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Plenary Session of Parliament set for Monday about Protocol Signed between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands and Integrity

>PHILIPSBURG:---- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on August 17th. The Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs and the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, have confirmed to be present for the parliamentary session.

The plenary session is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

This meeting was adjourned on June 22, 2015.

The agenda is the draft national ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber.

The next agenda point is the protocol signed between the Governments of the Netherlands and Sint Maarten and the apparent unilateral decision by the Netherlands/Dutch Police Agencies regarding the Justice System on Sint Maarten.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St Read more

NA and DP Requested that second agenda point be added to Monday's Public Meeting.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party Faction and National Alliance submitted a request to the chairman of Parliament requesting that he place a second agenda point be placed on Monday's meeting. In a joint press release issued by both factions states the following they submitted a  request was made today (Friday) by the opposition factions NA and DP Read more

Erna Mae Francis Contributes To “Amazing” Book: Success From The Heart Comes With Stunning Bonus Offer

Erna Mae Francis co-authored Success from the Heart. Photo contributed

St. Maarten – Success from the Heart is a book published by a company called New Peaks. It contains a chapter written by Erna Mae Francis-Cotton of the Victorious Living Foundation. In many ways this is, as the email we received about the publication described it, an “amazing book,” if only because the authors give away bonuses they claim to be worth a stunning $15,078. The book itself is for sale at amazon.com for just $18.95 Read more

Mike Ferrier About The Aftermath Of The Shooting: “Hopefully, Parliament Will Get A Grip On Reckless Spending”

Michael Ferrier. File photo Today / Leo Brown

St. Maarten – Businessman Michael Ferrier, a former president of the Democratic Party – as party he left in disgust last year – analyzes in this article the situation the country finds itself in in the wake of the shooting that cost sergeant Gamali Benjamin his life.

Last week’s shooting of a police 0fficer by a coward with a gun has brought our once tranquil “Friendly” Island to an all-time new low in societal behavior Read more

Editorial - Perfect occasion

Today’s news that St. Maarten will host the 2015 Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) conference is most welcome. Visiting yachts have become important contributors to the local tourism economy, due in part to the annual Heineken Regatta, construction or expansion of various marinas and the widening of the drawbridge channel.

The last few years have seen some less-than-positive developments like losing the boat charter show, but overall the destination remains relatively strong in terms of its marine industry Read more

Sarah raises concerns about Tourism Authority

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has raised concerns about Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor’s apparent plans to disband the existing foundation governing the St Read more

Officer Benjamin's sacrifice

Dear Editor,

Last week's shooting of a police officer by a coward with a gun has brought our once- tranquil "Friendly" island to an all time new low in societal behaviour. Killing any human being is bad; however, being mentally capable, and physically prepared and able to actually shoot a police officer, a representative of the law, is a whole other matter! In the rawness of such a tragedy we, (the collective we), seem to be seeking serious debate on this "national" issue.

The evidence can be found in both traditional print and social media that has been "lit up"! We are learning that compassion is alive and well in our society Read more

The Future Beckons You Back To St. Maarten, Sxm Airport Managing Director Tells Holland-Bound Students

SIMPSON BAY, St. Maarten — "You are leaving home as teenagers, and will be returning as adults in a few years. Between now and then, you will experience life in a manner you have never done before," Regina LaBega, Managing Director of Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM Airport, told about 30 students who left the island Sunday, August 2, to further their studies in the Netherlands.

SXM Airport, in collaboration with Domino's Pizza, continued a tradition began four years ago, by organizing a "Bon Voyage" party for the students who were joined by their families and friends who came to bid them farewell.

"That moment has arrived to show that you are grown up; that you can stand on your own feet; that you don't need anybody to tell you what to do, when to study or when to come back home from the disco.

Free at last! But it is what you do with that freedom that will determine your success Read more

Transparency International Presents Integrity Assessment: “Political Parties Are Weak In Representing Social Interests”

Transparency International’s regional director for the Americas Alejandro Salas and lead researcher Cora de Voit. Photo Today / Leo Brown

GREAT BAY – At 7 p.m. local time last night, Transparency International’s National Integrity System assessment for St. Maarten came online. The company presented the report at the same time at the university on Pond Island. St. Maarten has now come full circle with probing its integrity issues. There are four reports on the table: the Baseline Study Institutional Integrity from the General Audit Chamber, the integrity-reports from the Bob Wit-committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers and now the transparency assessment.

It contains three core recommendations, of which the third one is the most concrete Read more

Minister to sidestep foundation to create Tourism Authority

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) Foundation has been declared obsolete. Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Claret Connor now says the STA will be established without the intermediary foundation due to stagnation in progress caused by delays and lack of common vision on how to move forward.

Minister Connor reacted on Monday to requests for comment in light of last week Friday’s front page story describing the foundation as being in limbo Read more

No word yet on completion of minister candidates screening

PHILIPSBURG--It has been more than a month since the submission for screening a minister candidate to join the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet and there has not been any word about whether and when the candidate will be sworn in to office. There also has not been any information about the progress of the screening from authorities.

The candidate, who is expected to take up the post of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), is former utilities company GEBE employee Ernest Sams.

Following a successful screening, Sams is to take up that post and current minister Claret Connor is slated to move to the portfolio of Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Read more

Netherlands-bound students bid farewell to family, friends

AIRPORT--Some 27 students bade farewell to family and friends on Sunday morning as they departed on their journey to the Netherlands to further their studies. Loved ones spent the last moments with them at Princess Juliana International Airport SXM, at the fourth Bon Voyage party hosted by the airport and Domino’s Pizza.

The students heard special addresses by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs and the airport’s Managing Director Regina LaBega before saying their final goodbyes Read more

Editorial - Put up or shut up

Parliamentarian Maurice Lake has a point (see Thursday paper). The persistent rumours that government is about to fall aren’t doing society much good.

As he is one of the persons being mentioned who might make such a political crisis a reality, his opinion definitely counts. After all, the Gumbs cabinet is backed by 10 of 15 seats in Parliament, which means no fewer than three current members of the UP-led coalition would have to withdraw their support.

That’s just not likely to happen, also considering the criticism, especially after the most recent election, on the practice of “jumping ship” for what seem rather opportunistic reasons Read more

Religious man attacks Jerusalem Gay Pride parade, wounding six

JERUSALEM--An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man stabbed and wounded six participants, two of them seriously, in the annual Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem on Thursday, with police saying the suspect was jailed for a similar attack 10 years ago.
  About 5,000 people celebrating the event were marching along an avenue when a man jumped into the crowd, apparently from a supermarket, and plunged a knife into some of the participants, witnesses said. "We heard people screaming, everyone ran for cover, and there were bloodied people on the ground," Shai Aviyor, a witness interviewed on Israel's Channel 2, said.
  It was the worst attack in years on the event in Jerusalem, a divided city where the religious population is more prominent than in other parts of Israel and highlighted the tension nationwide among disparate social groups Read more

>SIMPSON BAY:----For the fourth consecutive year, the Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, in collaboration with Domino’s Pizza, will be saying “Bon Voyage” to about 30 students who will be departing the island Sunday, August 2, 2015, to further their studies in The Netherlands.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Education, Sports, Culture & Youth Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs, and SXM Airport’s Managing Director Regina LaBega will all address the students before they board the KLM aircraft that will take them to Schiphol, Amsterdam.
During the special send-off, the students, while enjoying pizza and refreshments distributed by Domino’s Pizza, will be entertained by DJ King Kembe and MC Suppa.
They will also receive goodie bags containing SXM branded gift items fit for college-bound students Read more

Sxm To Say Bon Voyage To Holland-Bound Students Sunday

SIMPSON BAY, St. Maarten — For the fourth consecutive year, the Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, in collaboration with Domino's Pizza, will be saying "Bon Voyage" to about 30 students who will be departing the island Sunday, August 2, 2015, to further their studies in The Netherlands.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Education, Sports, Culture & Youth Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs, and SXM Airport's Managing Director Regina LaBega will all address the students before they board the KLM aircraft that will take them to Schiphol, Amsterdam.

During the special send-off, the students, while enjoying pizza and refreshments distributed by Domino's Pizza, will be entertained by DJ King Kembe and MC Suppa.

They will also receive goodie bags containing SXM branded gift items fit for college-bound students Read more

Editorial - Loud and clear

The figures presented by Transparency International (TI) regarding poverty in St. Maarten (see related story) are interesting. The 75 per cent making less than NAf. 4,000 (US $2,222) per month are apparently considered below the poverty line, although everyone knows there are many earning far less and, according to the report, 22 per cent with no income at all.

The latter is a bit hard to swallow, as Government does provide some financial aid to citizens in need Read more

20,000 euros emergency aid dispensed to sustain livestock

MARIGOT--The Executive Council at its most recent meeting voted to release 20,000 euros of emergency aid for farmers and livestock breeders to enable them to purchase much needed water and foodstuffs for their animals.

The subvention has been given to Association de Développement de L’Elevage et la Promotion des Produits Agricoles Locaux (ADEPPAL) to purchase supplies and distribute on a priority basis.

It was noted the current drought has affected the whole of the Caribbean for the last six months, caused US1-million dollars in lost crops and thousands of dollars in value of cattle that have perished Read more

Editorial - Single market

That Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake is concerned about the cost of living on the island (see related story) is understandable. Particularly groceries are said to be quite expensive, certainly when compared to the relatively low average salaries.

Of course, there is the so-called basic necessity basket under government price control, but it regards a very limited range of goods that nowadays aren’t exactly, all considered, among the most healthy things to eat either Read more

Opinion: Paying Lip Service

What is most amazing about the never-ending procession of court cases the new owner of the former Caravanserai Resort, Alegria, gets involved in, is the lack of response to this very detrimental situation from the government, and in particular from Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor, with the parliament closely on his heels.

Whatever the outcome of the court case may be, the effect on our tourism industry will be devastating Read more

Editorial - What’s going on?

The visa requirement for Colombians to visit Curaçao and St. Maarten was dropped effective July 1. Although it took another week after that for the authorities in Bogota to actually make the official announcement, both islands are hoping the measure will lead to an increase in vacationers from the South American country, but not of immigrants overstaying their welcome.

Little has been heard since on the handling of the change in practice, especially by immigration officials at the respective airports, but apparently there have been no major complaints so far either Read more

RSMA recruit sentenced for armed robbery in Guadeloupe

MARIGOT--Grégory Hanson de la Rosa, one of many young people recruited in St. Martin to join Régiment Service Militaire Adapté (RSMA) in Guadeloupe, was sentenced to three years in prison with one year suspended at a fast-track trial Monday in Basse-Terre. De la Rosa (18) took part in an armed robbery in the town of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe on Friday, July 10, France-Antilles newspaper reported.

De la Rosa and another individual, armed and wearing masks assaulted the driver of Oyé stationary truck at 3:30pm Friday then stole cash before escaping Read more

Woman found dead in house

ZAGERSGUT--Authorities found a woman dead in her home on Tassel Road, Zagersgut, late Monday, acting police spokesperson Steven Carty said.

According to Carty, someone called the police around 6:30pm Monday to make a report after not seeing the woman, who was their neighbour, for several days. Apparently the person looked through a window and thought something was amiss.

Carty could not say whether the woman had died of natural causes or whether foul play was involved, as the police were still checking to determine this Read more

Editorial - Reserve judgement

The UP-led coalition submitted its governing programme “Ready to Work for You” on Thursday. Better late than never, considering that it comes almost seven months after the Gumbs cabinet took office.

The question is also to what extent the policy intentions can be achieved in light of the current financial situation, with a looming instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to settle the arrears totalling 189 million guilders to Social and Health Insurance SZV and the general pension fund APS Read more