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Heyliger Extends Congratulations To St. Eustatius Says: Free And Fair Elections Allow Democracy To Reign.

PHILIPSBURG, – Sint Maarten – Democracy at work, were the words, Member of Parliament, the Honorable Grisha Heyliger-Marten used to describe her sentiments after hearing the results of the Island Council elections on St. Eustatius yesterday October 21, 2020.

She said, Part of self-determination is the ability of a people to participate in free and fair elections where their elected officials can serve without fear of attack from forces within our external forces Read more

No Deal Yet At Kingdom Council Of Ministers

St. Maarten Minister Plenipotentiary Rene Violenus on his way to the Kingdom Council of Ministers meeting last Friday. (Otti Thomas/Amigoe photo)

THE HAGUE--The continued negotiations between the Netherlands and Aruba and Curaao about the third liquidity support tranche and future COVID-19 assistance meant that no decision was taken during Fridays Kingdom Council of Ministers.

Ministers Plenipotentiary Anthony Begina of Curaao, Eddy Paris of Aruba (acting) and Rene Violenus of St Read more

My colleagues and the people of St. Maarten a very pleasant good afternoon.
In commemorating October 10, 2010, instinctively as a public servant you start to think about your role. You are de facto part of the government and governing, so you reflect and look ahead from that premise. As public servants, however, there are times when you get so caught up in your bubble of working day and night for your people that occasionally you forget that the best gauge of information about your country is a five-minute discussion with any citizen Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- As we mark the 10th anniversary of the day St. Maarten became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of The Netherlands on October 10, 2010, otherwise known as 10-10-10 that Chinese saying comes to mind: A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

How far have we traveled on this journey? What is our destination? And when and why did we take that first step? We would have to search our history to find the answers to these and other relevant questions. But let me say, without any fear of contradiction, that we have journeyed far, however, we still have much farther to go, if we are to reach the Promised Land.

Contrary to what some people might argue, our journey as a nation did not start with the two referenda we held in 1994 and the year 2000 respectively: it actually started over 400 years ago when our ancestors were kidnapped, uprooted from their motherland and forcibly brought here to the New World as enslaved labor.

We have been struggling since then for freedom and have scored some significant victories that allow us today to contemplate the future with hope Read more

Public Outreach Campaign Offers Information Disclosure On Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project

ABVO-SXM Union, WICSU PSU Union and Total Cleaning Company updated.

Simpson Bay, St. Maarten (Tuesday September 8, 2020) The Airport is prepared to embark on a 107-million-dollar renovation development despite setbacks due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The trailblazers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company N.V. (PJIAE) proclaimed during a virtual Public Outreach Campaign with the media, that the preliminary works for the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project is planned to kick off with the start of the Phase 2 Mold Remediation, Surface Decontamination, Dismantling and Removal process in September 2020 Read more

~ABVO-SXM Union, WICSU PSU Union and Total Cleaning Company updated.~

Simpson Bay:--- The Airport is prepared to embark on a 107-million-dollar renovation development despite setbacks due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The trailblazers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company N.V. (PJIAE) proclaimed during a virtual Public Outreach Campaign with the media, that the preliminary works for the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project is planned to kick off with the start of Phase 2 Mold Remediation, Surface Decontamination, Dismantling and Removal process in September 2020 Read more

Established Project Group To Move Forward With The Function Books Process

Philipsburg The Project Group Function Books Ministry of Justice, established by Ministerial Decree, held its kick-off meeting on Friday, September 4th, 2020, at the Government Administration Building, with all its members and support staff in attendance. The Project Group is tasked with the finalization and legislative ratification of the function books of the Ministry of Justice and the placement of the personnel in the functions thereafter. The Project Group is comprised of a Steering Committee and a Workgroup with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of General Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance.

Each function book comprises of three parts; firstly, the functions and their job descriptions, secondly, the valuation and assignment of scales to the functions based on the weight of the function using the FuwaSXM framework, and third, the formation plan noting FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents) per function Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Project Group Function Books Ministry of Justice, established by Ministerial Decree, held its kick-off meeting on Friday, September 4th, 2020, at the Government Administration Building, with all its members and support staff in attendance. The Project Group is tasked with the finalization and legislative ratification of the function books of the Ministry of Justice and the placement of the personnel in the functions thereafter. The Project Group is comprised of a Steering Committee and a Workgroup with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of General Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance.

Each function book comprises of three parts; firstly, the functions and their job descriptions, secondly, the valuation and assignment of scales to the functions based on the weight of the function using the FuwaSXM framework, and third, the formation plan noting FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents) per function Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of Directors of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI), through its president Benjamin Ortega is pleased to announce and welcome the appointment of its new Business Development Officer (BDO) Sharilyn Bryson effective September 1.
Bryson attended Milton Peters College, then successfully pursued her higher education in the Netherlands thereby obtaining a masters degree in Management Policy-Analysis (MPA) and Entrepreneurship, with a specialization in business management attained at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) van Amsterdam.
One of her roles and duties within her capacity as the Business Development Officer includes ensuring that the operations of the Chambers Business Center function effectively and efficiently Read more

Growing Up Safe Sint Maarten Magazine Launched

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The e-version of the first issue of Growing Up Safe St. Maarten has been launched
online. The magazine is geared primarily towards informing and connecting professionals working in the field of Child Protection, but also contains interesting information for the wider community and touches upon topics such as domestic violence and teaching during COVID-19.

The magazine is the first initiative of the recently established Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) with the support from UNICEF Netherlands and the Augeo Foundation Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The e-version of the first issue of Growing Up Safe St. Maarten has been launched online. The magazine is geared primarily towards informing and connecting professionals working in the field of Child Protection, but also contains interesting information for the wider community and touches upon topics such as domestic violence and teaching during COVID-19.

The magazine is the first initiative of the recently established Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) with the support from UNICEF Netherlands and the Augeo Foundation Read more

Pfp Concerned About Plan B And Economic Recovery

PHILIPSBURG Party for Progress Members of Parliament Melissa Gumbs and Raeyhon Peterson issued a press release on Thursday, expressing their concern over responses received to questions sent to the Prime Minister, particularly those related to Governments much-discussed plan B.

The faction noted that they had submitted questions to the Prime Minister regarding the ongoing discussion with the Kingdom Government over support for the country, the economic recovery plan (which was requested by Parliament on July 8th and what was in Governments plan B.

Clarity on the economy, it seems, will not be available for several more weeks, according to the responses received to the factions questions Read more

Sint Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform / St Maarten Consumers Coalition Press Conference Thursday August 13, 2020

Topic 1. SMAPP: COM addresses Dutch government without dialogue and consensus with WICLU
Topic 2. SMCC : 75 years non-compliance of the Netherlands, what about the coming 7 years?
Topic 3. SMCC : Not only consumer rights, but also political, economic, social and cultural rights
Topic 4: SMAPP: Proposal WICLU for a MOU with COM and the political parties in Parliament
Topic 1. SMAPP: COM addresses Dutch government without dialogue and consensus with WICLU

The Council of Ministers has sent two letters to State Secretary Knops with the position of the Council of Ministers of St Maarten concerning the 218-page document with conditions for liquidity support for the third tranche Read more

 PHILIPSBURG:--- The US$35 million Enterprise Support Project was officially launched today. The project is funded by the Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience Trust Fund, financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. The project aims to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through direct financial assistance to contribute to the restoration of economic activity in Sint Maarten.

Micro, small, and medium enterprises are key for the islands economic recovery and for job creation Read more

The St. Maarten Police Department Bid Farewell To Dutch Police

Philipsburg The St. Maarten Police Department (KPSM) bid farewell to the Dutch Police officers and support staff.Post-Hurricane Irma in 2017, the Netherlands and other countries within the kingdom, provided extra manpower to secure the safety and security of the island. At the end of the direct assistance, it was agreed between St. Maarten and the Netherlands that the Dutch police’s support would remain for an extended period, allowing KPSM to implement their recovery plan.

With the support of the Dutch Police officers and support staff, KPSM was able to implement new policing strategies and crisis management structures to keep St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Police Department (KPSM) bid farewell to the Dutch Police officers and support staff. Post-Hurricane Irma in 2017, the Netherlands and other countries within the kingdom, provided extra manpower to secure the safety and security of the island. At the end of the direct assistance, it was agreed between St. Maarten and the Netherlands that the Dutch police's support would remain for an extended period, allowing KPSM to implement their recovery plan.

With the support of the Dutch Police officers and support staff, KPSM was able to implement new policing strategies and crisis management structures to keep St Read more

Night Life Industry Develop Newcovid Protocol, Will Present To Govt.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – About 30 representatives of the bar, restaurant, casino and night life industry met on Monday to discuss implementing stricter COVID-19 measures and formalising an association for legally established industry members.

The bar, nightlife, restaurant and casino industry had come under scrutiny after an unsubstantiated recent viral message claimed that a cluster of COVID-19 infected persons was identified at a local club.
Images of filled-to-capicity entertainment venues also surfaced online resulting in increased public scrutiny.
While acknowledging that some in their industry can and should do better, the business owners stressed that most establishments have COVID-19 measures in place and is willing to do more to protect their patrons and the general public.

In that context, the business owners agreed to develop a new protocol and implement additional measures which they will also present officially to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister of Health Richard Panneflek and hope to secure their support on such Read more

Night Life Industry Develop New Covid Protocol, Will Present To Govt. .

PHILIPSBURG:--- About 30 representatives of the bar, restaurant, casino, and nightlife industry met on Monday to discuss implementing stricter COVID-19 measures and formalizing an association for legally established industry members.

The bar, nightlife, restaurant, and casino industry had come under scrutiny after an unsubstantiated recent viral message claimed that a cluster of COVID-19 infected persons was identified at a local club.

Images of filled-to-capacity entertainment venues also surfaced online resulting in increased public scrutiny.

While acknowledging that some in their industry can and should do better, the business owners stressed that most establishments have COVID-19 measures in place and is willing to do more to protect their patrons and the general public.

In that context, the business owners agreed to develop a new protocol and implement additional measures which they will also present officially to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister of Health Richard Panneflek and hope to secure their support on such.

These measures include, but are not limited to:
- Reduced capacity figures Read more

Twelve colourful murals now brighten up Philipsburg. In photo: Youngest artist Annabelle Verheij (16) with her mural SXM Strong. (John van Kerkhof photo)

PHILIPSBURG--Be The Change Foundation proudly presented a sneak peek into its @colormesxm mural project to participating artists, partners and sponsors. In recent weeks, the twelve participating artists and their volunteers put in lots of hard work to help bring colour and art to Philipsburg, and their results were unofficially unveiled on Friday afternoon.

Present for the official kick-off of the mural project were Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Rodolphe Samuel and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmilla de Weever.

Also in attendance were Director of Tourism May-Ling Chun, Head of the Culture Department Clara Reyes and Secretary-General for United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in St Read more

School Leaving Exercises Held on July 2, 2020

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten Academy PSVE hosted its school leaving exercises on Thursday, July 2, on the schools campus, with the theme SOAR-The World Awaits You, with 58 students, or 89% of the Form 4 students meeting the graduation criteria. This year, given the COVID-19 realities, the school modified its graduation program, hosting five independent school leaving programs to minimize face-to-face engagement as students were conferred with their school-leaving plaques and grade lists while creating memories of their last official day at school Read more

St. Maarten Academy Psve Achieves 89% Pass Rate School Leaving Exercises Held On July 2, 2020

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten – St. Maarten Academy PSVE hosted its school leaving exercises on Thursday July 2, on the schools campus, with the theme SOAR-The World Awaits You, with 58 students, or 89% of the Form 4 students meeting the graduation criteria. This year, given the COVID-19 realities, the school modified its graduation program, hosting five independent school leaving programs to minimize face-to-face engagement as students were conferred with their school leaving plaques and grades lists, while creating memories of their last official day at school Read more

Ncf Seizes Opportunity For Staycation In St. Eustatius

Students of New Challenges Foundation (NCF) and director Francine Foe (third right) with Deputy Government Commissioner Alida Francis (second row, left) and co-managers of The Old Gin House hotel and restaurant Marlies ten Hoopen (front row, left) and Sybolt ten Hoopen (front row, second right), with the other NCF students and teachers.

NCF students and teachers at the gala dinner during their staycation at The Old Gin House.

EUSTATIUS--New Challenges Foundation (NCF) students had to postpone several of their fundraising events as well as an educational trip due to the coronavirus pandemic Read more

Van DamS Plan To Take Over Prison Is Unlawful Knops Gets It Right For Once- Mp Heyliger-Marten

PHILIPSBURGFaction Leader for the United People’s UP Party in Parliament on St. Maarten Grisha Heyliger-Marten says Dutch MP Chris van Dam’s motion to intervene and run the St. Maarten prison at the islands expense is precisely the type of unlawful interference with budgetary processes by the Committee for Financial Supervision (Cft), that has prevented the local Government from structurally addressing urgent local matters.

On June 22, Van Dam submitted a motion to the Dutch Second Chamber requesting that the Dutch Government, at the expense of the Government and people of St Read more

Council Of Ministers Commends Unity Among Unions

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The Government of St. Maarten has been informed of a series of manifestations that have been ongoing this week. Permission for these manifestations was requested and they have been granted. The government was also informed concerning the willingness of union members to partake
in these meetings and manifestations. During the past two days, Prime Minister Jacobs responded to two emails received in relation to the manifestations, including requesting a meeting to follow up and clarify any pending questions.

Prime Minister Jacobs commends the unity being displayed by the workers across the board Read more