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Investments In Mental Health Sector Will Improve Access And Service Delivery

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Sint Maartens healthcare sector will receive a significant investment in the coming years through the Improving Mental Health Services Project with a goal to sustainably improve the entire mental healthcare chain. The project will seek to improve access and quality in service delivery and contribute to the construction of a new mental health facility geared towards future demand.

Recognizing the urgent need for more effective and accessible mental healthcare, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) Omar Ottley is pleased that this project is well on its way to successful implementation.

Mental health is a critical aspect of our overall well-being, and it is imperative that the national mental health system is robust and adequately resourced to meet the growing demand for mental health services Read more

Ambulance Workers Complete Operational And Maintenance Training For New Ambulances

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Personnel of the Sint Maarten Ambulance Department have successfully completed a five-day training course to familiarize themselves with the four (4) brand new ambulance vehicles that were delivered in late December 2022.

Conducted by ambulance manufacturer REV Group and Zoll, the training sessions focused on the use and maintenance of the ambulances and their operating systems. It also included a train-the-trainer” component to enable local ambulance workers to provide these operational and maintenance training courses in the future.

At a combined cost of approximately US $1.2 million, the new ambulances were procured through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which is 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.

Since 2018, the Sint Maarten Trust Fund has invested in equipment for Sint Maartens firefighters and ambulance workers, as well as in repair work to the Philipsburg and Simpson Bay police stations and Fire and Ambulance building to fix damage caused by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria Read more

Szv Addresses Outstanding Pension Approvals And Payments

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Social & Health Insurances SZV has escalated its efforts to resolve the issue of pending approvals for new applications of Old-Age (AOV), Widow(er)’s and Orphan (AWW) pension benefits. Delays in the approval process were due to technical issues, which have recently been resolved. On December 20, the new applicants received a retroactive lump sum payment of their entitled amounts.

“I would like to thank the SZV team for ensuring that these families received their monies before the Christmas holiday Read more

St. Maarten Voted Best Caribbean Shopping Port

PORT ST. MAARTEN Porthole Readers Choice Awards 2022, have selected St. Maarten as the Best Caribbean Shopping Port.

Porthole Cruise and Travel has been described as the worlds leading cruise publication.

Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (TEATT) Hon. Omar Ottley said on Monday: It is heartwarming when St Read more

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Evrima Makes Inaugural Call ToPort St. Maarten

PORT ST. MAARTEN The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection company superyacht Evrima made its inaugural call on Sunday to Port St. Maarten where Captain Duncan and crew were greeted and welcomed by the Acting Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Hon. Omar Ottley, and port management with the traditional exchange of plaques and pleasantries.

The debut of the Evrima, the first of three custom-built yachts, marks a significant moment for the Ritz-Carlton iconic hospitality brand as it makes its foray into the luxury yachting space Read more

Ottley Meets With Local Farmer In Continued Effort To Improve Local Agri-Produce Market

PHILIPSBURG — Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT), the honorable Omar Ottley, kicked off his first in a planned series of discussions with local stakeholders who either produce locally or import agricultural products.

He held his first meeting on Wednesday October 19, as part of his commitment to improving the local produce market Read more

Ludson Evers: Telem Referendum Illegal

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten — The Referendum which is to be held today Wednesday is said to be illegal. This was pointed out by the President of the St. Maarten Telecommunication Union Ludson Evers who stated that the Chief Executive Officer for TELem Kendall Dupersoy is pushing for the referendum because he refuses to meet with the union.

The Chief Executive Officer wants the managers to be represented separately by another union of his choice which is apparently his reason for the referendum Read more

Szv Receives Its First Clean Audit Report

~ SZV’s financial statements comply with GAAP guidelines.~

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten For the first time, Social & Health Insurances SZV received a clean audit report for its 2021 financial statements. The clean audit report was issued on September 27, 2022, by the government audit bureau, Stichting Overheids Accountants Bureau (SOAB). A clean audit report also termed an ‘Approved Control,’ means that the auditors found that the financial reporting by SZV was accurate and transparent Read more

Ottley Presents Architectural Renderings For The Philipsburg Market Place

PHILIPSBURG On Wednesday, October 5th, the acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley presented architectural renderings for the Phillipsburg Market Place. The Market Place has been an ongoing issue since the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria. The Minister stated that he is elated to be a part of the solution.

Ottley received the final architectural renderings on Wednesday morning which includes enhanced structures with removable components to prepare for a possible hurricane and on-site storage for the vendors Read more

Smmc And Finso Agree On Adjusted Terms, Sign Letter Of Intent

~ Inflation and supply chain disruptions result in adjusted terms for SMGH construction ~

CAY HILL St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and general contractor, FINSO, recently signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) regarding the adjusted terms for the construction of St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) in the presence of Minister of VSA Omar Ottley, marking the next step in the continuation of the project.

Although contract revisions are never a welcome process during an ongoing construction project, the existing market conditions of persistent high inflation and supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have made it impossible to complete the SMGH building as per the terms agreed to in 2016, when the original contract was signed, stated Minister of VSA Omar Ottley.

This LOI clearly stipulates how to deal with these issues which is important to finish the SMGH.

Following the LOI, the contract and the financing will be adjusted based on the agreements of the LOI Read more

Mp Emmanuel: Vsa Minister Must Explain Smmc Construction Delay, Letter Of Intent

~ 10 years before hospital project is completed ~

Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel announced on Tuesday that he had sent a letter to the Minister of Public Health regarding the recently signed letter of intent (LOI) between SMMC and contractor FINSO. He called the development “amazing and embarrassing” in light of previous statements made by SMMC, FINSO, and the Minister as well as the fact that FINSO has not mentioned that hospitals it is building in other parts of the world are experiencing delays.

It should be plainly evident to the average observer and the people of St Read more

Ottley; On The Introduction Of The New Civil Code

PHILIPSBURG Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), the honorable Omar Ottley has taken the pragmatic approach to allow the draft legislation Book 7, Title 10 of Civil Code regarding the abuse of short-term contracts, extended maternity, introduction of paternity leave and various aspects of the law to go into effect as of October 1, 2022, while he works on necessary improvements to the said law.

Alluding to concerns expressed by some community members, Ottley said, “The law goes into effect from October 1, 2022, with no retroactive implications Read more

Minister Ottley Opens Health & Hygiene Week At Sister Regina Primary School

Simpsonbay Bay On Monday, September 26th, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley opened the Health & Hygiene week at the Sister Regina Primary School in Simpson Bay.

The Health & Hygiene week is a yearly event at the school and is an initiative of its Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle, personal and dental hygiene.

Adjunct School Manager Joanne Arrundell kicked off the week with a special opening where they were honored with the presence of the Honorable Minister Ottley and members of his cabinet Mr Read more

Ottley Celebrates Return To Pre-Covid Arrival Numbers On World Tourism Day

PHILIPSBURG As we welcome new and returning visitors to our shores and lift travel restrictions following the impact of the global pandemic COVID-19 on travel and commerce over the past two years and ten months, the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day fittingly encourages “Rethinking Tourism.”

Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT), the honourable Omar Ottley, said he is encouraged by the statistics showing visitor arrivals for 2022 Read more

Request For Proposal (Rfp) Launched For Study On Legalizing Cannabis In St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten —The Government of St. Maarten is seeking to receive proposals from organizations who wish to work with the Government to create a full path towards a legal, responsible and feasible entrance into the Cannabis industry. The request for proposal is strongly focused on conducting several studies into the effects of legalizing cannabis before any concrete decisions can be made on how cannabis will be legalized.

TheMinister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Omar Ottley would like to invite and welcome proposals for the exploration of a regulated and legalized cannabis industry Read more

Psgs Strategic High-Level Plan 2031 Approved By Com Will Shape The Future

PORT ST. MAARTEN Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) management announced on Wednesday that the ports High-Level Plan 2031 was recently approved by the Council of Ministers (COM).

There are key initiatives in the High-Level Plan 2031 that will assist with PSGs strategic development in the coming years up to 2031.

At the end of a recent annual shareholders meeting, PSGs 2021 financial report audited by one of the worlds top ten advisory, tax and assurance firms Baker Tilly, was found to be in order.

Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon Read more

Psg Cruise Arrivals Near 500,000 In First Eight Months. Outpaces The Forecast Period

PORT ST. MAARTEN For the first eight months of 2022, Port St. Maarten has received 316 cruise ship calls bringing in 493,000 cruise passengers between January and August.

The total passenger numbers to date outpace the ports projection over this period by almost 55.000 passengers but could have been a lot better due to low cruise vessel occupancy numbers in the first quarter of 2022.

In an invited comment, the Acting Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Hon. Omar Ottley said: “Many business owners and stakeholders have been concerned with the low cruise activity during the summer period.

We found it important to notify the public that the decrease in cruise activity was no fault of the destination, but due to the salvaging of numerous ships during the pandemic.

What is important is to focus on the promising season ahead where vessels are expecting a 100% and above occupancy Read more

Sint Maarten Authorities Start New Project With Eu Support

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Technical Assistance for Disaster Response and Preparedness project began on June 20, in coordination with the Sint Maarten authorities.

The overall objective of the EU-funded project is to support the Government of Sint Maarten in its vision to strengthen its institutional capacity to plan, monitor and coordinate post-disaster response and reconstruction.

One of the first activities of the project is a Disaster Risk Mapping in all districts Read more

Population Census 2022 Starts Soon

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Population Census 2022 is set to start soon. The population census takes place every 10 years. The last census in Sint Maarten was in 2011. Due to the pandemic, this exercise was postponed in 2021. Sint Maarten joins at least 13 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in executing the population census in 2022.

The Department of Statistics is responsible for the successful execution of the population census. Two groups of enumerators have undergone an extensive training program and by the end of September, approximately 100 enumerators will be dispatched island wide to interview every single person in every household on Sint Maarten.

The questionnaire is quite extensive as the government of Sint Maarten tries to capture as much data as possible to answer the following questions:

Who are we? How many are we? Where do we live? How do we live?

The data gathered is anonymous and confidential and no individual data will be published Read more

St Maarten Civil Aviation Authority Receives Upgraded Licenses

SIMPSONBAY, Sint Maarten — On Thursday, August 11, 2022, the Acting Minister of TEATT, Mr. Omar Ottley met with the St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority (SMCAA) to present the much anticipated aviation licenses, which were upgraded to an innovative new ID format.

The new licenses are an upgrade from the old paper licenses that were issued to the aviation professionals (pilots, mechanics and air traffic controllers) Read more

Minister Ottley Meets With The United Bus Drivers Association

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Sunday August 14th, acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), Omar Ottley met with the United Bus Drivers Association at the Milton Peters College to discuss various issues concerning the bus terminal and routing system, price list increase, minimum and maximum fare possibilities, addition of extra routes, medical insurance from SZV and more.

The United Bus Drivers Association informed Minister Ottley that while they know these concerns were prior to his tenure, they are extremely grateful that the Minister made his Sunday afternoon available to hear their grievances.

Minister Ottley expressed his gratitude to the association for inviting him and requested the opportunity to gather further information on the above mentioned concerns Read more

Ministry Of Teatt Launches Msme Development Program

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten On August 2nd, 2022, The acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), Omar Ottley signed a service level agreement with local entity, A&A Accounting, Business Support & Training Center to launch a training and business support program geared towards the development of micro, small and medium enterprises on the Island (MSMEs).

The training and business support program, which is scheduled to commence in September 2022, was conceptualized based on the National MSME Policy Framework and is designed as a sustainable solution to help strengthen and grow MSMEs and to overcome temporary liquidity problems, protect jobs and, at the same time, allow efficient business continuity and operations with the view to better position MSMEs to cope with the economic fallout.

The program which is expected to run for one year in the first instance will allow for training of 25 existing and aspiring MSMEs and it will cover two components:
Component 1 is based on the support through the St Maarten Enterprise Recovery Project Read more

Ottley Says Airlift To Reconvene Between Dominican Republic And St. Maarten

PHILISPBURG, Sint Maarten — Aviation Authorities of the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten have resolved the issues affecting airlifts between the two countries following the intervention of Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley on Tuesday. Based on the resolution Ottley has given the approval for Director of St Read more

Breast Abnormalities Screening Project To Be Held September 17Th 2022

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor in collaboration with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) and the Positive Foundation is pleased to announce the return of our breast abnormalities screening program for women.

This initiative started in 2017, to educate the community about breast abnormalities, while empowering women to use key strategies to proactively monitor their health. The program experienced great success prior to COVID-19 and the organizers are excited to relaunch these health screenings with the communitys support Read more