PHILIPSBURG — Expenses for travel and accommodation for ministers and civil servants should be paid by the government, the Integrity Chamber states in an advice to the Council of Ministers. Related link: Advice on Travel and Accommodation Paid by Third Parties The CoM asked for an advice on this issue on May 17, and the Integrity Chamber provided it to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs on June 29. The question the CoM put to the Integrity Chamber was “whether travel and/or accommodation expenses paid for by third parties for ministers and civil servants is acceptable.” The advice first of all points…
Author: The Publisher
WILLEMSTAD — Leomar ‘Guillano’ Schoop succeeds Ton Maan per February 1, 2024, as Attorney-General. The Kingdom Council of Ministers approved Schoop’s nomination by the ministers of justice of Curacao and St. Maarten. According to a press release from the prosecutor’s office Schoop appeared as “the most solid candidate” during the selection process because of his relevant network and his strong roots in the region. During his career, Schoop worked for investigation services and for the prosecutor’s office where he is currently the acting chief prosecutor for Curacao. As the acting chief prosecutor for the BES-islands, Schoop improved chain relations. He…
WILLEMSTAD — Eva Bos has been appointed as the Solicitor-General at the Office of the Attorney-General for Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Statia and Saba. She succeeds Leomar Angela per October 15. Bos’ appointment was approved by the Kingdom Council of Ministers, after her nomination for the position by the ministers of justice of Curacao and St. Maarten. Bos worked at the Prosecutor’s Office in Curacao since 2011. A press release from the office of the attorney-general states that, as a prosecutor, Bos “has laid a solid foundation and gained a lot of experience in leading various investigations.” Her portfolio focused…
PHILIPSBURG — The future of Air Antilles Express and Air Guyana hangs in the balance now that the commercial court in Point-á-Pitre is expected to rule on the possible bankruptcy of the Caire Group, the parent company of both airlines. The authorities in Guyana are preparing for a serious interruption of domestic air traffic if the bankruptcy becomes a reality. The website franceguyane.fr reported this week that Cafom, described by archyde.com as “a furniture specialist” has withdrawn its offer to acquire the Caire Group because of opposition from Guyana’s Territorial Council. If Cafom’s offer had been accepted, the Council would…
PHILIPSBURG — While Ennia’s major shareholder Hushang Ansary is entangled in lawsuits that could force him to repay millions of dollars to the insurance company, his wife Shahla does not seem to be short of capital, given her acquisition of a penthouse and cabana in Palm Beach for $14 million. TheRealDeal.com described the purchase in an article that was published on November 23, 2020. Ansary bought the property from reputed West Palm Beach attorney Alan J. Ciklin, who had acquired it back in 2014 for $7.8 million. When Ciklin put the penthouse and cabana on the market in May, the…
PHILIPSBURG — General Pension Fund APS is not doing well, it appears from a compliance audit into the fund’s financial statements 2022 conducted by the General Audit Chamber. APS’ coverage ratio dipped below 100, several real estate projects (like the eco-hotel in Mary’s Fancy) have become liabilities and the fund’s subsidiary St. Maarten Investment Agency has been sidelined in favor of the Curacao Financial Group, operating as the St. Maarten Investment Company. “Numerous real estate projects face challenges and postponements,” the report states. The Audit Chamber recommends an analysis of the economic feasibility of these projects, their costs and their…
Is Fuel Clause rephrasing gross mismanagement? By Terence Jandroep Communities of the Dutch Caribbean are consistently complaining about the utility bills and therefore a simplified explanation is necessary. Colombian educated Certified Risk Analyst Terence Jandroep illustrates the utility bills using layman terms after conducting a historical research: The operating costs of the GEBE (SXM), WEB (Aruba, Bonaire) STUCO (Statia), SEC (Saba) or AQUALECTRA (Curacao) consists of Payroll costs, Consumption and Waste of production. Fact is that most of these utility companies are not the Energy or Water producers but the distributors that are governed by a consumption parameters contract with…
PHILIPSBURG — Refinancing of the corona liquidity loans hinges on an agreement about a solution for embattled insurance company Ennia. The deadline to reach an agreement is October 15. “This agreement remains subject to parliamentary approval,” Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion states in a press release. “The Ministry of Finance is actively engaged in negotiations to find a mutually agreeable solution, understanding the significant impact in has on policyholders and the broader community. Collaboration between Curacao, St Maarten, and the Netherlands is essential for reaching a resolution that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders.” Minister Irion states that the loan…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten’s economic recovery is moving in the right direction, according to the recently completed economic indicators table from the Department of Statistics (STAT). The numbers used for this conclusion mostly stem from 2021 and 2022 and even those numbers are not all final. STAT projects a 4.6 percent growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021 and estimates its value to be around 2.27 billion guilders ($1.27 billion). GDP was affected during the past couple of years by natural disasters like Hurricane Irma (2017) and the corona pandemic and its subsequent lockdown in 2020. Irma caused a…
PHILIPSBURG — The Dutch Senate approved a 60.9 million guilders ($34 million) loan for capital expenditures on Tuesday, September 26, Finance Minister Ardwell, Irion announced in a press release. The minister mentions seven projects that will benefit from the loan: a shade for the Martin Luther King School playground, renovation of various sports facilities, expansion and reconstruction of the John Larmonie Center and the Philipsburg Cultural and Community Center, completion of the Prince Willem Alexander School, hard surfacing of various dirt and main roads, the Dutch Quarter road development program, expansion of the sewage network (co-financed by the Trust Fund…
