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Minister Lake Says Work To Start Soon On Chin Cactus Drive. Procedures Have To Be Followed First Before Work Can Begin

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says a promise made is a promise kept.

Minister Lake took note of a newspaper story on Friday about the paving of Chin Cactus Drive in Sucker Garden which is in a deplorable state after the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

"The project will start soon Read more

Chin Cactus Road Residents Implore Minister Lake To Fix Road

St. Maarten – In a petition signed by some 20 plus persons, residents of Chin Cactus Road in the Sucker Garden area voiced their discontent with the dilapidated condition of the road, which has been in a state of disrepair for some years now, imploring Minister of Vromi Maurice Lake and Department Head of Infrastructure Management Claudius Buncamper to fulfill their promise and pave the road Read more

Residents want road repaired ‘as promised’

SUCKER GARDEN--Residents of Chin Cactus Drive are expressing frustration over its continued deplorable state and calling on Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake to honour a promise they say he made during a public meeting in the midst of the election campaign and give the matter immediate attention.

A letter signed by some 22 residents, as well as a copy of a 2012 letter issued by VROMI, tells of official complaints filed as far back as 2008 and VROMI's continued stated intentions to address the issue.

The residents' letter says that most recently, in a public meeting in Sucker Garden in August "during the election campaign, the Minister of Public Works announced that the paving of Chin Cactus Drive will begin the very next day Read more

Frans, William see discussion on integrity report as waste of time

PHILIPSBURG--Discussions in a Central Committee meeting of Parliament about the integrity reports from the Wit-Samson Committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC was deemed a waste of time at this transition period between governments by United St. Maarten Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson and National Alliance (NA) MP William Marlin.

The reports were referred for handling in a Central Committee meeting in the final meeting of the 2013-2014 Parliamentary year on October 9.

The discussions with Deputy Prime Minister/Justice Minister Dennis Richardson on Wednesday centred mostly on whether the reports should be before Parliament now or be handled when the new Council of Ministers is in place Read more

Parliament Approved Parlatino Meeting slated for November, President of Parliament got full support to Attend Kingdom Concert in December.

style="text-align: center;">Integrity discussion a waste of time --- Opposition prefers to wait until new government takes office, PR campaign need to revamp country's image.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The parliament of St. Maarten approved the invitation sent to the President of Parliament to attend the Kingdom Concert to be held in the Netherlands in December. The Parliament of St. Maarten also gave its approval for a committee to attend the Parlatino meeting to be held in November that will deal with women in politics and the integrity issues facing St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG – Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party says he has read media reports about a report drafted by a French Parliamentary Committee chaired by Rene Dosiere.
"I haven't read the report myself, but from media reports, it's very disturbing Read more

Mp Lake Concerned About French Parliamentary Committee Report On Relations Between North And South

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party says he has read media reports about a report drafted by a French Parliamentary Committee chaired by Rene Dosiere.

"I haven't read the report myself, but from media reports, it's very disturbing.

There are statements made in that report which are incorrect, and it once again brings forth the lack of knowledge by Dutch and French European politicians when it comes to the situation of North and South St Read more

Lake: “Dutch Instruction Is Part Of The Hidden Agenda To Take Over St. Maarten”

St. Maarten —The Dutch instruction to Governor Holiday is being interpreted by Vromi minister Maurice Lake as part of a hidden agenda to take over St. Maarten.

Lake, who was a successful candidate on the UP list in the last election noted that the country already has screening laws for candidates proposed to become a member of the Council of Ministers.

“This whole thing is not about that anybody is afraid of being screened.  We have nothing to hide.  Those who have served within the past four years as Ministers, going back to 2010, 2012 and 2013 and still do so today have passed the screening process to become a minister Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party says the country already has screening laws for candidates proposed to become a member of the Council of Ministers.

"This whole thing is not about that anybody is afraid of being screened Read more

Mp Lake Said Country Already Has Screening And Integrity Laws. Dutch Instruction Is Part Of The Hidden Agenda To Take Over Sint Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party says the country already has screening laws for candidates proposed to become a member of the Council of Ministers.

"This whole thing is not about that anybody is afraid of being screened Read more

Minister Lake calls on residents, community councils and civic organizations to help with national clean-up this weekend.

>PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on residents, community councils and civic organizations to come together this weekend to help clean-up the districts.

All residents are being urged to use the weekend to clean-up their yard and put out their hurricane related debris outside their yard or alongside the road Read more

Minister Lake updated on Thursday by NV GEBE on Electricity Restoration.

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake was updated Thursday afternoon by NV GEBE with respect to a small number of homes that are still without electricity in different districts since the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

The small number of remaining homes in the districts of St Read more

Minister Lake updated on NV GEBE on Electricity Restoration.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake was updated Thursday afternoon by NV GEBE with respect to a small number of homes that are still without electricity in different districts since the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

The small number of remaining homes in the districts of St Read more

Minister Lake Calls On Residents, Community Councils And Civic Organizations To Help With National Clean-Up This Weekend

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on residents, community councils and civic organizations to come together this weekend to help clean-up the districts.

All residents are being urged to use the weekend to clean-up their yard and put out their hurricane related debris outside their yard or alongside the road Read more

GEBE issues reconnection schedule for problem areas

PHILIPSBURG--GEBE has announced that the few homes that remained without electricity following the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo either were reconnected last night or are scheduled to be reconnected by October 27.

The company met with Minister of Infrastructure Maurice Lake yesterday afternoon to update him on these homes.

GEBE said restoration of power to problematic connections in St Read more

Minister Lake Updated On Thursday By Nv Gebe On Electricity Restoration

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake was updated Thursday afternoon by NV GEBE with respect to a small number of homes that are still without electricity in different districts since the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo.

The small number of remaining homes in the districts of St Read more

MPs unanimously reject instruction

~ Motion to be sent to UN Decolonisation Committee ~

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) unanimously adopted on Wednesday a motion rejecting the instruction handed down by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Eugene Holiday for the execution of a boundless and limitless investigation into the backgrounds of candidate ministers, their families, friends, business associates and others.

Parliament is not in agreement with the instruction from the Kingdom Council, because the screening of candidate ministers is "not flawed Read more

Simpson Bay Residents Protested Silently in Parliament on Wednesday.

>SIMPSON BAY:--- Residents of Simpson Bay marched into the house of Parliament on Wednesday to silently protest against what they term as abuse of power and injustice.
One of the residents told SMN News that a parcel of succession land that is occupied by one Marlon Harley for some 28 years operating a mini boat yard. The resident of Simpson Bay said that Halley has legal authorization from one of the nine heirs that inherited the property from Melford Lejuez. The resident said of the nine heirs only one of them is living on St Read more

Analysis: Screening Of Candidate-Ministers Seems At Odds With Constitution

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – Screening? What screening? Nobody has asked this simple question yet, because everybody has been either busy and confused, or excited and angry about the humongous cloud of dust the Kingdom Council of Ministers created with its instruction to Governor Holiday for additional screening of candidate-ministers. One may well wonder which instruments the experts Minister Plasterk wants to send to St. Maarten have at their disposal to find something so wrong with one of the candidates that this will give reason to ban them from becoming a minister.

St Read more

St. Maarten Parliament Is Convinced That Screening Process Is Working: Motion Will Ask Governor To Reject Kingdom Instruction

St. Maarten – The United People’s party announced that it would table a motion that asks Governor Holiday not to go along with the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to execute additional screening of candidate-ministers for the new government. However, parliament adjourned until Wednesday morning after the first round. UP-leader Theo Heyliger told this newspaper that he had not delivered his final report about the new cabinet yet, even though yesterday was the deadline for his task as formateur.

A one-man protest action by Etienne Toochie Meyers – a representative of the movement People United for True Democracy – preceded the first meeting of the new parliament yesterday afternoon Read more

St. Maarten creates its own problem --- MP Emmanuel said he was offered $2m to jump ship and join the UPP.

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten needs to fix its own house before trying to cross the ocean

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel unleashed an unexpected bomb on the floor of Parliament on Monday afternoon during the urgent meeting of Parliament that was called to discuss the instruction given to Governor Eugene Holiday Read more

MP Lake said he is ready to fight for the rights of the peoples parliament and demand respect for the country constitution.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party said he is not surprised by the instruction given to the Governor of Sint Maarten by the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
"Some of the Dutch Members of the Second Chamber of Parliament in The Hague, and some of our own, are on a witch hunt against this broad based Government which is following all rules and procedures as a collective unit to better serve our people Read more

Mp Lake Said He Is Ready To Fight For The Rights Of The Peoples Parliament And Demand Respect For The Country Constitution

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party said he is not surprised by the instruction given to the Governor of Sint Maarten by the Kingdom Council of Ministers.

"Some of the Dutch Members of the Second Chamber of Parliament in The Hague, and some of our own, are on a witch hunt against this broad based Government which is following all rules and procedures as a collective unit to better serve our people Read more

 Lake On Gebe Outages: “We Can’T Continue To Live In The Dark Ages”

St. Maarten – “We can’t continue to live in the dark ages,” Vromi Minister Maurice Lake noted as he cited the current location of NV Gebe’s water transformer house in Cay Bay as a reason for the lengthy utility outage in the wake of hurricane Gonzalo.

While Lake commended the staff of Gebe, emergency personnel, contractors and others who have been working to restore the island back to pre-Gonzalo glory, for their dedication and resilience, the minister noted that he will be seeking a meeting with NV Gebe board and management to address certain issues.

First on Lakes list of issues that needs to be addressed is the Gebe Cay Bay water transformer house which he believes needs to be relocated and upgraded to meet the needs of the people.  “We can’t continue to live in the dark ages of having a transformer house right next to the sea when a hurricane or storm hits everything goes dark….transformer houses should be more protected around the country.

“We can’t have the community and businesses go two days without water due to oversights that could have been prevented.  I also would like for Gebe to improve and restructure their organizational chart structure of who is responsible for which department in-case of emergencies in order to better serve the community,” Minister Lake said.

Minister Lake apologized to consumers with respect to the loss of essential services such as electricity and water based on the passing of the category one hurricane Read more