council. “It requires collaboration and effort of not only the finance department but of all the management boards, the Executive Council and the Island Council in order to improve this rapidly,” was the statement of the new Cft chairman Raymond Gradus. New Cft chairman Raymond Gradus: “Fulfilling crucial functions and…
Author: The Publisher
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The Today newspaper’s run as the country’s most critical and reliable news course ended on Friday, October 6 after seventeen years. The printed version of the paper has been taken out of circulation, because the company’s ownership could not justify the heavy investments a restart would require after the damages inflicted by Hurricane Irma. During an emotional meeting in a conference room of the Bute Hotel, located just behind Today’s destroyed office building in Philipsburg, the owner – Finance Minister Richard Gibson Sr. – informed the staff about his decision on Friday afternoon. He offered staff members three months of…
GREAT BAY – “I have no doubts that we will come back in better shape,” says businessman Michael Ferrier. “Compared to a month ago, the island is already looking great.’ By Hilbert Haar Ferrier, owner of the NAPA auto and truck parts stores on our island says that he is happy with the support from the Netherlands. “They really stepped up to the plate. We have to leave politics out of this; we just have to go on with little steps. First clean your own garden, and then clean the street.” Ferrier’s first concern in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma…
The ongoing series of arrests of looters the police have been announcing practically on a daily basis will surely bring a certain amount of satisfaction to the main victim of these crimes. Namely the business community. However, we are curious to find out what made these people think that they would be able to get away with this level of mass looting. When we look at the police photos of the confiscated goods and how these items were stored in hallways of houses and sometimes openly on front porches and in backyards, we really wonder how the looters – and…
Simpson Bay — The Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM Airport will reopen for commercial flights with effect from October 10, 2017. “Despite the severe damage the airport sustained with the passage of the monster storms Irma and Maria, we have been able to get back to the point where we can have commercial service again,” said Michel Hyman, COO and Acting CEO of the airport in a press release. “Of course, we’re not back up 100%, but we recognize that the way the airport goes, so goes the island,” he said. “That is why we have been doing everything possible…
PHILIPSBURG — On Thursday, October 5th, nine (9) more persons were arrested by police officers involved in the ongoing looting investigation. This investigation started immediately in the aftermath of hurricane “Irma”. These arrests took place during house searches at seven different locations on the Dutch side of the island. At all of these locations large amounts of looted items were found and confiscated for further investigation. At one location a fire-arm was located and confiscated. Two persons were arrested in Belvedere, two at Mount William Hill and five at Hope Estate. As reliable information continues to pour into the police…
POND ISLAND — “USM cannot close” says Rhoda Arrindell, former teacher at the University of St. Maarten (USM), as the students and teachers respond to the closing of their school in an uproar last night at the student meeting in the university. “We are going to fight,” shouts a student in the crowd as the rest joins in agreement – not giving up on the school they’ve grown to love – without a battle. And as some become angry, many remain confused to what will happen to their future. According to a young student, age 17, she had nowhere to…
Pond Island – TelEm Group is not allowing the effects of two devastating hurricanes to get in the way of the company’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness campaign that brings attention to personnel and the general public about the dangers of an equally devastating disease. Each year TelEm Group focuses on the campaign by participating in various Breast Cancer Awareness events, and by decorating the company’s lobby area in the main building on Pond Island to stimulate public attention and reaction. The company has also sponsored various Breast Cancer Awareness efforts in the community in past years, including a sponsored…
GREAT BAY – The navy terminated the emergency assistance by its vessels Zr. Ms. Zeeland and Zr. Ms. Pelikaan to Dominica on Wednesday. The Zeeland docked on Wednesday afternoon next to Zr. Ms. Karel Doorman in St. Maarten to bunker fuel for itself and for its on-board helicopter. The regular support vessel in the west, Sr. Ms. Pelikaan is on its way to Curacao where it arrived on Thursday morning. The Zeeland and the Pelikaan provided emergency assistance to St. Maarten, Saba and Statia after the passage of Hurricane Irma. Both vessels also provided support to Dominica that was hit…
PHILIPSBURG — Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Rolando Brison on Thursday said that discussions with all airlines pertaining to resumption of service to the island is ongoing with some already indicating that service will resume as soon as the airport is open on October 10. He said Delta Airlines, Seaborne, Pawa Dominicana, Insel Air, Winair have all indicated that they will resume service per October 10, with Seaborne code sharing with American Airlines, JetBlue and Delta. Other airlines, he said, will more than likely announce their service over the next few days. As for those airlines that had…
