Government bends over backwards for liquidity support

PHILIPSBURG / THE HAGUE – St. Maarten will receive the third tranche of liquidity support from the Netherlands – 61.2 million guilders ($34.2 million) – before the end of the year and the Netherlands will pay an advance of 8.7 million guilders (almost $4.9 million) on the fourth tranche in de beginning of 2021. The Netherlands will make More...

Government responds to RMR moving of the goalpost for liquidity support
PHILIPSBURG – In the Kingdom Council of Ministers (RMR) meeting held this morning in the Netherlands, Sint Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus was present to deliver Sint Maarten’s position for More...

Frontal collision: no deal about liquidity support
PHILIPSBURG / THE HAGUE – The government caused a frontal collision with the Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday that makes it highly questionable that there will be a deal about continued liquidity support More...

Parliament flips but does not denounce the Pro Soualiga Foundation
PHILIPSBURG – In July a united Parliament rejected the Kingdom’s conditions for continued liquidity support, labeling the intention to establish a Caribbean Reform Entity (CRE) as “a takeover of St. Maarten’s More...

Knops demands that Parliament accepts legal basis for consensus kingdom law
PHILIPSBURG – The government will not have all its ducks in a row before the end of the year. That puts a big question mark behind the preparedness of State Secretary Drs. Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) to More...

Integrity Chamber continues introductory meetings with government-owned companies
PHILIPSBURG – The Integrity Chamber Sint Maarten has wrapped up introductory meetings with the supervisory boards and management of the “big four” government-owned companies. These virtual meetings were aimed More...

Now or never: Knops demands hard guarantees in exchange for liquidity support
PHILIPSBURG – The Jacobs-government is facing a tough couple of days. Monday is the last opportunity to create sufficient political support for an agreement with the Kingdom about continued liquidity support. More...

An opportunity to shine
By Hilbert Haar The much anticipated meeting of Parliament about the financial status of the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) has not yet provided much clarity but especially questions asked by MP Claudius More...

SHTA sounds the alarm and supports Caribbean Reform Entity
~ A StMaartenNews.com review of the open letter of the SHTA to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten ~ PHILIPSBURG – That St. Maarten is in dire financial straits does not need further explanation. The COVID-19 More...

No liquidity support yet but talks have finally started
THE HAGUE / PHILIPSBURG – St. Maarten’s needs 61.2 million guilders in liquidity support until the end of 2020 but the government will not get this money yet because it does not meet the requirements for the More...