PHILIPSBURG — The Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) has made €1 million ($1.1 million) in subsidies available to support the Makana ferry service that connects Statia and Saba with St. Maarten. This appears from a letter State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen sent to the Dutch parliament. Statia and Saba want to continue their support for the ferry service but they need additional funding for changes in planning and changes at their ports. The ferry company is also confronted with higher fuel prices. Makana cannot operate cost neutral during the next two years without subsidy of without higher…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — There are twenty European funds St. Maarten could call on for financial assistance, it appears from a letter State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (Kingdom Relations) sent to the Dutch parliament. Currently there is however just one project in the pipeline: the preparation for a joint waste water treatment facility with the French side of the island. The EU has €1.15 million $1.26 million) available for it. Among the twenty European funds are Digital Europe, the European Social Fund and Invest EU. St. Maarten and other kingdom-islands in the Caribbean make only limited use of these funds, Van Huffelen…
PHILIPSBURG — Climate activist Riddhi Samtani asked attention for St. Maarten during the recently concluded United Nations climate conference in Dubai, wondering why her island cannot get help from climate funds while the people living on the island do experience the effect of climate change. Related article: ‘Why doesn’t the climate fund count for St Martin?’ The international fund for the support of poor countries that have not contributed a lot to climate change was launched during the conference in Dubai. But St. Maarten cannot call on this fund for assistance, Samtani said in an interview with a Dutch radio…
PHILIPSBURG — On a day like today, Sunday, December 17, 2023, a family’s worst nightmare is coming true. They were scheduled to arrive on Air France flight AF 498 at 2:50pm. Air France is 2,5 hours late. The ETA is now 5:35pm. They will miss their connecting flight to St. Barths today. The worst aspect is that in the party of 7 passengers, there is an infant. You don’t want to get stranded on your way to St. Barths with an infant. So what to do at this last minute? This is where the VIP Services of AirStMaarten comes into…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten’s national debt increased over the first two quarters of 2023 but stabilized more or less at the end of the third quarter. This appears from reviews by financial supervisor Cft. Payment arrears to government entities keep going up. At the end of 2022, the national debt was 1,122 million guilders ($626.8 million), but in 2023 the debt kept increasing. First to 1,170 million ($653.6 million) and then to 1,287 million ($719 million), before the bleeding stopped at the end of the third quarter when it stood at 1,285 million ($717.9 million) – 44 percent of gross…
By Hilbert Haar It will take some time before the Netherlands has a new government – with or without Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV (Party for Freedom) and winner of the Dutch elections. Wilders has to deal with two formidable obstacles: VVD-leader Dilan Yesilgöz, who does not want to be part of a Wilders-government but is thinking about supporting him from the opposition benches and Pieter Omtzigt of NSC (New Social Contract) who wants constitutional guarantees from Wilders. While Wilders has toned down his rhetoric because he badly wants to become the next Dutch prime minister, Omtzigt is not…
PHILIPSBURG — The Government of St. Maarten is under legal scrutiny as it has been mandated to compensate the family of Caulette Julien, who tragically died in August 2020 while in solitary confinement at the Mental Health Foundation (MHF). Attorney Geert Hatzmann, representing Julien’s mother and sister, has submitted a compensation claim of US$55,381.88 on behalf of the surviving relatives. The claim, dispatched to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, and Minister of Public Health, Social Affairs, and Labor, VSA Omar Ottley, explicitly requested payment by November 27, 2023. Unfortunately, none of the ministers have acknowledged or…
PHILIPSBURG — The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) inaugurated its new office in the Convent Building on Front Street on Friday, December 1 under the watchful eye of government officials, tourism stakeholders and visitors. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Arthur Lambriex opened the office and unveiled the new St. Maarten logo in the presence of Tourism Director May-Ling Chun and the owners of the building, Luis and Angel Gioia. He labeled the event as a milestone. “With this new hub for tourism we have the potential to revolutionize how we promote and develop our local tourism industry.”…
PHILIPSBURG — The company culture at utilities company GEBE is unhealthy due to a lack of communication between management and employees, the Integrity Chamber concludes after investigation the situation at GEBE. The Chamber also found that political influence negatively influences the composition of GEBE’s supervisory and management board. Related article: Integrity Chamber Completes Investigation into N.V. GEBE The Chamber advises to prevent political influence by creating and publicizing profiles for the managing and supervisory board members based on the required background and experience and by ensuring a transparent and accountable process and selection of candidates. The investigation covered the years…
Dear Editor, NOW, just some months ago, bounced on to the scene with petite fanfare, as a new political party, offering a minuscule of hope and change for the upcoming elections. Presenting regurgitated outlooks on navigating the course towards opportunities and wealth for the people of our nation, NOW provides citizens yet another political party platform of promises. With a candidate list to fill, supporters to acquire, voters to lock in, contacts to be made and possibly financiers to be gain, NOW became a sitting duck. Filling its candidates’ list, NOW signed off on the acquisition of two defectors from…
