PM Jacobs: No decision yet about early elections
PHILIPSBURG — Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs has labeled reports that the government plans to move the parliamentary elections from January 2024 to November 23, 2023, as “incorrect.” Jacobs said that More...
Be careful what you wish for
By Hilbert Haar Independence. That term has been doing the rounds among politicians and among civil proponents of it like José Lake Jr. for a very, very long time. And now independent MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten More...
New debate about double turnover tax on fuel prices
PHILIPSBURG — Eight years ago, financial expert Emilio Kalmera pointed out how the government abuses the turnover tax-system by applying this levy twice to the price of gasoline and diesel: once to the wholesale More...
Parliament handles MP Buncamper’s suspension with kid’s gloves
PHILIPSBURG — Parliament’s President Grisha Heyliger-Marten sent a letter to the Central Voting Bureau on Thursday, informing it about the suspension of convicted Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper More...
Online sales-tax: a fata morgana
By Hilbert Haar The idea to introduce a 7.5 percent tax on online purchases has triggered many questions. According to Minister Ardwell Irion (Finance) such a tax would “level the playing field” and encourage More...
MPs question country package but don’t oppose it
PHLIPSBURG — Members of Parliament had literally hundreds of questions during Monday’s Central Committee meeting about the country package agreement the government signed with the Netherlands but nobody More...
No fundamental changes after debate about IPKO-statement
PHILIPSBURG – MP William Marlin announced during a preparatory meeting for the Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) on Tuesday that “no fundamental changes” would be made to the draft of a More...
Is a Dutch commonwealth the future?
PHILIPSBURG — MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten’s has put decolonization once more on the political agenda; reason for StMaartenNews.com to look at available alternatives for St. Maarten’s current constitutional More...
MP Emmanuel: Legalize marijuana now
PHILIPSBURG – Ten thousand people in St. Maarten are smoking marijuana and they spend $20 to $30 a day on it, MP Christophe Emmanuel said during his plea for legalizing the soft drug the budget debate. If Emmanuel’s More...
An interesting debate
By Hilbert Haar The parliament is in for an interesting debate about the introduction of a national ordinance that aims to regulate the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. So far, two More...
