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Hassink: Govt seeks more tax compliance to generate income

PHILIPSBURG--Generating income through more tax compliance, rather than increasing taxes continues to be the aim of government. Reducing expenditures is also an integral part making government financially stable, says outgoing Finance Minister Martin Hassink.

Both of those approaches were employed in drafting the 2015 country budget. The budget is deemed "far too late already" to meet all the required deadlines. "This year it was very challenging to handle budget as all the ministries had plans and wish lists that far exceeded the available ceilings," Hassink said.

Some final steps need to be taken before budget is presented to Parliament for ratification Read more

Broadway finds a new stage in an old venue: Cuba

HAVANA--In Bob Nederlander Jr.'s mission to export Broadway to new markets around the world, he found an old one where the American art form lay dormant for a least 50 years - communist Cuba.

After testing the Cuban appetite with a 2011 concert of Broadway show tunes, Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment decided to stage a three-month run of "Rent," the first Broadway musical exported to Cuba in decades.

"We were all blown away by the reaction," Nederlander said of the 2011 show Read more

style="text-align: center;">If the candidate fails screening and I am asked to stay on I will only do so for three months --- Hassink.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Finance Martin Hassink informed reporters on Wednesday that his appearance at Wednesday's weekly press conference will be his last appearance as Minister of Finance since he is a caretaker Minister. SMN News asked the Minister of Finance whose name came up during the formation of the first government that was in the making to remain as the Minister of Finance if the candidate that was submitted by the UPP/De Weever/ Marlin government fails the screening for any reason and he is asked to remain as the Minister of Finance if he will refuse the position Read more

Delta's breakaway union struggles to win support

NEW YORK--A group of Delta Air Lines pilots seeking to replace the current pilots' union at the U.S. carrier are struggling to win enough support.

The Delta Pilots Association (DPA) claims that nearly half of the airline's 12,000 pilots have at some time in the past four years signed cards backing it to be their union for collective bargaining with management. But under U.S. labour law, many of the cards - a third or more - are invalid because they weren't signed in the past 12 months, DPA said.

The group is trying to oust the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which has represented pilots at the carrier since 1940 Read more

India central bank under pressure to cut interest rates as growth slips

NEW DELHI--India's economic growth probably slowed to around 5 percent in the three months to September, slipping from 5.7 percent in the previous quarter, two senior finance ministry sources said, putting pressure on the central bank to cut interest rates.

The sources said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would press Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan to lower borrowing costs when the two meet ahead of a decision on interest rates next Tuesday.

Six months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to power with a promise that "better days are coming", growth of 5 percent would mark a serious setback from the previous quarter and fall far short of the 8 percent that Asia's third-largest economy needs to create enough jobs for its growing workforce Read more

Pantophlet wants updates on short-term contract changes

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet is calling on Ministers to give a long-overdue update on the amendment to the Civil Code to end the abuse of short-term labour contracts, the establishment of the Casino Gaming Board, the Dividend Policy and the Consumer Protection Agency.

Pantophlet said in a press statement Monday that they had had enough time to present to Parliament the changes or legislation for establishment of the various entities.

NA submitted draft amendments to Book VII of the Civil Code to correct the abuse of short-term labour contracts some 42 months ago.

Caretaker Labour Minister Cornelius de Weever has made "several changes" still in draft form to the relevant parts of the Civil Code and presented them to the Council of Ministers Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet said he has given the respective Ministers responsible for the following enough time to present them to Parliament. He is referring to the Initiative Law on the Amendment of Book 7 of the Civil Code to deal with the abuse of the short term contract which was started by the faction of the National Alliance some 42 months ago Read more

Police Sub-Station Opens In Maho

MAHO—The Maho area is one of the hottest spots on the island with a number of tourist who frequent the area along with local residents. This is what makes it appropriate to open the fourth police sub-station– in the four years of St. Maarten obtaining the status of country– in that area, said Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson.

He expressed his gratitude to the CEO of Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Saro Spadaro for accommodating the police to have their substation at the La Terrasse Read more

Police substation opens in Maho

MAHO--Police officers joined Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and invited guests at the opening of the new Police Substation in Maho Village. The substation will serve Maho and the Lowlands.

The new station, which was co-funded by Dutch Funding Agency USONA, will be the hub of Community Police Officer (CPO) Josepha, affectionately known in the community as Officer Jo, four officers with mountain bikes and Segways, and two dog handlers with their four-legged companions.

The exact opening times of the new substation have not yet been determined, but the aim is to keep the station open for as many hours as possible, and to be open at key times for the area.

An official ceremony marked the opening of the substation, with Inspector Ricardo Henson as Master of Ceremonies Read more

Japan PM seeks verdict on "Abenomics" in snap election

TOKYO--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved parliament's lower house on Friday for a snap election on Dec. 14, seeking a fresh mandate for his struggling "Abenomics" revival strategy just two years after he returned to power promising that "Japan is Back".

Abe had vowed to revive the economy with a mix of hyper-easy monetary policy, government spending and reforms, while moving ahead with plans to rein in Japan's massive public debt. But doubts have grown about his strategy, especially after data showed this week that the economy had surprisingly slipped into recession in the third quarter after an initial rise in the sales tax to 8 percent from April.

"This is an 'Abenomics' snap election Read more

Ministry Vromi Set To Begin Expansion Of Floodgates

St. Maarten – “It’ll be an impressive site when it’s finished and it should serve us justice in the event of a hurricane or flood,” said Claudius Buncamper, Department Head of Infrastructure Management, during a presentation about the expansion of the A.T. Illidge Road floodgate, which is set to begin Friday, November 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. The project, which will be carried out by Windward Roads B.V. under the supervision of the Department of Infrastructure Management, costs approximately NAF 1.98 million Read more

Colombia rebels to release general, opening door to resume peace talks

HAVANA/BOGOTA--Colombian Marxist rebels agreed to release an army general captured by their comrades over the weekend, a move that may lead to a resumption of peace talks and defuse a crisis that threatened to extend five decades of war.
  The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) promised to free General Ruben Dario Alzate and four others captured in the past two weeks "as soon as possible" after reaching agreement on liberation terms with the government and guarantor nations Cuba and Norway Read more

Lee calls on ‘opposition’ to form ‘united coalition’

DAWN BEACH--Democratic Party (DP) candidate hotelier Emil Lee has called on the "opposition" in Parliament, which now includes his party leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, to form "a united coalition" to provide "quality opposition in Parliament."

Lee was the 12th highest vote getter out of 90 candidates who contested the August 29 Parliamentary Elections and was the third highest vote getter of his party Read more

Marine community supports Minister Lake’s initiative to clean-up coastal debris from Hurricane Gonzalo. Effort to get underway December 6th.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is very pleased to learn that the marine community has accepted his initiative appeal for a coastal clean-up of hurricane related debris due to the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo from inland waterways and lagoons. The clean-up is slated for December 6th weekend.

Representatives from the St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As 12th highest vote getter out of 90 candidates and 3rd highest vote getter in the DP, I have been requested many times to comment on the current political situation, I felt that making comments before things were clear could be disruptive to the formation process. Now that Sarah Wescot-Williams, leader of the DP, has made the position of the DP clear, I believe it is reasonable to make a statement.
As the dust settles, I would propose that opposition forms a united coalition since providing quality opposition in Parliament is a critical part of any properly functioning democracy Read more

Marine Community Supports Minister Lake's Initiative To Clean-Up Coastal Debris From Hurricane Gonzalo. Effort To Get Underway December 6Th

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is very pleased to learn that the marine community has accepted his initiative appeal for a coastal clean-up of hurricane related debris due to the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo from inland waterways and lagoons.

The clean-up is slated for December 6th weekend.

Representatives from the St Read more

Emil Lee Issues Statement On Political Developments

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - As 12th highest vote getter out of 90 candidates and 3rd highest vote getter in the DP, I have been requested many times to comment on the current political situation, I felt that making comments before things were clear could be disruptive to the formation process.

Now that Sarah Wescott-Williams, leader of the DP, has made the position of the DP clear, I believe it is reasonable to make a statement.

As the dust settles, I would propose that opposition forms a united coalition since providing quality opposition in Parliament is a critical part of any properly functioning democracy Read more

Sarah makes position as Parliament head available

PHILIPSBURG--President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has made her position as head of the legislature available to the United People's (UP) party-led coalition.

This move by Wescot-Williams comes a month and two days after she was appointed to the post on October 10 Read more

Resident: Stop filling pond, protect Foga from flooding

FOGA/ PHILIPSBURG--Residents of Pendent Cactus Road in Foga were among those heavily affected by flooding following the recent storm, having experienced knee-height water. Not an uncommon occurrence, they are concerned that they have been, and will continue to be even more affected because of the filling of land nearby on the pond-side which is set to accommodate another 36 houses.

Many residents and businesses near the ponds in Philipsburg have been affected, and have also questioned the maintenance of the floodgates and pumps Read more

Editorial - Sooner rather than later

Today's report that Dutch Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk prefers cooperation to another instruction for St. Maarten in the area of Justice is a positive development. Coupled with the news that "formateur" Theo Heyliger has submitted the names of proposed ministers for what now appears is the incoming UP/De Weever/Marlin-Romeo coalition – no longer backed by DP leader Sarah Wescot-Williams (see related story) – to Governor Eugene Holiday, it could spell a start in restoring the lately disturbed relations between Philipsburg and The Hague.

This conclusion has a lot to do with the fact that Heyliger did not include himself Read more

Plasterk prefers cooperation to new instruction for St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--Issuing another instruction to St. Maarten, this time in the area of Justice, does not have the preference of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk. He would rather strengthen St. Maarten's Justice System and improve integrity together with the local government, he told the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday.

"That doesn't have my preference," Plasterk replied to the question of Member of the Second Chamber Roelof van Laar of the Labour Party PvdA, who asked the minister whether a new instruction for St Read more

Dp Outlines Role In Coalition Formation Process, Takes A Step Back To Evaluate

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Leader of the Democratic Party (DP) of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams, held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

During the conference the caretaker Prime Minister who also holds the function of President of Parliament, outlined the role that her party played and is playing in the current formation process leading towards a new government for the island led by the UP party and MP Cornelius de Weever.

Formateur MP the Honorable Theo Heyliger who is now not a candidate for Minister, announced that he has submitted the names and dossiers of candidates Ministers to His Excellency the Governor of St Read more

Sarah Wescot’s ‘fire in the belly’ speech reaffirms solidarity on St. Martin Day

FRENCH QUARTER--Words such as unity, togetherness, and cooperation have become clichéd over the years in St. Martin Day speeches but while this was still a favourite theme on Tuesday's 66th November 11 celebration, some speakers looked at it in a different context, alluding to derogatory remarks about tearing up the Treaty of Concordia and establishing borders attributed to a French Parliamentarian some months ago. It caused a stir on the Dutch side.

No one dismissed such outside threats more forthrightly than caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams in a typically rousing and patriotic speech that elicited rounds of applause.

"In the hearts of St Read more

APNU brands decision to suspend parliament ‘dark day’ for democracy

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--The main opposition grouping, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Monday described the decision of President Donald Ramotar to prorogue Parliament as "the darkest day for democracy in Guyana."

The APNU said that it is resolved to resist the President's "Proclamation" and was calling "on all the good people of Guyana everywhere to join in a civil movement for the restoration of parliamentary democracy by peacefully resisting the PPPC's resort to dictatorship and to call for the revocation of this 'Proclamation.'"

In a statement, the APNU said that it is "enraged" that Ramotar's decision to prorogue Parliament "has effectively paralysed the parliamentary process and smothered the voices of the people's legitimate representatives in the National Assembly.

"It is an affront to the Guyanese people who three years ago, in November 2011, voted for A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (AFC) to have the majority of seats in the National Assembly."

The APNU, which together with the AFC controlled 33 seats in the outgoing 65-member Parliament, said President Ramotar "has now single-handedly engineered a constitutional crisis."

It said the main purposes of the Proclamation are to allow the ruling People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) to avoid parliamentary scrutiny while it attempts to "prevent debate on the Opposition "no-confidence" motion; prevent the holding of local government elections; prevent debate on financial excesses and impropriety; protect the reputations of his ministers from parliamentary sanction; permit the PPPC's campaign for general and regional elections to proceed; and permit the continued expenditure of state funds without parliamentary scrutiny."

In his statement, President Ramotar justified the decision to prorogue Parliament saying he had earlier indicated a desire for the National Assembly, in its post-recess sittings, to deliberate and give priority to important matters relating to the development of the country.

"I also extended a hand to the Opposition for us to put the nation's business first rather than political gamesmanship."

He said he had further advised that should he be provided with reasons to believe that the Parliamentary Opposition intends to disrupt government's business by forcing a debate on their no confidence motion, "I resolved to respond immediately by exercising my Constitutional options to either prorogue or dissolve Parliament, paving the way for holding of general elections.

"Consistent with my earlier position and in accordance with powers conferred on me by Article 70(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, I earlier today [Monday – Ed.] issued a Proclamation proroguing the 10th Parliament."

Ramotar said that his decision to exercise this constitutional option "was not taken lightly, but it was the sole recourse that was left to me to ensure that the life of the 10th Parliament was preserved.

"It is no secret that the Parliamentary Opposition parties had, at every conceivable opportunity, made known their clear intention to have their motion of no confidence against my government debated instantly at the first post-recess sitting which was called for [Monday – Ed.] today, November 10 Read more