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Minister Lake wants improved standard operating procedures after torrential rain event over the weekend.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake would like to commend the emergency services (Fire, Police), public works and other government agencies (Department of Communication, Meteorological Service) and semi government agencies (Airport, Harbour, NV GEBE), and Minister Hon Read more

Mullet Bay entrance blocked

MULLET BAY--A large pile of rubble was placed to block a Mullet Bay entrance on Friday, November 7, causing a stir among the public and business owners who operate on the beach. The move by Mullet Bay management seems to be technically legal, because it still allows the public access to the beach by foot. However, it directly results in nearby business owner Leopold York not having vehicle access to his establishment, where daily offloading is needed for almost everything the business needs to operate Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Friday that he had stated several months ago that relief would be forthcoming for all across the board with respect to NV GEBE electricity bills.

"We first started with our senior citizens since they live on a fixed minimum income Read more

No quorum stalls meeting on Intellectual Property Bureau

PHILIPSBURG--Only six Members of Parliament (MPs) were signed in for the plenary session of Parliament to formalise the Intellectual Property Bureau on Wednesday afternoon, two short of the quorum of eight MPs needed for the meeting to start.

The meeting now will have to be reconvened by Chairwoman of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams within four days (four times 24 hours) as stipulated by Parliament's Rules of Order Read more

Youth Parliament wants more of a role in decision-making

PHILIPSBURG--The Youth Parliament wants a more active role in the decision-making process of the country.

A delegation of the Youth Parliament, headed by Dwayne Griffith, presented a motion requesting the possibility to make recommendations on the findings of the various integrity reports to the Parliament of St. Maarten on Tuesday afternoon in a Central Committee meeting in Parliament House.

The "emergency" meeting during which the motion was presented to the Parliament was requested by the Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) Read more

Minister Lake Implores Boat Owners To Clear Lagoon Of Sunken Vessels

St. Maarten – “I’ve observed some of the vessels that partially sank or were blown ashore have been removed within the Simpson Bay Lagoon; however, there are still a number of vessels that are partially underwater or sitting onshore. I am appealing to the owners of the vessels to make arrangements to have these vessels removed as soon as possible,” Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Maurice Lake said on Sunday Read more

Lake Says Work Will Start Soon On Chin Cactus Drive.

St. Maarten – Vromi Minister Maurice Lake has said that work will begin soon on the Cactus Drive road in Sucker Garden which is in a deplorable condition, but added that procedures must be followed.

Lakes statements comes on the heels of a petition signed by Sucker Garden residents and carried in local media in which they ask that the Cactus Drive road be repaired Read more

Editorial - All hands on deck

The call by Minister Maurice Lake to remove stricken vessels from St. Maarten’s inlets (see related article) might sound a bit callous to boaters who recently became victims of Hurricane Gonzalo, but is nevertheless to the point. After all, the wrecks in and around the bays and lagoons are not only a maritime risk and in some cases an environmental hazard, but also pollute the landscape.

As long as the unsightly view they create remains, every visitor will be reminded of the natural disaster, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but certainly not the image any destination would prefer to portray either Read more

Lake urges mariners to remove damaged vessels

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake is calling on mariners whose vessels were damaged during the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo three weeks ago to remove the vessels from inland waterways and lagoons, and to clean up debris.

"I've observed some of the vessels that partially sank or were blown ashore have been removed within the Simpson Bay Lagoon Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on mariners whose vessels were damaged during the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo three weeks ago to remove the vessels from inland waterways and lagoons, and to also clean-up debris.

"I've observed some of the vessels that partially sunk or were blown ashore, have been removed within the Simpson Bay Lagoon, however, there are still a number of vessels that are partially underwater or sitting onshore Read more

Lake: Chin Cactus Dr. promise will be kept

PHILIPSBURG--In response to an article published in the Friday, October 31 edition of The Daily Herald based on a complaint letter received by this newspaper about the continued, deplorable state of Chin Cactus Drive, Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake announced that his promise will be kept, but that additional procedures need to be followed, including presenting the project to the Council of Ministers.

"A promise made is a promise kept," was the first point stated in the VROMI press release Read more

Minister Lake says work to start soon on Chin Cactus Drive. Procedures have to be followed first before work can begin.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- 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

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