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>PHILIPSBURG:--- The third day of IPKO meetings concluded on Wednesday afternoon, Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said in a press release.  The first day was dedicated to the 3 parliaments (Tripartite meet) of the Caribbean countries, Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten.

In addition to reverting back to the previous Tripartite of April 2014, the 3 delegations approved and signed a resolution to promote sports in general amongst the 3 countries, but also sports for the disabled Read more

Third Day Of Ipko Meetings Conclude Tuesday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - St. Maarten, Aruba and Curacao wrapped up the third day of meetings Tuesday in an IPKO setting.

Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams who is also the DP faction CKAIR chairperson confirmed that in addition to reverting back to the previous Tripartite of April 2014, the 3 delegations approved and signed a resolution to promote sports in general amongst the 3 countries, but also sports for the disabled Read more

New Year’S Message Sarah Wescot-Williams: Focus On Climate Change And Flexible Labor Market

St. Maarten – A flexible labor market is one of the priorities the opposition Democratic Party has in the crosshairs for 2015, party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams wrote in a belated New Year’s message. Climate change, ageing and electoral, financial and fiscal reform are other issues the party intends to champion.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us” (Hal Borland, American author and journalist) Read more

Positive first day of IPKO, integrity discussed at length

THE HAGUE/ORANJESTAD--Chairman Jeroen Recourt of the Dutch delegation taking part at the Inter-Parliamentary Consultation of the Kingdom IPKO in Aruba this week said on Tuesday, that he looked back at a successful first day with very positive talks on integrity in government.

Delegations of the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Netherlands spoke elaborately about integrity in government on Tuesday. "The atmosphere was positive and the discussion very constructive, despite the sensitivity of the subject," Recourt told The Daily Herald.

Recourt was positive about the presentation by Chairlady of the Permanent Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Sarah Wescot-Williams (DP) about the developments and improvements of her country in the area of integrity Read more

Budget preparation continues, no St. Maarten CFT member yet

PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Finance continues to work on the preparation of the 2015 budget. The draft budget is due in Parliament in the coming weeks in order for the Gumbs Cabinet to meet the January 31 deadline as set by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT in December.

Finance Minister Martin Hassink is said to be diligently working on the draft budget

with the goal of meeting the January 31 deadline. As a minister in the Wescot-Williams III Cabinet that demitted office in late December, Hassink has requested more time to get the budget in line with the regulations set out in the kingdom law.

The budget should have been established by Parliament since December 2014 Read more

Ipko Parties Agree On Need To Meet More Often

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation involving the parliaments of Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten is well under way in Aruba.

During their first session on Monday, the law makers expressed the need to meet on a more regular basis to discuss issues of importance for the three countries.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Member of Parliament and leader of the Democratic Party of St Read more

Editorial - Not if, but how

Mention of the counterpart policy in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs’ New Year’s speech has led to several reactions. The idea for such a mandatory regulation when employing expatriates has been contested from the start, because of the feared detrimental effect on the local business community.

Then again, that the policy would be part of the incoming cabinet’s plans was to be expected, especially as now-independent (former DP) parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever had cited the intention to leave such out of a governing programme for the originally envisioned NA/US/DP combination as his main reason to “jump ship” and support a UP-led coalition instead Read more

Today’S Predictions For The New Year: Still No Waste-To-Energy Plant, No Plastic Bag-Ban, No New Hospital

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – “It seems almost too easy: predict what will and what will not happen in St. Maarten in any given year.” that was the first sentence of the article we published exactly a year ago about our predictions for the New Year – and it is still true. Our headline read “Emilio Wilson estate purchase but no waste-to-energy plant.” Needless to say, both predictions were on the mark.

The Today newspaper made its first predictions in 2010, when we looked ahead at 2011 Read more

Integrity committee one of main priorities for DP

PHILIPSBURG--Electoral, financial and tax reform, and having an integrity committee of Parliament are amongst the priorities the Democratic Party (DP) will champion this year.

In the party's New Year message issued on Sunday, DP Leader Sarah Wescot-Williams said the vision of the party is for Parliament to become more in tune with the realities of what is taking place in the community Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A delegation of six Members of Parliament (MPs) will be representing Sint Maarten at the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation in Oranjestad, Aruba from January 6 to 9.

On Monday, January 5, the Presidents of the three parliaments within the Kingdom of the Netherlands will have their Tripartite Meeting at the House of Parliament of Aruba, namely Aruba's President Hon. Marisol Lopez-Tromp, Curacao's President Hon. Marcolino 'Mike' Franco, and President Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson representing Sint Maarten Read more

Parliamentary Delegation Departs Over The Weekend For Aruba To Attend Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A delegation of six Members of Parliament (MPs) will be representing Sint Maarten at the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation in Oranjestad, Aruba from January 6 to 9.

On Monday, January 5, the Presidents of the three parliaments within the Kingdom of the Netherlands will have their Tripartite Meeting at the House of Parliament of Aruba, namely Aruba's President Hon. Marisol Lopez-Tromp, Curacao's President Hon. Marcolino 'Mike' Franco, and President Hon Read more

Answers Will Have To Wait Until Mid-January: Parliament Wants Clarity About Housing Foundation

St. Maarten – Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs answered the call to appear in Parliament as the acting minister of public housing within 72 hours after he was sworn in on Friday. Members of Parliament appreciated that, even though Gumbs sent them on their way with a flea in their ear, after listening to questions about the chaos of the St. Maarten Housing Development foundation for more than two hours.

The minister brought to mind the words he spoke on Friday in the constituting meeting where his team officially took over the reins: “The country needs tranquility, stability, civility and prosperity.”

Furthermore, Gumbs noted: “Integrity has been a buzz word this year Read more

Tranquillity, stability and civility

Dear Editor,

The new government is hardly in place and already I find myself having to comment on the behaviour of our political leaders during Parliament meetings. Let me say that I cannot say A said so and so when everyone knows that B said it. On Saturday, December 20, 2014, I read in the paper how the newly sworn in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said the country needs tranquillity, stability, civility and prosperity Read more

MPs to get answers about housing foundation in Jan.

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) will have to wait until mid-January for answers about the suspension of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Director Henry Lynch and two other members of the management team. Prime Minister/Ad Interim Housing Minister Marcel Gumbs said he required time to gather the facts about the investigation ordered by the foundation's supervisory board and the other actions leading to the suspensions.

Gumbs, who had only been in office for a mere 72 hours, was before Parliament on Monday in an urgent plenary session requested by opposition MPs Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party), Frans Richardson (United St Read more

SMHDF Meeting of Parliament to continue early next year.

style="text-align: center;">MPs want documentation and clarity the suspension of Henry Lynch and Emilio Kalmera

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten called an emergency meeting on Monday to seek clarity on what exactly transpired at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) where two members of the management team were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that was to be commissioned by the SOAB. However, former Minister of Housing Maurice Lake who was also a former board member of SMHDF stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation claiming that legal procedures were not followed and that the board of SMHDF does not have a full board Read more

Editorial - Wrong address?

Today's Parliament meeting regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) promises to be an interesting one. Last week the public learned that the Supervisory Board had requested that government accountant bureau SOAB carry out an "independent forensic investigation" and had placed director Henry Lynch plus two other managers on non-active duty pending its outcome.

However, then still VROMI minister and shareholder representative Maurice Lake intervened and put the probe on hold, saying the board's decision had been premature and not in keeping with proper procedure Read more

Education for children who urgently need special education

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the Government and Parliament of St. Maarten and Ronald Plasterk, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

St. Maarten Government, Parliament and Minister Plasterk, my name is Reinder Torrenga and I'm a proud father of a daughter with Down syndrome. This is not the first time I need to use the media to speak about my frustration and make a plea to our Council of Ministers and the parliament of our country St Read more

MPs meet today about Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation supervisory board's request made to Government Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation into the foundation's operations will be one of the issues Members of Parliament (MPs) will discuss today, Monday, in an urgent plenary session of Parliament in the House of Parliament starting at 10:00am.

The meeting is open to the public.

New Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, who is ad interim Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI, has been requested by Parliament to be present for the meeting.

MPs also will discuss with Gumbs former VROMI Minister Maurice Lake's request to SOAB to halt the investigation and the board's decision to suspend three members of the management team, including foundation director Henry Lynch.

This urgent plenary session was requested by National Alliance MPs William Marlin and Christophe Emmanuel, Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, and United St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Monday about Housing Foundation.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

The Road To The Gumbs I Cabinet: “Peddling Seats To The Highest Bidder”

St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – When Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday administers the oath of office to the five ministers of the Gumbs I cabinet this afternoon, it marks the end of a tedious process that started during the night after the parliamentary elections on August 29. How did we get where we are today? A review.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the governor also administers the oath to the minister plenipotentiary today – but that is not a ‘real’ minister – it is the representative of St Read more

Urgent Plenary Session Of Parliament Scheduled For Monday About Housing Foundation

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).

The plenary session is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

New Marcel Gumbs Cabinet takes office

~ Governor issues challenge to unify people ~

PHILIPSBURG--"The greatest little country in the world" as St. Maarten has been described by its new Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, finally has a new Council of Ministers. Gumbs, a veteran politician, and the five other ministers were sworn in on Friday afternoon by Governor Eugene Holiday at his office.

The swearing-in ceremony was followed by the first meeting of the Council of Ministers with the governor in A.C Read more

style="text-align: center;">Marcel Gumbs second Prime Minister since St. Maarten became a country

PHILIPSBURG:--- Five of the seven required Ministers were sworn in on Friday. Former Senator of the Netherlands Antilles Marcel Gumbs was sworn in as the second Prime Minister of Country St Read more

Statement From The Honorable Prime Minister Marcel F.A. Gumbs

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with a great sense of pride and honor that I sit before you as Prime Minister of this greatest little country in the world. My entire life has been dedicated to service in one form or the other to St. Maarten. This latest chapter is just a continuation of that service. And now, it's time to work!

We hold no illusions of the task before us. St. Maarten is at a critical stage in its development and growth as a nation.

Our mission is clear: To ensure that St Read more