A firm beating
By Hilbert Haar There are two reasons for putting an inmate at the Pointe Blanche prison in an isolation cell: because of serious misbehavior or for his (or her) own protection. Currently we do not know which one More...
Government ignores recommendations to update its prostitution-policy
PHILIPSBURG — St. Maarten structurally ignores recommendation from the Law Enforcement Council. In 2016, the Council issued six recommendation to improve the country’s policies towards prostitution. Seven More...
Informateurs find many similarities but no options for a broad-based coalition
PHILIPSBURG -- Informateurs Dr. Nilda Arduin and Drs. Candia Joseph have been unable to present a coalition of parties that represents the broadest possible support in Parliament. This appears from their report More...
Arrest team is underfunded but its members are dedicated
PHILIPSBURG — The police force does not have the necessary financial and material resources to adequately set up, manage and guarantee the deployment of the arrest team. This appears from an inspection by More...
Audit Chamber report is critical of travel expenditures
PHILIPSBURG — The General Audit Chamber’s audit into public sector travel contains a handful of recommendations aimed at improving accountability. Among them is the establishment of a national decree containing More...
Almost one in five households live under the poverty line
PHILIPSBURG — At least 19 percent of St. Maarten’s population has a monthly income of 1,000 guilders ($558.66) or less, it appears from an analysis of the local labor market by the Economic Bureau Amsterdam More...
PP card regulation labels two-thirds of households as paupers
PHILIPSBURG -- The costs for health care services to so-called PP card holders are more than ten million guilders higher than budgeted, it appears from a compliance audit by the General Audit Chamber. The auditors More...
Dutch-side economy twice the size of that on the French side
PHILIPSBURG — The economy of St. Maarten is roughly twice the size of that of the French part of the island, it appears from the Economic Bulletin of September, published by the Central Bank of Curacao and More...
Central Bank: economic recovery continues
PHILIPSBURG — The economies of Curacao and St. Maarten continue to recover from the corona pandemic, the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) states in its economic Bulletin of September. The first More...
Pension fund APS is not doing well
PHILIPSBURG — General Pension Fund APS is not doing well, it appears from a compliance audit into the fund’s financial statements 2022 conducted by the General Audit Chamber. APS’ coverage ratio dipped More...
