By Hilbert Haar I have written this more than once but this seems an opportune moment to repeat it: freedom ends where it intrudes upon the freedom of others. Unfortunately, the prime ministers of St. Maarten, Curacao and Aruba seem to have made it their business to intrude upon the freedom of their citizens by refusing to make marriage between partners of the same sex possible. St. Maarten and Curacao don’t even abide by a ruling of the European Human Rights Court that says that countries that prohibit same sex marriages have to offer an alternative like a legally regulated…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG — The turnover of Winair more than doubled in 2022 to €28.6 million (almost $31.2 million) compared to the €13.7 million ($14.9 million) of the year before. Profit before taxes was €1.5 million ($1.64 million). This appears from the annual report State Participations 2022 published by the Dutch Ministry of Finance. Because Winair still has negative equity of €2 million ($2.18 million) the company will not pay any dividend to its shareholders. That the airline is doing very well indeed appears from its results in the first quarter of 2023. Turnover increased by 35 percent, the number of flights…
MARIGOT — Former mayor Albert Fleming-Romney passed away at the age of 86 at the hospital in Marigot on Monday due to heart failure. Fleming was Marigot’s mayor for 24 years, from 1983 until 2007. Louis Mussington, the current president of the Collectivité of Saint Martin, offered his condolences in a written statement “with deep sadness and a heavy heart.” “This news has plunged our community in an ocean of sorrow. “He was a child of the land and he had a strong connection with every citizen of Saint Martin, with every family.” Mussington stated that Fleming was more than…
It is tempting to blow our horn in triumph about a report that places St. Maarten second on the Caribbean Investment Climate Index. Finally something to be proud of. It is also be tempting to use such a publication as a tool to mask all the shortcomings that hamper our economy. Local entrepreneurs will most likely raise their eyebrows very high after reading this news, because there is a lot of room for improvement in the way our government and its vast bureaucracy deal with the private sector. The labor market is a prime example. While the investment index labels…
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten is for the first time since its introduction in 2021 placed on the Caribbean Investment Climate Index, an initiative of the Economic Bureau Amsterdam. The index measures the investment climate in seventeen Caribbean countries and St. Maarten makes its first appearance in the second spot, behind index-leader Aruba. The Economic Bureau Amsterdam previously did not have sufficient data to measure St. Maarten’s investment climate but it was now possible to assess the situation “because the availability of data has improved.” Aruba is at the top of the list with 68.8 points, followed by St. Maarten with…
PHILIPSBURG — Hans van de Velde succeeds Michael Cleaver as Chief Executive Officer of Winair. Cleaver was at the helm of the airline for twelve years. He retired from his position per July 1, “leaving behind a legacy of operational excellence and transformative achievements,” the company writes in a press release. Global consulting firm Deloitte led the search for Cleaver’s successor. The supervisory board announced the appointment of Van de Velde, “a seasoned airline specialist poised to lead Winair into an exciting future.” Cleaver postponed his retirement twice when events impacted the island and the regional aviation sector. In November…
PHILIPSBURG — As the weekend starts out with the much-anticipated “Kings and Queens in the Diamond Tournament”, the It’s Time Foundation is proudly sponsoring the event, fostering unity and sportsmanship in the community. This year, the tournament is set to make a big impression with Vidmedia Productions and StMaartenSports.com teaming up to offer live streaming of the games via Pay Per View (PPV), a first for baseball in St. Maarten. The tournament, which runs from Thursday, June 29th to July 3rd, will see local teams from St. Maarten competing against teams from Jamaica, Curaçao, and Bonaire. The games will be…
WILLEMSTAD — Insurance Company ENNIA is on the brink of bankruptcy, a situation that would directly affect more than 25,000 people in Curacao. To become solvent again ENNIA needs 650 million guilders (slightly more than $363 million) of new capital before the end of this year to prevent the need for cuts in pension payments. This appears from a confidential presentation by the Committee Resolution Strategy ENNIA, dated May 29, 2023. “Continuing the pension payments is not feasible for much longer,” the presentation states. Even values that have been created with premiums paid after the court put ENNIA under an…
PHILIPSBURG — Independent MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten experienced the latest session of the inter-parliamentary kingdom consultation (IPKO) as “the least productive so far.” “The agenda and discussions showed a worrying lack of interest when it comes to the many important issues we have been facing with the kingdom,” she wrote in a press release issued on June 11. The main bone of contention for Heyliger-Marten is the “deficient structure of the kingdom, calling it “the elephant in the room” and adding that the current structure is not serving the people of the islands. “As long as we do not eliminate those…
~ World Pest Day Recognizes How the Pest Control Industry Preserves Public Health and Property ~ PHILIPSBURG — STEFLOGIX, a pest control company based in Philipsburg, has joined the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in recognizing World Pest Day on June 6. This annual observance is dedicated to raising awareness about the important role of the pest control industry in protecting public health, food, and property from the threats posed by pests. This year, STEFLOGIX is highlighting the pests that pose serious threats to families and properties during the summer months. Mosquitoes, which are the world’s deadliest animal, can spread…
