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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of St. Maarten KPSM has added thirteen new police officers to its ranks with the graduation of the Basic Police Training BPO Class of 2018 on Friday morning.

The new officers took their oath before Justice Minister Anna Richardson in front of the Walter R. Kramers Building (Police Headquarters) Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- In response to alleged rumors brought forth by a Member of Parliament, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs hereby states the following.
"It is unfortunate that rendering a response to this far-fetched request would lend a semblance of credibility to it. Its clear weve reached a new political low when the peoples represen Read more

Usp To Restructure Party Operations.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With an eye on the future and living up to its founding principles, the United St. Maarten (US) party is in the process of restructuring its board, party platform, and representation in preparations for the upcoming electoral cycle.

The board of the US said that it is vital for any political organization to re-examine and plan for the future, especially in changing times Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- It seems St. Maarten Carnival 2022 is being held to an apparent double standard," remarked Stuart Johnson former Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT).
"It is truly commendable the excessive safety plan the St.Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has created enabling the launch of the 2022 calendar of events Read more

Mp Grisha Heyliger-Marten Suggests Tariff 60 For Seniors

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Faction Leader in Parliament for the United Peoples UP Party the Honorable Grisha Heyliger-Marten has proposed that Government-Owned utility company NV GEBE institute a permanent rate reduction on electricity and water for all seniors ages 60 and older through what she calls a Tariff-60 subsidy program.

She wants this to be a set rate so that seniors never again have to go through the hassle of registering with the Utility Company annually for a periodic decrease in their bills Read more

Prime Minister Jacobs International Day For The Elderly Message

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A Happy International Day for the elderly is wished to all seniors. After a lifetime of taking care of your homes, families and growing our community, we arehonoredto celebrate you today, though you deserve so much more. Your willingness to pass on your knowledge and your wisdom to the younger generation and the generations to come has led tothegrowth and development of our nation. Keep on living a vibrant life, enjoying every day the blessings of a long life.

We are living in a time, that our senior’s health is most at risk, due to COVID-19 and the way it impacts the elderly Read more

Mp Heyliger-Marten: Much More Needs To Be Done For Older Persons

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Today is the International Day of Older Persons and we should be reflecting on the strides made to improve the lives of older persons in our community, but so much more needs to be done according to Member of Parliament for the United Peoples UP Party Grisha Heyliger-Marten.

The MP issued a press release on Thursday reflecting on the many times in her life in which older persons imparted wisdom to help her in her new role as Faction Leader for the UP Party in Parliament and politics in general.

I was raised by grandparents who were always there to reason with me whenever I faced challenges and I hope that even today our new leaders and scholars in various fields and industry can gravitate to an older person to learn from their life experiences and tap into their wealth of knowledge.

She lamented that much still needs to be done on St Read more

Is Possibly Ethically Unacceptable Behavior A New Norm?

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — The behavioral ethics of our appointed and elected officials have come under questionable circumstances lately. While there is no regulation against gifts for government officials neither has the code of conduct been passed, which includes a gift registration for Members of Parliament (MPs).

Back on December 13th, 2018, former Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT) Stuart Johnson highlighted an embarrassing case our country faced.

Johnson in The Daily Herald newspaper article stated, Government was notified on November 28 of a 451-day past-due bill for a training attended by Member of Parliament Rolando Brison during his stint as St Read more

Heyliger-Marten Plans Justice Committee Tour Of Detention Facilities

Inmates deserve short-time solutions to meet human rights standards

PHILIPSBURG – Following up on her letter of September 1st, 2021, MP and Chairlady of the Justice Committee of Parliament Grisha Heyliger-Marten sent another letter to Justice Minister Anna Richardson last week Read more

Is Possibly Ethically Unacceptable Behavior A New Norm?

PHILIPSBURG:---  The behavioral ethics of our appointed and elected officials have come under questionable circumstances lately.

While there is no regulation against gifts for government officials neither has the code of conduct been passed, which includes a gift registration for Members of Parliament (MPs).

Back on December 13th, 2018, former Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT) Stuart Johnson highlighted an embarrassing case our country faced.

Johnson in The Daily Herald newspaper article stated, Government was notified on November 28 of a 451-day past-due bill for training attended by Member of Parliament Rolando Brison during his stint as St Read more

Open Letter To The Prosecutor Of St. Maarten

As a citizen who is being victimized by the Minister of VROMI [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Ed.], Mr. Egbert Jurendy Doran, I address this public plea to you with the sincere hope that you will stand up for us, the common men and women on this island, and ensure that an impartial investigation is launched into the wrongdoings of Minister Doran, his colleague minister(s) and his subordinates within the Ministry of VROMI in regard to all matters surrounding the so-called Vineyard Heights Project in the Over the Bank area, based on the following:

Prior ministers issued official signed government documents indicating the intention of government to issue specified parcels of land to several citizens; These citizens made payments to the Cadastre upon indication of a former Minister of VROMI, Mr Read more

Erfpact Land Distribution A Known Taboo For Politicians On St. Maarten.

~ A policy is like placing a band-aid over a life sore.~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The distribution of long lease land to voters during an election is a known taboo for politicians on St. Maarten, it is one of the reasons why the Ministry of VROMI is fought for during coalition negotiations. In most cases, the best negotiator wins.

Members of Parliament that were either commissioners or ministers are guilty of receiving parcels of land for themselves their family members, close friends, and party supporters Read more

Mp Gumbs Proposes To End ParliamentS Membership To Parlatino

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – With an eye to redirect Sint Maartens limitedresources into initiatives that would deepen cooperative ties between the Dutch Caribbean and other islands in the region, Party for Progress (PFP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Melissa Gumbs on Friday submitted a proposal to Parliament that would end the bodys membership to the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

Parliament, and by extension the country and people of Sint Maarten, spend US $30,000 in annual membership fees plus a travel budget of NAf Read more

Mp Emmanuel Questions Doran About Re-Locating People From Landfill To Foga

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday dispatched a letter to the Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran with a number of questions regarding the reported relocation of persons living on the landfill to brand new homes to be built at the area known as the Foga Housing Development Project in Sucker Garden.
Emmanuel said in his letter to the Minister that persistent rumors and unconfirmed reports must be addressed post haste as there were existing plans for the area Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- On 14 September 2021, the Island(er)s at the Helm program hosted its first Kingdom-wide event with societal partners and other stakeholders. This meeting is the start of a five-year collaboration that brings together researchers and societal partners to use technical, traditional, and contemporary knowledge practices to study climate change adaptation. Working closely together, the Island(er)s at the Helm program will co-create sustainable and inclusive solutions for social adaptation to climate challenges in the (Dutch) Caribbean.

In this event, participating organizations and researchers exchanged ideas for collaboration within the Island(er)s at the Helm research program Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Wednesday dispatched a letter to the Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran with a number of questions regarding the reported relocation of persons living on the landfill to brand new homes to be built at the area known as the Foga Housing Development Project in Sucker Garden.
Emmanuel said in his letter to the Minister that persistent rumors and unconfirmed reports must be addressed post-haste as there were existing plans for the area. One of his 10 questions to the Minister queried if there is any validity to the report that persons living on the landfill will each be compensated financially to move as well as the legal status of these individuals Read more

Mp Sarah Wescot-Williams: Remarks At The Closing Of The Parliamentary Year 2020-2021.

The proverbial elephant in the room is the lack of cohesion in this administration where major matters are concerned.

On the 8th of September 2020, we had a historic opening of the parliamentary year we are closing today. Tomorrow the opening ritual will take place again, like is customary throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There is one big difference though, the opening of the parliamentary year in the Netherlands with the Crown Speech is followed by the presentation of the budget of the Kingdom government, one of the many abnormalities our constitutional system engenders Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- On the 8th of September 2020, we had a historic opening of the parliamentary year we are closing today. Tomorrow the opening ritual will take place again like is customary throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There is one big difference though, the opening of the parliamentary year in the Netherlands with the Crown Speech is followed by the presentation of the budget of the Kingdom government, one of the many abnormalities our constitutional system engenders. Our budget is as with so many things to reach this parliamenton its way.
According to our constitution, the governor will tomorrow present the governments statement, in other words, His Excellency the Governor will be presenting to the parliament and the people, the National Alliance/United People Party plans for the coming parliamentary year.
While during last years presentation by the governor, the emphasis of that presentation was understandably on the Corona pandemic that had engulfed us by then, slowly but surely we come face to face with the reality that there is no way forward by going back to pre-covid Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  The chair of parliament Roland Brison did not mince words on Monday when he called out the laziest Member of Parliament during the closing of the parliamentary year.

The UPP MP and chair of parliament said when listening to the positions stated by members of parliament, he looked around the hall and understand the concerns, because for most of the faction leaders, the level of representation, and more importantly, the level of work they put in, is very clear and commendable from his viewpoint as chairman.

Brison said however he does feel the need to give his observations of how the factions of parliament and its members are functioning, and how he believes they should be going forward.

First the good:

For at least 5 of the 6 factions in parliament he observed that every single one of them has presented amendments, motions, has chaired meetings in their respective committees across opposition/coalition lines, and other real initiatives things that are today being upheld by the government Read more

A Message To Minister Of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion

The tax witch hunt should first and foremost start with the large foreign business investors prior to going after our struggling local businesses. In fact government should give incentives, tax break/relief and even exemption to local businesses for a period of time. It is Minister of Finance Mr. Ardwell Irion’s turn to show case his ambitious plan in turning around our bleak financial situation into a balanced then onto a bright one.

Armed with a law book presented by tax advisors Tax Inspector Mr Read more

Exclusive: Gebe Sbod Files Injunction Against Government. (Updated)

~ Wants the court to annul the resolution to appoint a statutory director.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The three members of the Supervisory Board of Directors (SBOD) of NV GEBE have filed a court injunction against the shareholder of the government-owned company, namely the Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran. The hearing is scheduled for Friday morning while the hearing with the government will take place at 2 pm Read more

Nagico Insurances Has Launched A Project To Help Promote Safety Awareness In School

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Given the emergence of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant, NAGICO Insurances has launched a project to help promote safety awareness in schools.

The awareness campaign will see child friendly, colorful posters and social distancing floor stickers, being placed at strategic locations in all Elementary and Secondary schools. The messages on these signs are all geared at informing and reminding students, of COVID-19 safety measures, which they need to practice, which will in turn reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus in and around the school campuses.

Our main objective with this project, is to help create a safe environment for our children and teachers in school as this is crucial in curbing the spread of the coronavirus, Eric Ellis; Territory Head for NAGICO St Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Given the emergence of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant, NAGICO Insurances has launched a project to help promote safety awareness in schools.

The awareness campaign will see child-friendly, colorful posters and social distancing floor stickers, being placed at strategic locations in all Elementary and Secondary schools. The messages on these signs are all geared at informing and reminding students, of COVID-19 safety measures, which they need to practice, which will, in turn, reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus in and around the school campuses.

Our main objective with this project is to help create a safe environment for our children and teachers in school as this is crucial in curbing the spread of the coronavirus, Eric Ellis; Territory Head for NAGICO St Read more

~ Pop-ups vaccination will restart. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Minister of Health Omar Ottley announced on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing those 12 persons lost their lives due to COVID -19 during the month of August. Of those 9 of those persons were unvaccinated, 2 were partly vaccinated and one was fully vaccinated. The Minister said that 46 persons lost their lives due to the coronavirus since the pandemic started in March 2020.
The Minister said that the pop-up vaccination will resume as of this Saturday at the CPS location at the Vineyard Building Read more