Author: The Publisher

USp-leader Frans Richardson is twisting reality with his statements about the approach of Finance Minister Richard Gibson towards tax reform. We’re not here to defend Minister Gibson (he explains his position elsewhere) but to give our readers accurate information. The United St. Maarten party wants to get rid of all taxes and replace this with a single sales tax. The National Alliance, and Minister Gibson with it, proposes to lower income and profit taxes and to move in the direction of indirect taxation in combination with a broadening of the tax base. The devil is always in the details here…

Prisons are the same all over the world, though some prisons are obviously worse places to be than others. But they have one thing in common: their residents have nothing else to do all day long than thinking about their next move. How to get their hands on a cell phone, how to get their drugs, how to get their weapons – the list is endless. Sooner or later bad things happen in prisons – see the recent shooting of Omar Jones. We know from a report by the Progress Committee that prison director Edward Rohan does not have things…

GREAT BAY – Police officers with the support from Dutch marines found “numerous cell phones and other contraband’ during a safety search of the Pointe Blanche prison on Saturday. The search follows the fatal shooting of gang leader Omar Jones on Wednesday August 31 and the return of the nine suspects in this shooting from the police station to the prison. The search was done under the guidance of the police by a large number of police officers; the entire K9-unit and the Dutch marines stationed on the island also took part in the operation. Prior to the search all…

GREAT BAY – The proposed Pearl of China Project in St. Maarten has a new wave of attacks this time from former Vromi-cabinet member Otmar Jonis who has expressed concern that an entirely new zoning plan was likely created for this single parcel of land in the Bell Air area. Jonis is also concerned that due care and diligence has not been extended for this project and challenges the project’s veracity. In a press statement he said it appears despite a draft zoning plan being in existence for the area of Little Bay, including the area designated for development, since…

Could become Marriott resort GREAT BAY – While all the focus at this moment is on the investment project in Little Bay – a 326-room hotel and 450 apartments – Jeff Berger’s St. Maarten Weekly News reports movement in other areas on the hotel front: the possible demise of the Blue Mall and its conversion into a Marriott Hotel and changes at the Westin in Dawn Beach. Berger quotes “seasoned sources within the hospitality industry” who claim that Marriott will acquire the Blue Mall and turn it into a resort property. “We do not know whether Marriott is also talking…

“Dispel the fear of growing up and become fully matured” GREAT BAY – The rate of change in the world today conceivably has never been faster.  Many of the old systems applied to growth and development are rapidly changing into new forms too different to be fully understood, Leon Stubbs says in this article that reflects on Chinese investments in the Caribbean. It gives context to the proposed investment in the Pearl of China project in Little Bay. The old pattern of a few countries mining the rest of the world for raw materials and reseeding just enough with goods…

Dear Editor, What hypocrisy on our island St. Maarten. When the NA Government in 2010 mentioned the possibility of a 1 percent increase in the turnover tax there was a loud outcry. The SHTA, the Chamber of Commerce and the labor Unions were the loudest objectors to it. Some of the members of the aforementioned organizations even said, ‘over my dead body there will be no increase in the turnover tax.” It wasn’t a year later a government led by the UP increased the turnover tax by 2 percent. There was absolutely no outcry from the SHTA, the Chamber of…

GREAT BAY – According to the Quarterly Bulletin of the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten, economic developments in the monetary union were uneven in the first quarter of 2016. Curaçao recorded a real GDP contraction, while Sint Maarten’s economy expanded in real terms. Real GDP contracted in the first quarter of 2016 by 0.2% in Curaçao, while the economy of Sint Maarten expanded by 0.4%. Meanwhile, the decline in international oil prices dampened inflationary pressures in both countries. Curaçao registered zero inflation, and Sint Maarten recorded deflation resulting in an average drop of 0.9% in consumer prices during…

GREAT BAY – For quite some time the Police Department has received numerous complaints from persons in the community and mainly from residents living on the A. Th. Illidge road in the section between the “Cottage Round About” and the entrance of Arch Road, also known as “The Strip”. The police have intervened in many of these complaints and taken measures closing these establishments down. This area where several popular night clubs, bars, other after hour’s businesses, supermarkets etcetera are located is also a residential area. The complaints the police department still regularly receives are concerning issues such as loud music,…

Dear Editor, Since 10-10-10 our “Country” has been plagued with all kinds of lawlessness. We have witnessed a spate of choke and rob, constant hold ups, break-ins, carjacking and the insane gun violence. We have heard time and time again of the plans of approach and the many options government is contemplating to address the scourge plaguing society. A gentleman once told me that the greatest threat to our economy and livelihood is not the risk of pricing ourselves out of the market but the sense of insecurity. People have a need to feel safe and when they don’t they…