PHILIPSBURG — The draft 2024 budget mentions 572.2 million guilders ($319.7 million) in expenditures and 574.8 million ($321.1 million) in revenue – a modest surplus of around 2 million ($1.1 million). The budget for the parliament is 7.3 million guilders ($4.1 million), an increase of 12.7 percent. Remarkable are the 23 percent increase for travel expenditures to just above one million and the increase of representation costs from 100,000 to 150,000 guilders (from $55,866 to $83,799). The budget contains 1.8 million ($1 million) in pensions for former politicians. The total costs for the Ministry of General Affairs are 5.1 million…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — Reyjets.com, a company of StMaartenNews.com publisher Terrance Rey, is spreading its wings by offering seamless transfers from St. Maarten to St. Barths from anywhere in the world. Terrance Rey is also owner and operator of AirSXM.com. Rey has over twenty years of experience in organizing charters by air, land or sea to St. Barths. Now he is offering his unique and highly specialized service to rich jetsetters who want to travel to St. Barths from anywhere in the world with seamless and hassle-free connections through the surrounding islands such as St. Maarten, one of the main gateways to…
PHILIPSBURG — The Prince Bernhard Bridge – the connection between Bush Road and the A.Th. Illidge Road over the Fresh Pond – is once more the subject of a controversy. The Ministry of Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) announced in a press statement that Omega Construction will take three to four months to restore the bridge. The work includes the demolition of the “existing monument.” Said monument is a stone marker that identifies the structure as the Prince Bernhard Bridge. It has been in place since January 25, 1950, when Bernhard flew to St. Maarten in his…
CAY HILL — Sol Ecolution, the low-carbon and renewable energy division of The Sol Group, has signed its first renewable energy agreement in St. Maarten with the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA). The agreement will see Sol Ecolution providing the academic institution, which offers advanced vocational education for students, with a renewable energy solution that will significantly reduce the institution’s reliance on electricity. The renewable energy solution comes in the form of a fit-for-purpose solar photovoltaic (PV) system that will be installed on the Skill Lab roof of the NIPA’s facility, reducing NIPA’s reliance on electricity from the grid–…
PHILIPSBURG — The tourism industry is slowly but surely getting back on its feet, but the numbers, presented by the Department of Statistics (STAT) show that we are still far from the top years 2014 and 2016. In 2014, St. Maarten welcomed 2,001,996 cruise arrivals, the first and so far only time the industry beat the two million mark. In 2016 stay-over arrivals peaked at 528,153. Stay-over tourism experienced its worst year in 2020 when, due to the corona-pandemic, just 106,425 visitors arrived. A year later the number increased to 248,852 and since then the numbers kept going up. In…
PHILIPSBURG — The formation of a new government will take at least 78 days. This appears from a press release from Governor Ajamu Baly based on an update from formateur Dr. Luc Mercelina. The release states that the screening of candidate ministers is still ongoing and that Mercelina needs more time to present the new government. Governor Baly asked him to present his final report by March 29. Mercelina is working on a government consisting of his own party Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM), the Democratic Party (DP), Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) and the Party for Progress (PFP). But…
PHILIPSBURG — Financial supervisor CFT has expressed its concerns about the future of the old age pension (AOW) in St. Maarten. In a press release, the Cft notes that, starting in 2029, premiums will not be sufficient to cover AOW-payments to an ageing population. It advises the government therefore to take measures. Another serious concern is the national budget. Since 2010 St. Maarten has not managed even once to present an approved budget to the Cft by the deadline of December 15 of the previous year. It urges the government to establish an approved 2024 budget by March 31. The…
ORANJESTAD — The Aruban Parliament is dragging its feet with the handling of an initiative law that aims to make marriage between partners of the same sex possible. Coalition-partner RAIZ and opposition party Accion 21 are fed up with the attempts of the MEP to prevent the introduction of same-sex marriages. RAIZ has two seats in the 21-seat Aruban parliament; Accion 21 has one seat. The ruling MEP party has 9 seats, the AVP 7 and MAS 2. RAIZ is part of a coalition government with the MEP. A letter signed by RAIZ faction leader Raymicheline Raymond, RAIZ-MP Raymond Kamperveen…
By Hilbert Haar Much has been said but little has been done about the generous pension plans for politicians who miss the cut during an election – and it is costing the country, and by extension the tax payers, a fricking fortune. The result of the January 11 elections shows that ten members of parliament have lost their seats. They will not return and they will therefore be out of a job. However, money-wise they have nothing to worry about. This is due to the self-imposed political pension scheme for politicians that lose their seats. In a country where a…
~ More and more English is now being used in court to support language rights ~ Great Bay, Sint Maarten – On Monday, February 19, Dr. Linda Richardson officially presented her book “Trilingual Terminology in Criminal Proceedings” to the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Honourable Silveria Jacobs. This book is a reference tool, ideal for those within the justice system and connected to it to ensure that the standard of translation and interpretation is raised. With more than 50 years as an interpreter/ translator and more than 40 years of experience within the justice chain – from interrogations to appeal,…
