TelEm and union reach agreement on cost-cutting measures
POND ISLAND — After what can be described as a short but intense back and forth of letter correspondences, TelEm Group and the St. Maarten Communication Union (SMCU) has reached an agreement regarding cost-cutting measures in fulfillment of the request of the government of St. Maarten for the government-owned company to do its share of cost-cutting More...
The bottom line
By Hilbert Haar It cannot surprise anyone that the government’s cost-cutting measures in exchange for receiving liquidity support from the Netherlands have become the center of an epic controversy, especially More...
Cost-cutting measures become bone of contention
PHILIPSBURG – In a letter to the Second Chamber dated May 19 State Secretary Raymond Knops wrote that one of the conditions for providing liquidity support to St. Maarten is a “decrease of 12,5 percent of the More...
Troubled TelEm
PHILIPSBURG – Telecom provider TelEm is in deep trouble, it appears from a letter it sent to the labor unions on Monday (June 1) about the decision to cut employee-salaries by 12.5 percent. The real situation More...
The Netherlands subsidizes electricity and drinking water on the BES islands
PHILIPSBURG – Utility customers on Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire are exempted from paying the fixed tariff for electricity and water until next year. The Dutch government has reduced the rate to zero to More...
New lamp posts on Philipsburg boardwalk
PHILIPSBURG — Utility company GEBE has been commissioned by the Minister of VROMI to provide the boardwalk in Philipsburg with new lighting. From Walter Plantz Square to Bobby’s Marina, the ornamental lamp More...
Governments of the Dutch, French side working on Doppler Radar Weather Station
PHILIPSBURG — The Government of St. Maarten and that of St. Martin has joined together to establish a Doppler weather radar (station) on the South side of the island. Head of the Meteorological Department, Walter More...
Not going solar: how St. Maarten ignored its own energy policy
PHILIPSBURG – On April 24, 2014, the Council of Ministers approved a rather unique document: the National Energy Policy for Country Sint Maarten. The document has an ambitious subtitle: Towards a sustainable development. More...
WAKING UP IN PARADISE?
By ir. Damien Richardson When Adam woke up that first day in paradise, as his eyes, hears, nose, and all of his body senses began to be activated; that must have been an unbelievable experience. But I am sure that More...
Outer Space: New Economic Opportunities and Revenues for Government
SINT MAARTEN (COMMENTARY By Roddy Heyliger) – The Government of Sint Maarten continues to face financial challenges due to the damages caused by Irma and Maria almost two-years ago. As the rebuilding effort More...
