VVD concerned about weaknesses in mutual agreement

THE HAGUE — The VVD-faction in the Dutch parliament has serious concerns about the mutual agreement St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao recently signed with the Netherlands as the replacement of the controversial COHO consensus kingdom law. MP Roelien Kamminga confronted State Secretary Alexandra Van Huffelen during a parliamentary committee debate More...

Seven local detainees transferred to the Netherlands
PHILIPSBURG — The limited availability of cell capacity at the Pointe Blanche prison is costing the government a fortune. The Volkskrant reported in November 2019 that the 31 detainees that were at that More...

Cft satisfied with intended budget amendments
PHILIPSBURG — The government expects a budget surplus of 4 million guilders ($2.2 million) in 2024, 9 million ($5 million) in 2025 and 15 million ($8.4 million) in 2026. This projection appears from a letter More...

Terms end for Dutch Members Progress Committee
THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG -- Both chairman of the Progress Committee Sint Maarten, Nico Schoof, and member for the Netherlands, Michel Marijnen (former chairman of the Progress Committee Curacao), retire after 12 years More...

Former Minister Rhoda Arrindell is looking forward to independence-referendum
PHILIPSBURG — “What I do know is that there are no direct benefits for St. Maarten to remain within the kingdom,” Dr. Rhoda Arrindell told StMaartenNews.com. She emphasized that the debate about independence More...

Dutch politicians question not-executed prison sentences
PHILIPSBURG — In February, Justice Minister Anna Richardson informed Parliament that 136 convicts are still waiting to serve their sentence. She also reported that, even though the Prosecutor’s Office does More...

Former director Andraous joins the fight against ENNIA
PHILIPSBURG — Former ENNIA-director Abdallah Andraous has followed Nina Ansary’s example in an attempt to get away from paying 237.2 million guilders ($132.5 million) in damages to his former employer. Attorney More...

MP Heyliger-Marten pushes for changes to the Kingdom Charter
PHILIPSBURG — Drastic reforms to the Kingdom Charter should be the only relevant topic for the next Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (Ipko), Independent Mp Grisha Heyliger-Marten stated in a press More...

Jurenne Hooi succeeds Nico Schoof to chair Progress Committee Sint Maarten
PHILIPSBURG — Dr. Jurenne D. Hooi has been appointed as the successor of Nico Schoof as the chair of St. Maarten’s Progress Committee. Schoof and committee member Michel Marijnen both stepped down. Marijke More...

Kingdom Council drops demand for salary cuts
THE HAGUE – The Kingdom Council of Ministers has asked St. Maarten to establish the 2023 budget by March 31 and to make sure that it meets the requirements from the kingdom law financial supervision. This More...