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French Ambassador At The Hague St. Maarten Day Celebration

THE NETHERLANDS, THE HAGUE St. Maarten/St. Martin Day was celebrated in the Netherlands on Monday with a reception at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of St. Maarten in The Hague. Guests included the French Ambassador to the Netherlands His Excellency Mr.FranoisAlabrune, his colleague from Germany His Excellency Dr. Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba His Excellency Mr Read more

Vromi To Sell M/V Island Scout (Imo Number: 9215220)

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI) announced during Wednesdays press briefing its intention to sell the Island Scout (IMO number 9215220). Under Article 13, Section 1 of the Landsverordening houdende maatregelen tot opruiming van schepen en wrakken in zee en op het zeestrand (National Ordinance containing measures for the removal of ships and wrecks at sea and on the sea beach)

The Island Scout is a 69-meter-long tug/supply ship that was beached and successfully salvaged, with efforts from both the Ministry of VROMI and TEATT following the passing of Tropical Storm, later Hurricane, Ernesto Read more

St. Maarten 37Ers Youth Baseball Team Shines In Opening Game At Aruba Tournament

Aruba The St. Maarten 37ers U10 baseball team has kicked off their campaign in Aruba with an impressive 7-2 victory over the Aruba Stars on Monday. Competing at the Xander Bogaerts Baseball Field, the young athletes delivered a standout performance in their first game of the annual Baseball in Paradise tournament.

The games winning pitcher, Kris-Anthony Williams, led the charge on the mound. A highlight moment came from Jadiel Williams, who smashed a pivotal three-run home run, sealing the win for the 37ers and setting the tone for the teams strong start.

“Were really proud of how the boys performed in their opening game Read more

Small Property Owners Workshop Focuses On Digital Marketing And Business

In celebration of World Tourism Day 2024, Alicias Inn, LEsperance Hotel and Joshua Rose Guest House honored for their un waving commitment to their propertys growth and commitment to our tourism sector.

Great Bay The St. Maarten Small Properties Association in collaboration with digital marketing and branding expert Ms. Kenty Lichtenberg successfully facilitated a comprehensive workshop aimed at empowering small property owners. The event, held on October 4th at LEsperance Guest House Pavilion, Cay hill focused on equipping participants with the knowledge and tools to build their online presence and leverage digital marketing strategies for business growth Read more

14Th Anniversary Of Constitution Day To BeCelebrated On October 14Th 2024

PHILIPSBURG On October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten took its place as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an event that forever changed our islands path and identity. In celebration of this historic milestone, Constitution Day is commemorated annually on the second Monday in October. This year, Constitution Day falls on Monday, October 14, 2024.

This years theme,Jollification Season: Building Home, Building Community, Building Nation, will spotlight Sint Maartens resilience, diversity, and the collaborative spirit that has shaped our nation Read more

Temperatures Above Existing Background (Base) Levels Detected At The La Soufriere Volcano

Saint Vincent According to information received from the Seismic Research Centre at 2:38 p.m. today (Monday October 7, 2024); a low thermal anomaly (temperatures above existing background/base levels) was detected at the summit of the La Soufriere volcano by the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system on Sunday October 6, 2024. This low thermal anomaly as detected by NASA FIRMS is currently ongoing.

Potential scenarios associated with the detection of the thermal anomaly include a Sulphur fire in the crater, a small phreatic (steam) eruption that may have exposed hot underlying rocks, or the start of new extrusion of lava in the crater.

Analysis of multi gas data collected on October 4, 2024 by the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) Soufriere Monitoring Team, and further reconnaissance via sea along the West Coast today (Monday October 7, 2024) are still underway Read more

Com Approves Amendment To 2024 Budget

Finance Minister Gumbs Submits it to Parliament: Council of Ministers has approved the amendment to the 2024 budget, and it has already been sent to Parliament, said Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.

Civil Servants, Subsidized Schools will Receive COLA at Same Time in 2025, Finance Minister Assures

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten There will be no distinction between civil servants and subsidized schools in terms of payment of Cost of Living Adjustment, (COLA), next year, Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs has assured Read more

Lewis Message To TeachersOn World TeacherS Day

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Demissionair Minister of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Lyndon Lewis over the weekend extended best wishes to all teachers as the world celebrated World Teachers Day.

World Teachers’ Day is an international day held annually on 5 October to celebrate the work of teachers. Established in 1994, it commemorates the signing of recommendations by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As we mark World Teacher’s Day this year, though it falls on the weekend, its significance is not diminished in the least Read more

Marinka Gumbs: Addendum To Ennia Outline Agreement Will Save St. Maarten Nafl. 37 Million

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs, will be in Parliament on Monday, October 7, 2024, for the second round of questions posed by the MPs regarding the Addendum she negotiated.to the controversial ENNIA Outline Agreement.

I am optimistic that Members of Parliament will approve the ENNIA outline agreement and its accompanying addendum, as the approval carries significant implications for St Read more

Com Approves Amendment To 2024 Budget

Finance Minister Gumbs Submits it to Parliament

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten The Council of Ministers has approved the amendment to the 2024 budget, and it has already been sent to Parliament, said Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.

Although the amended budget contains a reduction of approximately 25 million guilders in both income and expenditures compared to the current budget, it still includes allocations for several key investment projects that are crucial to St Read more

Suspended Police Officer Gets 5-Years Sentence For Assault And Rape

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The Court of First Instance has rendered its verdict in the case of suspended Sint Maarten Police Force officer R.J., sentencing him to five years in prison after finding him guilty of assault and rape of his stepdaughter. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, October 3, 2024, determined that the primary facts of the case were proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The testimonies of the victim, her mother, her sister, and school staff members who reported significant behavioral changes in the victim following the incident were crucial to the case Read more

Nv Gebe Hosts St. Maarten Parliament Members For Power Plant Tour

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, NV GEBE hosted several Members of the Parliament of St. Maarten for an insightful presentation and tour of the Power Plant.

The delegation in attendance included: the Hon. Chairlady of Parliament Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, along with the following Honorable MPs: Melissa D Read more

Usm President Strengthens Ties With Dutch Universities Of Applied Sciences

POND ISLAND — University of St. Martin (USM) President, Dr. Antonio Carmona Bez, visited two leading universities of applied sciences in The Netherlands during the last week of September, furthering USM’s long standing relationships with Dutch higher education institutions Read more

Grisha Meets With Cma-Cgm Over Transshipment Issues

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten After reports that CMA CGM, a leading ocean freight company, decided to re-route its transshipment operations from Pointe Blanche to Guadeloupe, Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten took action.

During her official trip to a yachting conference in Monaco, the St. Maarten government minister met with Jean-Baptiste Lumineau, Director of Finance and Infrastructure, at the companys headquarters in France Read more

Cbcs Reforms Foreign Exchange Regulation

Reducing administrative burden and speeding up granting of licenses

Willemstad/Philipsburg The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) will introduce a revised foreign exchange regulation on October 1, 2024. The revised regulation will reduce the administrative burden of the licensing process and speed up the granting of foreign exchange licenses. The CBCS has calculated that the reforms will reduce the number of foreign exchange licenses to be granted on an annual basis by about 50% without compromising an effective control of the foreign exchange reserves, stated executive director, Dr Read more

Fraud Case Suspect Released With Conditions, Remains Suspect

Lisa Alexander

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – A woman, with initials L.L.A., arrested on September 16, 2024, in a fraud investigation has been released by the Court with conditions to which she must comply. L.L.A., released today, September 20, remains a suspect in the ongoing investigations.

The conditions imposed by the Court require the suspect to report to the probation service regularly, she must be reachable and available to police/justice authorities at all times in the interest of the investigation.

On September 16, 2024, at approximately 6:00am, the Sint Maarten Police Force KPSM, in collaboration with personnel from the Prosecutors Office and other law enforcement agencies, arrested L.L.A Read more

In Light Of Global Financial Market Expectations Cbcs Reduces The Pledging Rate

Willemstad/Philipsburg The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) decided to ease its monetary policy stance by reducing the pledging rate1 by 0.50 percentage point to 5.25%. This decision is based on the solid and stable foreign exchange position and import coverage in the monetary union, and the expected reduction of the federal funds rate. However, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBCS will continue monitoring the domestic and international economic developments closely, particularly the key indicators for monetary policy in the union, and will adjust its policy if necessary.

According to the latest projection, the deficit on the current account of the balance of payments of the monetary union is expected to drop from 15.8% of GDP in 2023 to 13.9% in 2024, due mainly to an increase in net current transfers from abroad, stated executive director, Dr Read more

SlaS With School Bus Operators, StudentTransportation Management System Approved

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Demissionair Minister Lyndon Lewis has signed several Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with bus operators providing school transportation services on St. Maarten. These agreements aim to standardize and improve the management of school bus services on the island.

The SLAs are comprehensive and address key issues such as:

Established routes Standards for both buses and drivers Responsibilities regarding bus operations and the supervision of students Remuneration and insurance requirements Other relevant operational matters

In addition to the signing of the SLAs, Minister Lewis is also pleased to announce that the Council of Ministers has approved the introduction of the Student Transportation Management System Read more

Lewis Receives Quality Inspection Report ForPublic Schools: Urgent Improvements Needed

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — A comprehensive Quality Inspection Report has been conducted and presented to Demissionair Minister of Education Lyndon Lewis by the Inspectorate of Education. The report, finalized in June 2024, examines the quality of education in public schools across St. Maarten and provides detailed recommendations for improvement.

The inspection, which took place between October 2023 and March 2024, included lesson observations, interviews, and desk research Read more

Lewis Announces Subsidy ForSt. Maarten Folksong Project

Anastacia Larmonie

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Demissionaire Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport Lyndon Lewis has announced the approval of an incidental subsidy for the amount of ANG 129,682.08, which will be used to produce a book of original St. Maarten folksongs, record these songs, and document the process, including interviews with renowned music educator Mrs Read more

Ser Elects Harlec Doran As Chairman, Judensy Coffie Elected As Vice-Chairman

HARBOR VIEW After a 16-month hiatus the Social Economic Council (SER) was reinstated on Monday, August 5th, 2024. On Thursday, September 5th, 2024, Mr. Harlec Doran representing the independent members on the Board, was elected as Chairman of the SER by his fellow board members. The SER is an independent advisory organization of Sint Maarten Read more

Unbelievable ~~~To Say The Least~~~

Dear Editor,

It is with great admiration that I watch the interview done by Mr. Oral Gibbs with the Minister of Justice Mr. Lyndon Lewis a few days ago. It was interesting to listen to all that the Minister had to say regarding his position after the results of the last election.

What baffled me (and I guess many others) was the expression by the Minister about the performance of the Chief of Police, Mr Read more

Isaiah Peterson Awarded 2024 President Of Parliament Award.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten During the reception on the occasion of the new Parliamentary Year, a youth is awarded the President of Parliament Award for exemplary behavior, leadership skills as well as their contribution to thecommunity. On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Hon. President of Parliament, Mrs. Sarah A.Wescot-Williams announced Mr Read more

Island Initiatives To Restore Coral Reefs

Each of the six islandsAruba, Bonaire, Curaao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maartenhas taken unique and proactive measures to address the challenges facing their reefs. The restoration efforts by local nature conservation organizations were presented during the recent Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) Reef Restoration Workshop and are critical in ensuring the health and longevity of these underwater treasures for many years to come.

Aruba: Building a Future for Coral Reefs

Arubas reef restoration efforts are spearheaded by the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF), which has been actively working to revive and sustain the island’s coral ecosystems Read more