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 serving on the Progress Committees. Today, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, Dutch State Secretary, Alexandra van Huffelen, bid farewell to both More...

Caribbean aviation of the future
By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert Just imagine. A small island, or a short runway, or just a resort with ample open space. Out of the blue sky comes an airplane and lands right there, like a helicopter, and brings forty passengers. More...

Ombudsman asked to investigate fairness of tax system
PHILIPSBURG — Citizen John A. Richardson has approached the Ombudsman in an open letter with a request to investigate the fairness of St. Maarten’s fiscal system. The letter addresses in particular the More...

Caribavia-founder Slabbaert envisions huge expansion
PHILIPSBURG — Cdr. Bud Slabbaert founder of the annual aviation conference Caribavia envisions a huge expansion of this event into a multifunctional organization that covers everything from the establishment More...

Lottery booths target low-income areas
PHILIPSBURG — There are 360 lottery venues in St. Maarten per February 2021, according to a study by the Social Economic Council (SER). That is, assuming population of 40,000, one booth for every 111 inhabitants. More...

Breathless asks attention for sleep apnea
PHILIPSBURG — In December 2022, journalist Hilbert Haar was diagnosed with vascular dementia, or cognitive impairment. Main cause: years of sleep apnea, a disorder general practitioners seldom consider, mainly More...

Cusha Columns unravels the enigma that is St. Maarten
PHILIPSBURG — Cusha Colums, a collection of 18 columns written by StMaartenNews.com Publisher Terrance Rey for DossierKoninkrijksRelaties.nl, is now available in book form at the Van Dorp bookstores and at More...

Government’s financial statements remain unreliable, Audit Chamber says
PHILIPSBURG — The government still has not put its financial household in order. According to the government’s accountants bureau SOAB the uncertainties in the financial statements add up to a whopping More...

Improving Crime Fund management remains a work in progress
PHILIPSBURG — In April 2019 the Law Enforcement Council made six recommendations for the improvement of the management and supervision of the Crime Fund. In November 2022 the Council completed a report that More...

Execution country packages encounters ups and downs
PHILIPSBURG — St Maarten has achieved ‘beautiful results” Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs wrote in a reaction to the fourth progress report from the Temporary Work Organization (TWO) about the implementation More...