By UN Resident Coordinator, Joanna Kazana On a clear morning in Aruba, the water off Eagle Beach glimmers in colors that no photograph fully captures — turquoise fading into cobalt, coral gardens visible from the surface, a living treasury built over millennia. In Curaçao’s Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage harbor reflects the resilience and cultural richness of a people who have made something extraordinary from very little land. In Sint Maarten, Pelican Hill offers breathtaking ocean views. You can sit there and take in the unparalleled beauty of sunrise and sunset or watch the bay where cruise ships and small…
Author: The Publisher
~ When critical national infrastructure disappears behind a corporate curtain, the public has every right to ask questions ~ By Terrance Rey The debate surrounding N.V. GEBE’s fuel clause has exposed something much larger than the monthly electricity bills confronting households and businesses across St. Maarten. It has exposed a transparency problem. Not merely about electricity. Not merely about water. But about who ultimately controls one of the country’s most critical pieces of national infrastructure. Every cup of water that flows from our taps begins at Seven Seas Water, operating through Air-Fin Holding Sint Maarten N.V., the company responsible for producing virtually all…
One of only three International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni worldwide selected by the U.S. Mission—and the only Caribbean participant contributing to programming at the U.S. Pavilion. Great Bay, St. Maarten — Ife Badejo, Founder and CEO of Islandpreneur International and government-appointed AI Ambassador of Sint Maarten, has been selected by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva to participate in the AI for Good Global Summit, taking place July 7–10, 2026. She is one of only three International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni worldwide selected for this distinction and the only participant from the Caribbean contributing to…
By Terrance Rey For decades, Caribbean governments have proudly boasted about record-breaking tourist arrivals, expanding hotel developments, and billion-dollar tourism industries. But there is one uncomfortable question that we rarely ask ourselves: Who is actually getting rich? Jamaica deserves praise for finally confronting that question head on. Its Government has announced plans to repeal its outdated Tourism Act, dating back more than seventy years, and replace it with a modern Tourism Authority Act designed for today’s realities. The objective is not merely to modernize bureaucracy. It is to fundamentally change how tourism benefits the Jamaican people. That is exactly the kind of…
St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands | June 2026 The Statia Roots Festival Foundation and the St. Eustatius Basketball Federation proudly co-hosted The Alliance – Hoops & Heritage FIBA 3×3 Lite Quest 2026 on June 13–14, 2026, in St. Eustatius. Held as part of Statia Roots Festival 2026, under the theme “The Story Must Be Told,” the event successfully brought together sport, culture, heritage, and regional unity in a truly memorable Caribbean experience. Teams from across the Caribbean traveled to St. Eustatius to compete in the official FIBA 3×3 Lite Quest, with participating teams representing: Over two exciting days of competition, athletes…
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes has sharply criticized the Prime Minister’s recent statement claiming that no formal complaints exist within the Ministry of VSA, calling it a serious misrepresentation of how whistleblower protections, integrity investigations, and good governance are required to function under both national and internationally recognized standards. According to MP Lacroes, the statement does not resolve concerns surrounding the matter. Instead, it reinforces the very reasons why Parliament unanimously called for an independent investigation. “The Prime Minister’s statement raises more questions than answers,” Lacroes stated. “It is unacceptable by any standard that a sitting…
Monopolies are never a guarantee of quality. This is very clear to citizens of our country who depend on one company, NV GEBE, for the delivery of water and electricity. Their inevitable dissatisfaction with the way they are treated spilled onto the streets recently when hundreds of disgruntled — and rightly so — GEBE clients marched in protest to the main office of the utilities company. A letter given to GEBE management on behalf of consumer protection agency ACP describes in great detail everything that is wrong with the current situation. Consumers receive bills that are incorrect. Disputing them does…
PHILIPSBURG — Utilities company NV GEBE may have overcharged its clients approximately $6.9 million, or 12.45 million Caribbean guilders, between 2022 and 2024 due to the contested application of fuel clause charges. This estimate is mentioned in a letter dated June 15, which attorney Valya Pantophlet of DEJONG Legala handed to Temporary Manager Iris Arrindell at NV GEBE on the day of the march on Monday, June 15, 2026. Copies were also directed to the GEBE managing board and its interim directors on behalf of the Association for Consumer Protection (ACP-SXM). The ACP demands immediate action and a meeting to…
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – June 15, 2026 The Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied (CCG) recently concluded a working visit to Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten, strengthening relationships with cultural stakeholders, supporting project development and exploring new opportunities for cultural investment across the region. The visit culminated in two key highlights on Sint Maarten: the introduction of the Fonds op Naam (FoN) concept to the business community and the presentation of the 2026 CCG Culture Prize to EPIC (Environmental Protection in Sint Maarten). Throughout the week, the CCG team met with artists, cultural organizations, heritage practitioners, educators and community leaders through a…
MARIGOT — A 21-year-old woman was rescued from a burning apartment in the Les Marines residence in Nettle Bay on Monday afternoon after becoming trapped inside her smoke-filled duplex unit. Emergency services from the La Savane fire station were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:56 p.m. following reports of an apartment fire with a person in need of rescue. Upon arrival, firefighters found the woman trapped on the third floor of the residential complex. The lower level of the duplex was engulfed in flames in the living room area and heavily filled with smoke, while smoke had also spread to…
