PHILIPSBURG — Cusha Colums, a collection of 18 columns written by StMaartenNews.com Publisher Terrance Rey for DossierKoninkrijksRelaties.nl, is now available in book form at the Van Dorp bookstores and at Adolphus Richardson Office Supplies. The columns deal with an array of topics that show the author’s love for the island and his ability to flesh out stories that explain the enigma that is St. Maarten. At least, they make a serious attempt at doing so, because at the end, the subject of his writing remains a mystery. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be. Rey writes with a…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The history of slavery is not only a hot topic in the Caribbean. Three Dutch cities – Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht – have already offered apologies and in Dordrecht the e-zine Dordrecht Monumenteel/Dordts Geboren (Dordrecht Monumental/Born in Dordrecht) dedicated a large part of its December issue to the city’s role in the slave trade. In December, Prime Minister Mark Rutte offered apologies on behalf of his government, saying that the slave trade was a crime against humanity. Dordrecht Monumenteel is a cultural-historic magazine. It researched the city’s role in the slave trade in regional archives in 2022, with…
PHILIPSBURG — Did the Cadastre have a hidden bank account that is used to conceal monies from government? Former Cadastre-director Clemens Roos says that there has never been a hidden account when he was in charge. The Cadastre had a guilder- and a dollar account. There was also a euro-account but according to Roos there was never a lot of money in it. “I am not aware of any other bank accounts. If there is a hidden account then it was opened after I left in 2015.” Roos recalls that the Cadastre was financially challenged in 2011 and that it…
By Hilbert Haar The General Audit Chamber investigates the lawful and efficient spending of public funds, or so I read in the chamber’s report about St. Maarten’s 2021 financial statements. Related article: Government’s financial statements remain unreliable, Audit Chamber says After reading the report I can only conclude that how the government is spending public funds is not lawful and not efficient either. Sadly, this is not even news, because the government’s lousy bookkeeping and spendthrift has been around since St. Maarten became a country on October 10, 2010 – and probably even longer. Let us take subsidies as an…
PHILIPSBURG — The government still has not put its financial household in order. According to the government’s accountants bureau SOAB the uncertainties in the financial statements add up to a whopping 1.3 billion guilders (more than $726 million) while the General Audit Chamber maintains an adverse opinion about the country’s 2021 financial statements. “Like the financial statements of previous years, they could be more reliable, making it difficult, if not impossible to use the actual figures for the preparation of the government’s subsequent budget,” the Audit Chamber writes in its report about the 2021 financial statements that appeared this month.…
THE HAGUE — The Netherlands will not pay reparations to descendants of slaves in the Caribbean, the Telegraaf reported on Thursday. Minister Bruins Slot (Home Affairs) made a statement to this extent during a debate in the Second Chamber, the Dutch parliament. The Netherlands will however set up a fund of €200 million ($218) that will remain available for several years. Descendants of slaves will get the opportunity to take part in discussions about the way this money should be spent. Bruins Slot repeated that the Netherlands is not going to pay reparations, after Prime Minister Mark Rutte made a…
ORANJESTAD — Helene Croes of the Aruban Caquetio is convinced: “We have nothing to do with slavery. Others have made that connection, we didn’t. So we don’t need apologies either.” Croes is a jurist, interpreter and translator, she is teaching Spanish and she is the cacique, the chief of the Aruban Warriors. “We are descendants of native Indians,” she told Sharina Henriquez of Caribisch Netwerk. “We, the Caquetio, are the original inhabitants. The colonists have acknowledged that when they came to Aruba, it appears from archives. We have never been slaves. That was not allowed at the time.” Originally the…
PHILIPSBURG — Jorien Wuite, St. Maarten’s member of the Dutch parliament for D66 is urging citizens to register for the election of members of the Electoral College for non-residents. Members of this college vote in turn for members of the First Chamber, the Dutch senate. The registration for this election closes on February 1 and the election date is March 15. At the beginning of her six-day visit to the Caribbean, Wuite called on voters to participate. On March 15, the elections are not only about electing members for the Dutch provincial parliaments, but also about electing members of the…
Dear Editor, Words can’t describe how distraught I am at this moment. I can only imagine how my ancestors would feel if they were here to witness this atrocity. The historical structure at Diamond Estate has been completely destroyed at the cost of what? It begs to wonder who ensures that proper policies and laws are put in place to stop these presumed “illegal” acts. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) through the Department of Culture ensures a re-enactment of the Diamond Estate 26 Run for freedom is part of the yearly Emancipation Day celebrations. Which seems…
Dear Editor, I hope one of the outcomes of the pandemic would be a real discussion on the dependence of our island’s economy on tourism. Every election there has been much talk on the economy, but besides from our tourism product, the only real driver of the economy has been the funds granted from the Netherlands. Every election, few candidates take some ideas out of their hats in regards to diversifying the economy. Although, what is really done? We have to take a step back, assess and observe the situation. Which party has been…
