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Pfp: Reaction To Supreme Court Opinion

Failures to Protect Constitution and Autonomy of Country Sint Maarten

PHILIPSBURG – Disappointed was the sentiment within the Party for Progress (PFP) after the Supreme Court in the Netherlands issued their opinion on the Braam case in Curacao. The disappointment, however, is not with the opinion that has been issued, but with the fact that St. Maartens democratic process was interfered with by the Cabinet of the Governor Read more

Vng Caribbean Desk Set To Launch On July 1

 HAZERSWOUDE-DORP--The Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK and the Association of Dutch Municipalities VNG have come together to open the VNG Caribbean Desk for the Caribbean Netherlands, which will serve as a central point of contact for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The VNG Caribbean Desk will open on Monday, July 1, 2024, and is co-financed by BZK.

VNG Chairperson Sharon Dijksma and BZK Ministry Kingdom Relations Director-general Roald Lapperre announced the VNG Caribbean Desk during the annual VNG congress at a large plant nursery in HazersWoude-Dorp in the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 25.

With the launch of the Caribbean Desk, VNG wants to further contribute to increasing support to the public entities Bonaire, St Read more

Mp Christophe Emmanuel: Alliance Utter Failure On GebeContinues With No Solutions Offered

Leader of the Nation Opportunity Wealth party (NOW) MP Christophe Emmanuel on Tuesday said in a stunning display of hypocrisy and incompetence, the National Alliance MPs have once again demonstrated their utter lack of credibility on the critical issue of GEBE.

For four long years, while they held the reins of government, they stood idly by as GEBE deteriorated Read more

Chris Says GovtS Reliance On GebeFor Power Crisis Solution Problematic

~ Lack of renewable energy solution glaring ~

MP Christophe Emmanuel, the lone Member of Parliament to propose a solution to the GEBE power crisis, stated on Tuesday that he must distance himself from the St. Maarten government’s approach to dealing with the matter. The MP said he is critical of the method because the government relies too heavily on information provided by GEBE and the lack of a plan to finally shift to renewable energy sources. GEBE lies to the people of St. Maarten to protect itself Read more

Vromi State Of Affairs Minister Patrice Gumbs Provides Comprehensive Update

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Minister of VROMI and Deputy Prime Minister Patrice Gumbs issued a media statement on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, where he provided a comprehensive update on the state of affairs within the Ministry of VROMI and what his Cabinet has been and will continue to work on following his swearing in.

The Ministry of VROMI has faced challenges for many years, Gumbs stated Read more

Schedule For Postulation Day

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Central Voting Bureau is pleased to announce the schedule for Postulation Day, Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024, at the House of Parliament.

On Postulation Day, representatives or deputy representatives from each political party will formally submit their candidate lists to the Central Voting Bureau for the parliamentary election of August 19th, 2024. To facilitate an orderly process, each party has selected a specific time slot for submission, as listed below Read more

Minister Lewis Meets With Halt Foundation Representatives

THE NETHERLANDS — On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Honorable Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Lyndon Lewis, accompanied by his delegation in the Hague, the Netherlands, held an introductory meeting with representatives from the Halt Het Alternative (The alternative) foundation, Ms Read more

Junior Ranger Program For Nature Kicks Off At Nature Foundation

The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten is thrilled to announce the successful launch of its newest iteration of a Junior Ranger Program, which commenced last Saturday, June 22 with great enthusiasm and participation from the selected rangers. This program, part of the CORENA project, aims to engage young nature enthusiasts and foster a deeper appreciation for the environment.

The inaugural event took place at Mullet Bay, where the seven selected junior rangers, all 12 years old, gathered to embark on their first adventure Read more

Dr. Rhoda Arrindell Represents One St. Martin Association At The Big Conference At The Un

GREAT BAY, St. Martin Dr. Rhoda Arrindell, president of the One St. Martin Association (One SXM), was the sole delegate from St. Martin at the BIG international conference on decolonization in New York last week.

Arrindell was an invited speaker at the conference, Towards Independence and Fundamental Freedoms: The Role of the C-24 in Ending Colonialism, hosted by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

Arrindell read the One SXM statement on June 20, highlighting the associations ongoing campaign to bring awareness to the St Read more

Sandbar To Buccaneer Run Will Take Place This Saturday 29Th June 2024

The St. Maarten Road Runners is proud to present its second edition of the Sandbar to Buccaneer Run which will take place this Saturday 29th June 2024.

This event is sponsored and made possible by the Buccaneer Beach Bar, Sandbar, Sunset Beach Bar and Motorworld.

In line with the mission and vision of the St. Maarten Road Runners to continuously promote a healthy lifestyle for all, this event caters to kids and as well as adults.

The Sandbar to Buccaneer Run is a little different than the usual events and consists of 2 different races which can be chosen from.

Race number 1 consists of an individual run of a distance of 5km which starts at Sand Bar SXM and finishes at Buccaneer Beach Bar Read more

The Point Blanche Prison Invests In New Medical Equipment To Enhance Healthcare Services

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten In a significant move to address longstanding concerns about the quality of medical services, the Point Blanche Prison of Sint Maarten has purchased a comprehensive range of new medical equipment via the Sint Maarten Diagnostic Center. This investment is a pivotal step toward improving the healthcare facilities and ensuring that both inmates and staff receive the highest standard of medical care.

The new equipment, which includes essential diagnostic and treatment instruments, such as an otoscope, mobile BP apparatus, AED equipment, portable blood pressure, temperature and glucose meters, emergency crash kits, medication cabinets and more, aims to upgrade the prison’s healthcare capabilities significantly Read more

Solar Energy Best Option For St. Maarten, Tno Concludes, But No Clear Plans In Sight

PHILIPSBURG--Solar energy appears to be the best option for increasing renewable electricity in St. Maarten, according to TNO, which studied the energy transition in Aruba, Curaao, and St. Maarten.

TNO, founded in 1932, is established by law as the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, an independent non-profit research institute.

Given that the demand peak in St. Maarten is between 10:00am and 2:00pm, solar panels are an attractive option, as their production peak aligns with this period Read more

Grisha Steps In To Aid Winair Increase Flights To CuracaoAmid Jetair Bankruptcy Impact

GREAT BAY Hundreds of passengers who were bound for St. Maarten are currently stranded in Curaao, because of the unexpected bankruptcy of JetAir, which was to fly them to Princess Juliana International Airport.

There are also numerous travelers in St. Maarten eager to visit family and friends in Curaao who have been affected by the demise of JetAir.

Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Grisha Heyliger-Marten swung into immediate action upon receiving information from the CEO of WINAIR regarding a critical situation affecting air travel between St Read more

Teatt Minister Says Port St. Maarten Efficiency Directly Linked To Food Security

GREAT BAY The islands heavy dependence on food importation makes port efficiency directly linked to food security, said TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten.

At a meeting last Friday, the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), told Alex Gumbs, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Port St Read more

A Robust Maintenance Program Needed At Cargo Facility, Says Grisha

GREAT BAY Hon. Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT) and the Port St. Maarten Group of Companies have agreed on the necessity to implement a robust maintenance program at the Cargo facility to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and cost management.

At a meeting held recently, the port made a commitment to prioritize the issue of maintenance and will work closely with the Ministry of TEATT to ensure that its operations align with St Read more

Sint Maarten Prepares For Reconstruction Of Sint Maarten Library

Sint Maarten The NRPB is pleased to announce that several pre-demolition activities have commenced in preparation for the reconstruction of the Sint Maarten Library, formerly known as the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. These preliminary steps include issuing several tenders, erecting fencing to section off the location, and ensuring safety once demolition begins.

On behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, the NRPB implements the Fostering Resilient Learning Project (FRLP) to address the island’s educational needs after the destruction caused during the 2017 hurricane season Read more

Consistent With Global Market ExpectationsCbcs Keeps The Pledging Rate Unchanged

Willemstad/Philipsburg The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) decided to maintain its current monetary policy unchanged. Hence, the pledging rate will remain at 5.75%. 1 This decision is based on the Federal Reserves (Fed) decision to leave its target policy rate unchanged until more confidence is gained that inflation is moving sustainably toward its 2% target. In addition, although the import coverage, which is the main operational target of the monetary policy conducted by the CBCS, is expected to drop slightly to 4.6 months in 2024, it will remain well above the norm of 3 months Read more

Winair Acquires Twin Otter Aircraft To Enhance Operations

Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten Winair announces a significant milestone in its history, transitioning from a fully leased fleet to ownership with the acquisition of a Twin Otter DHC6 aircraft. This investment marks a strategic move towards greater operational control and efficiency, solidifying the company’s commitment to providing exceptional service in the Caribbean.

Demonstrating the aircraft’s importance to our operations and the current economic climate, a strong business case was presented to our shareholders Read more

Grisha Discusses Product Enhancement With Shta Executive Board

GREAT BAY Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications, Grisha Heyliger-Marten met with the Executive Board of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) on Friday, June 14, 2024.

During the meeting, part of the ministers continued efforts to engage all stakeholders in her plans to revitalize the islands economy, she outlined her primary goals, focusing on product enhancement and beautification efforts to improve St Read more

Sint Maarten Secures Scholarships From India

The Hague — The Government of Sint Maarten has been awarded two training slots for participation in the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program. Operated by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ITEC is a program that offers both onsite and online courses and trainings. It also provides for exchange of technical expertise and capacity building.

In this pilot stage, Sint Maarten will have access to the short-term courses. The Government, through the Department of Foreign Relations, has been lobbying with the Indian Government through its Embassies in Venezuela, Panama, and the Netherlands for inclusion in the program.

Over the last few years, engagement with the Indian Government increased significantly, and the Cabinet (Sint Maarten House) worked tirelessly to support and nurture this relationship Read more

Gevmin Announces Sint Maarten Diaspora Database Project

THE NETHERLANDS — In the margins of the annual Interparliamentary Kingdom consultations (IPKO), the Ministers Plenipotentiary Patrice Gumbs and Deputy Gracita Arrindell hosted a reception for the Members of Parliament and members of the Sint Maarten community at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary (Sint Maarten House), earlier this week, under the theme Connecting Horizons: Strengthening the Sint Maarten Community Abroad.

Chosen by the President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, the theme reflects the growing call for engagement with the Sint Maarten communities abroad (the diaspora) and the Government at home.

In his address, Minister Plenipotentiary Gumbs acknowledged the differences between the communities, but that opportunities existed if we found ways to bridge the gap Read more

Minister Jansen-Webster Calls For Adherence To International Labor Standards

Philipsburg The Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor (VSA), Mrs. Veronica Jansen-Webster, has issued a compelling call to action, urging all employers in St. Maarten to fully recognize and uphold the rights stipulated in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 87. Known as the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, this critical international standard guarantees workers the right to form and join organizations of their choosing without fear of retaliation or punishment. Convention 87 is a cornerstone of international labor law, ratified by numerous countries, including St Read more

Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina Reaffirms Commitment To Workers Covenant

Philipsburg The Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina dispatched a crucial letter on Tuesday to the board and members of the WICSU-PSU and WITU. This letter serves to reaffirm the Government’s unwavering commitment to the covenant signed on April 29, 2024, reassuring that the sanctity of the agreement would be upheld with all due diligence required. In this letter, Prime Minister Mercelina underscored the Government’s steadfast belief in the vital role that the workers of St Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Thursday 13th June 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Friday midday (12:00 LST) 14th June 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Friday midday: Hot and humid, with isolated showers.Forecast High: 33 C / 91 F              Forecast Low: 28 C / 82 FSunset Today: 6:49 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Friday midday: Northeast to southeasterly with a light to gentle breeze of 6 to 12 mph.SYNOPSIS: A relatively stable atmosphere and gentle winds support hot and humid conditions across the region today Read more