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Minister of Tourism Connor commends Boxing Promoter Ottley for promoting Sports Tourism

>PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor recently met with Boxing Promoter of B.O.S.E. Promotion Milton “Bobby” Ottley regarding the upcoming PRO-AM Boxing Event “Eruption in Paradise” which is scheduled for July 4th.

Sports tourism is a significant element in world tourism, and has become highly competitive niche business for various tourism destinations Read more

Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Friday regarding developments at NV GEBE

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on June 26th. The shareholder representative Acting Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Hon. Marcel Gumbs will be present for the session.

The plenary session is set for Friday at 1.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is developments related to NV GEBE and the position of the Managing Board and the position of the Chief Operations Officer.

This plenary session was requested by the National Alliance (NA)in Parliament, namely Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

Authorizing a minister to execute a law, should never be a means to circumvent Parliament.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On June 4, I issued a statement that addressed several matters, including the following paragraph: "Medical coverage law: one would recall that during the budget debates, a motion was presented to authorize the Minister of Health to execute this law, which the Parliament had not even seen. Luckily, Parliament caught on in the nick of time. This important piece of legislation, offering coverage to presently uninsured groups and persons in our community, still has not reached parliament for debate Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The management team of GEBE headed by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gartner appointed Iris Arrindell as Commercial Manager of the company. The position has been open since January 2014 when the former Commercial Manager Steve Duzanzon was suspended and then left the company when they gave him a proposal if he resigned Read more

EXCLUISVE:Labor Policy Advisor and Mediator Raphael Boasman goes on Pension end of June --- No Mediator Selected.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Raphael Boasman the policy advisor and acting mediator of the Department of Labor and Social Services will be leaving government function at the end of June 2015. Boasman has been a civil servant since January 1st 1979 and is now leaving on pension after giving 36 years of service to the government of St. Maarten.
SMN News understands that Boasman will be entering the private sector as a businessman and consultant, whether he will continue to provide government with his services that is not yet known Read more

Plenary Session Of Parliament Scheduled For Friday Regarding Developments At Nv Gebe

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on June 26th.

The shareholder representative Acting Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Hon. Marcel Gumbs will be present for the session.

The plenary session is set for Friday at 1.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is developments related to NV GEBE and the position of the Managing Board and the position of the Chief Operations Officer.

This plenary session was requested by the National Alliance (NA)in Parliament, namely Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Chairs First Eoc Meeting

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs chaired his first Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Meeting last week Thursday.

Coordinators from the 10 Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) of the country's disaster management system were present.

The two main agenda points was the Hurricane Exercise 2015 and preparedness for the season.

The 10 ESFs are: GEBE/ESF-1, TelEm Group/ESF-2, Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI)/ESF-3, Fire Department/ESF-4, Police Department/ESF-5, Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour/ESF-6 and 7, Department of Communication/ESF-8, Ministry of General Affairs/ESF-9, and Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT)/ESF-10.

The 2015 Atlantic Hurricane season has already seen two storms form namely Ana and Bill.

Prime Minister Gumbs, reminds the Sint Maarten community to be prepared for the season which commenced on June 1st.

The remaining storm names for the Atlantic season are Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicolas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor, and Wanda.

The 2015 hurricane season officially runs through November 30.

In Photo: Seated at the head of the table is National Disaster Coordinator/Fire Chief Clive Richardson (left) and Prime Minister Hon Read more

Finance Minister Updates Parliament On Govt Expenditures Compliance

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Permanent Committee of Country's Expenditures (CLU) of Parliament met in a session on Tuesday with the Minister of Finance, the Honorable Martin Hassink.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide information to members of the CLU committee regarding the measures taken by the Government on the recommendation of the General Audit Chamber in its report on Compliance Audit of the 2012 Financial Statements of the General Pension Fund St. Maarten (APS).

Wh Read more

Prosecutor’s Office not to appeal ‘Piranha’ acquittals

PHILIPSBURG--The Prosecutor's Office has decided not to appeal the verdict of the Court of First Instance in the so-called "Piranha" investigation, it was announced Tuesday. On May 28, the Court acquitted former Minister of Finance Hiroshi "Hiro" Shigemoto and Global Advisor Services (GAS) BV Director R.A.G. (62) of fraud and forgery, among other crimes.

The Prosecutor accused Shigemoto of performing acts as a civil servant, in his capacities as Director of Resources, Secretary-General and Minister of Finance, in such a way that suspect G Read more

Parliament wants islands to improve LGBT rights

THE HAGUE--The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday adopted a motion which called on the Dutch Government to urge the Governments of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten to legalise same sex marriages and to improve the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs).

The Parliament approved the motion of the liberal democratic VVD party, the Labour Party PvdA and the Democratic Party D66 Read more

Police, Ambulance launch joint NAf. 5.5 million Dispatch Centre

PHILIPSBURG--“A very important undertaking” and “an example of good cooperation,” were some of the terms used to describe the St. Maarten Police Force and Ambulance Department’s Joint Dispatch Centre, which was officially launched on Tuesday.

The state-of-the-art centre was constructed at a cost of NAf. 5.5 million, which was partly funded by Dutch Funding Agency USONA and partners in the project Read more

Sarah calls Govt to return law amendment ‘soon as possible’

PHILIPSBURG--Government should “not take its time” in returning to Parliament with amendments to the draft National Ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber for the country. Rather than wait for Parliament’s return after its July recess, Government should return with the amended law as soon as possible, says Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

She is “prepared” to handle the draft law in July even though it is the parliamentary recess Read more

Plasterk gives details on dispute regulation talks

THE HAGUE--Three aspects of the dispute regulation (geschillenregling) were a source of discussion at last week's Kingdom Conference: the type of organisation that would execute the regulation, the nature of the disputes that would be resorting under the regulation, and the binding character of the ruling.

Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk provided details on the discussions between the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten at the June 16 Kingdom Conference in Curaçao in a letter that he sent to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday.

Plasterk explained that the Dutch delegation indicated a preference for the Council of State of the Kingdom, and to give this existing entity a major role in the dispute regulation because, according to the Netherlands, this entity was "by far" best equipped to deal with disputes of a constitutional character.

However, the three Dutch Caribbean countries preferred to appoint the Supreme Court as the executive body of the dispute regulation Read more

Rolling back the ‘Arm’s-length’ Policy: Govt & its companies in the power play

Dear Editor,

Once upon a time, in the last century, what we know today as "government-owned companies" were departments of the government administration. Who remembers when Landsradio was a federal government department, run effectively from Willemstad, Curacao? Or, when GEBE was similarly a public utility company that could not function without directives from the then government of the Netherlands Antilles? Or when the Post Office and even the Princess Juliana International Airport was arms of government?

That seems like an eternity ago and thus to many, probably completely forgotten Read more

‘Voice of our people’ theme of Emancipation Day 2015

PHILIPSBURG--Under the theme "Emancipation from Within-The Voice of Our People" St. Maarten will be observing Emancipation Day 2015 on Wednesday, July 1, culminating in a celebration and cultural manifestation at Emilio Wilson Park in the afternoon.

The Emancipation Day programme, organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, in conjunction with Voices Foundation, was presented Tuesday afternoon during a press conference at Claude Wathey Legislative Hall.

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs called upon all St Read more

style="text-align: justify;">PHILIPSBURG:--- The government of St. Maarten would do well to respond to Parliament's recommendations and amendments to the national Integrity Chamber Ordinance AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and not take its time, given the timeframe of one month that was mentioned by parliament.

If the whole matter is indeed that we want to establish our "own" integrity chamber, then we should proceed, and proceed with utmost haste.

I am concerned that this delay is going to cost our country dearly Read more

EU Funding Available to Construct Waste Management Plant at Bellevue Border --- Deadline to Obtain EU Funds has to be completed by December 2015.

style="text-align: center;">What will this do to the MOU signed with GB Energy and GEBE?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the French Executive Council met with members of Members of Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the usage of European funding that are available to both sides of the island.
Both President Aline Hanson and Vice President Guillaume Arnell told the Members of Parliament that the two sides of the island have to take matters seriously and work efficiently in order for the island to obtain the funding to construct some main projects, one being a waste management plant in the vicinity of Bellevue border Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday June 19th at approximately 10.45 p.m. police patrols, police Traffic Department, paramedics and Fire Department were sent to the A.J.C. Brouwers road in the vicinity of the Harold Jack look-out Point for a serious traffic accident. On the scene the investigating officers encountered a head-on collision between two private vehicles P-5934 and P-7307 Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- -Police officially announced the opening of the Central Dispatch Center linking the ambulance department and the police to one communication line. The fire department is not part of the system according the Benjamin Gout Head of the Police Traffic Department. Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and Minister Claret Connor were among the dignitaries at the police headquarters in Philipsburg on Tuesday afternoon.

Inspector Gout explained in a brief power-point presentation that the Police started to work on centralizing the system in 2009 Read more

Emancipation Day 2015 Schedule

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - All is set for the celebration of Emancipation Day, which will be held this year under the theme, "Emancipation from within, the Voice of Our People."

While the day will be observed for the152nd year, this year, for the 4th consecutive time, the inhabitants of St. Maarten will have the opportunity to officially celebrate the occasion.

Emancipation Day will officially be observed on Wednesday July 1st, however, prior to the celebrations and as is customary in observation of the day, on Tuesday, June 30th, the Diamond Hill Estate Slave Run Reenactment will be held Read more

Parliament Ignore Dutch Govt Deadline For Agreement On Integrity Chamber Protocol

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - During the plenary session of the House of Parliament on Monday debating the National Draft Ordinance for the Integrity Chamber for St. Maarten, Member of Parliament of United People's Party, the Honorable Franklin Meyers requested that some changes be made to the document.

Whilst addressing that subject on the floor of Parliament, the MP outlined some of the areas where amendments should be made in the ordinance.

Meanwhile, whilst speaking on the floor of Parliament handling the National Draft Ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber, Member of Parliament and leader of the USP, the Honorable Frans Richardson made clear that they had no intention of bringing a motion of no confidence against the Minister of Justice, the Honorable Denis Richardson for signing the protocol with his Dutch counterpart.

He is of the opinion that the issue was sensationalized by the media Read more

George queries restart of Central Bank project

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has called for Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten to give an update on when the renovation works on the St. Maarten branch will resume. The work on the building was stopped almost two months ago, after Central Bank ended its contract with the contractor Taliesin Construction NV.

Work on the building on W.J.A Read more

Sarah calls for high priority for performing arts centre

PHILIPSBURG--"Put politics aside" and get moving on the development and construction of a preforming arts centre for St. Maarten was the call from Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams to her fellow MPs on Monday morning.

The arts centre should be "put as a high priority" by government and the money needs to be found for the project, Wescot-Williams said in the notification section of the plenary session of Parliament dealing with the Integrity Chamber.

Her call stemmed from the packed arts and cultural schedule in the just concluded weekend Read more

Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more