MP Peterson criticizes process for public tenders

PHILIPSBURG — Public tenders falling under the authority of the Ministry of Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) have once again become a bone of contention. In 2022 the Ombudsman concluded in a report about the tendering of solid waste collecting contracts that these tenders were “neither fair nor sufficiently More...

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 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...

Chief Commissioner John addresses artificial intelligence during symposium in Aruba
PHILIPSBURG — Chief Commissioner Carl John delivered a compelling presentation about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting advantages as well as disadvantages at the symposium Human Factors More...

Tax office has no grip on ex officio assessments
PHILIPSBURG — If you have ever wondered why the tax administration continues to publish dozens upon dozens of tax warrants in the National Gazette, you can find the answer in the latest audit report of the More...

Concerns about the future of Claude Wathey’s statue
PHILIPSBURG — The old Government Administration Building will finally be demolished by a company called Limitless Infrastructure at a cost of approximately 660,000 guilders ($368,715). A ceremony to “celebrate” More...

Retribution or Sinister Agenda
Dear Editor, Again and again, prosecutors operating in this territory are embarrassing our judicial system. They went on a house searching rampage, again, under the pretext of “fraud, forgery and taking bribery”, 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...

Acquittal in De Mos case has potential consequences in St. Maarten
PHILIPSBURG — A ruling from the Court in First Instance in Rotterdam could potentially have consequences for pending high profile appeal cases in St. Maarten, like the one that will determine the fate of More...