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Sint Maarten And The Netherlands Meet Over Liquidity Support

Philipsburg On Monday, March 29, 2021, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and her support staff were invited to a meeting arranged by the Dutch representatives office with State Secretary Knops. The meeting was amicable, however, State Secretary Knops still needed more reassurance from the Parliament of Sint Maarten concerning support for the trajectory of the Kingdom Consensus Law COHO and the country package agreements finalized in December 2020.

Prime Minister Jacobs stated, During the meeting, State Secretary Knops agreed that the Government of Sint Maarten has lived up to the agreements Read more

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Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs Travels Abroad Due To Family Reasons

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Prime MinisterSilveriaJacobs is travelling forunavoidablefamily related matters today, Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Egbert Doran will assume responsibilityalong with the Council of Ministersduring her absence.Prime Minister Jacobs stated, Though I find it difficult to leaveat this time,as we are facing some challenges, there will be continuity of government and I trustin the Deputy Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers to be able to handleall necessary ongoing matters.Prime Minister Jacobs will remainavailable virtually and she will keep in close contact with the Council of Ministers, the Parliament of St Read more

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Ottley Demands Urgent Attention To Housing For The Belvedere Residents

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Member of Parliament for the United People’s UP Party MP Omar Ottley says the public housing situation on St. Maarten is in urgent need of attention. He has also called on the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure to provide urgent answers to Belvedere residents on when they can expect the much-needed repairs in their homes to begin.

Belvedere’s housing situation is, for MP Ottley, incredibly disheartening and worrisome given the Colorado State University’s prediction that this year’s Hurricane Season has a 65% chance of being above average.

The MP issued a press release on Tuesday in which he states that the concerns he expressed during a 2020 Parliamentary session with the Public Housing Foundation are still not addressed Read more

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Usp: Reactionary, Lack Of Principled Leadership A Detriment To The People

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The board of the United St. Maarten Party (US) said on Monday thattheir sentimentwith regards to the confusing manner in which the country is being governed has been echoed and confirmed by State SecretaryKnops with decisiveaction in the aftermath of the advice from the Council of State on the COHO legislation.

The USP board said the people of St Read more

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Mp Buncamper Questions Minister Of Finance On Taxes Levied On Pension Income.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Pensioners being taxed on theirpension income is a great concern toMP ClaudiusToontjeBuncamper, leader of the United St. Maarten Party (USP) faction in parliament, whoon Monday sent a letter to the minister of Finance,ArdwelIrion, regarding the levying of income taxes on pension. In his letter to the minister MP Buncamper mentionedthat pensioners are dissatisfied with wage/income tax being levied to their already low pension income, especially in these challenging times when the pension might be their only source of income Read more

Government Of Sint Maarten Launches Multi-Purpose Shelters Project For Vulnerable Residents

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Friday,March 26,2021,the Government of Sint Maarten achieved a large milestone for the country as it pertains to disaster preparedness and resilience building. In the presence oftheDirector of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)Dr. Carissa Etienne, Headof the EuropeanUnionDelegation Responsible for Sint MaartenFernandoPonzCanto andother pertinent stakeholders, the 11thEuropean Development Fund B-Envelop Shelters project under the theme: building resilience by improving emergency response and disaster preparedness for the people of Sint Maarten, was launched.During the event, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs delivered the keynote address.The project will be funded fully by the European Union and will be executed and implemented by the Pan American Health Organization, the Americas arm of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

In December 2020, the Contribution Agreement was signed between the EU and PAHO, solidifying the projects actions and their mutual commitment to enhance the islands resilience Read more

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Personal Agendas, Lack Of Strategy At Center Of Current Crisis Pfp Calls On Coalition To Withdraw Petition To Un

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – PFP faction members Melissa Gumbs and Raeyhon Peterson called on the current coalition to withdraw the petition submitted on March 9th to UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.`

As a faction, we repeat our rejection of this petition, PFP said on Sunday, 28 March 2021. On November 5th, 2020 Parliament established a Permanent Committee for Constitutional Affairs and Decolonization, following a proposal by MPs Solange Ludmila Duncan (NA) and Grisha Heyliger- Marten (UPP) Read more

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Minister Of Vsa Conducts Work Visit To Fire And Ambulance Department

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Friday, March 26, 2021, The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor(VSA), Richard Panneflekandhis staff had a working visit at the Fire and Ambulance department in Cay Hill.

In collaboration with RAV Brabant MWN and the Ambulance Service SXM, instructors Rudy Verschuren, Harm Verbeeten, Lianne van Driel and Ruud Verhalle trained in scenario education.The unique aspect of thetraining was the collaboration with all parties, police, fire brigade, Dutch Marines and Dispatch Read more

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Prime Minister Jacobs And Prfet Gouteyron Discusssynchronization Of Current Health Protocols And Vaccination Strategy On St. Martin

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, Prime MinisterSilveriaJacobs attended a high-level meeting together withPrfetDlguforSaintMartinandSt.BarthsSergeGouteyronandhis supportstaff. Joining Prime Minister Jacobs were Head of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Affairs AngeliqueGumbs, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs PatriceGumbs, and support staff.During this meeting,thesynchronization of Dutch and French St Read more

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The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (Stb) Has Launched A Spring Social Media Campaign Under The Banner, Spring To St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – As the travel industry continues to show signs of recovery with travelers showing positive signs in wanting to travel, STB said the timing was right to launch its campaign to capture some of the travelers who are making plans to travel.

This Spring initiative by the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau is once again an effort by Government to attract visitors to the destination and continue to grow our economy in a responsible manner that does not impact the COVID-19 public health and safety protocols.

The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) has been working with our industry partners to maintain an international presence and build demand as the market slowly recovers.  For this campaign, we have 13 industry partners working together to create experiences that add greater value to visitors during their stay on the island.

STB will continue to roll out initiatives in collaboration with the private sector as we stand together to get through this and continue to prepare for the eventual and full recovery of our national economy, Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Ludmila de Weever said on Thursday.

The intention of the campaign is to encourage travelers to feel inspired and book a trip to destination St Read more

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No Vaccinations At Belair Community Center Friday. Close To 11.000 Registered For A Vaccine

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) The Vaccination Management Team (VMT)would like toinformthe public that the Belair Community Center will not be open forthe administering ofCOVID-19 vaccinations on Friday, March 26th, due to a previously planned event. Vaccinations at Belair will resume on Monday the 29th of March.

Additionally, the VMT would like to inform the public that the Collective Prevention Service (CPS) and Belair Community Center will not be open for vaccinations during the public holidaysof Friday, April 2nd, and Monday, April 5th.

The number of registrations for a vaccine has climbed to nearly 11.000 persons (16% of the total eligible population) after Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) Richard Panneflek announced that all persons of 18 years and older residing on Sint Maarten can now be vaccinated. 

To reach the required 70% to achieve herd immunity before the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, registration numbers must increase considerably. 

Members of the community are reminded to register for the COVID-19 vaccine Read more

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Stb Launches Spring To St. Maarten Travel Campaign

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) has launched a Spring social media campaign under the banner, Spring to St. Maarten.

As the travel industry continues to showsigns of recovery with travelers showing positive signs in wanting to travel, STB said the timing was right to launch its campaign to capture some of the travelers who are making plans to travel.

This Spring initiative by the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau is once again an effort by Government to attract visitors to the destination and continue to grow our economy in a responsible manner that does not impact the COVID-19 public health and safety protocols.

The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) has been working with our industry partners to maintain an international presence and build demand as the market slowly recovers Read more

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Govt Compulsively Lies About Coho Says Mp Emmanuel

~ PMs words betray current positions ~ 

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – ndependent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel has called the spinning of the government in the aftermath of the Council of State advice on the COHO as typically deceitful andsaid the Prime Minister of St. Maarten leads the pack when it comes to compulsive lying and political spinning.

At the same time, the MP re-iterated his own position that St. Maarten should not entertain COHO in any way shape or form Read more

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Who Will Rescue The People From The Pm

Dear editor

The Council of State has reviewed the COHO consensus law which was propped up by the honorable Prime Minister SilveriaJacobs and has found it wanting.  The Councils findings will lead many in the governing coalition to begin their high-stepping, back-patting, and congratulatory nods for their perceived personal / political victory.

However, the real question is how does their personal / political victory translate into tangible relief for the citizens of this country during this COVID-19 pandemic. The realties being faced by a multitude of families on this island who are struggling to put food on the table and meet their monthly financial obligations will not be reflected in the fake victorious verbiage and sound bites that will resonate in the media in coming days.

While the political rhetoric that is to follow may boost the egos of the weak, excuse me, meek, the average citizen is overwhelmed with fears of what the next few months will bring with regards to their abilities to continue to meet there financial obligations for basic survival on a monthly basis .

Knowing that they have the ability to put food on the table, pay for the roof over their heads, job stability, earning a livable wage to maintain their livelihood, the ability to see a doctor and not have to pay out of pocket, and confidently sending their children to school knowing that there in a safe learning environment, is paramount on the minds of the people right now.

While the Council of State report may give credence to the petition to the U.N Read more

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Usp MpS Get Presentation On Ats

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Membersof Parliament (MPs) of the United St. Maarten Party (USP)Akeem ArrindellandClaudius Toontje Buncamperand their support staffmet withtheAudit Team Sint Maarten(ATS)onTuesday,February 24, 2020to gather some more information of the works the ATS is presently carrying out and is capable of carrying out.

During the meeting a presentation was given on the purpose, thefunctionsand the intentionsof theAudit Team Sint Maarten, whichwas established on the Islandby the Social & Health Insurances(SZV)inJanuary 2016with the aim of replacing the SBAB (Stichting BelastingAccountant Bureau)in order to save on travel and accommodation costs and to attract and retain St.Maarten-born experts in the interest ofcontinuity.

The main objective of the Audit Team Sint Maarten (ATS) is to increase compliance and to promote regular payment of the social security premiums, ensuring in this way that all companies pay their fair share of taxes in accordance with the Social Security Ordinances. Audit Team Sint Maarten (ATS) collaborates with various public and private entities, bringing them up to date with the social laws, and in complete compliance with their social premium payments. ATSs task is to control the social premiums by way of checking the businesses on behalf of SZV Read more

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Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs Commemoration Speech Of The 373Rd Anniversary Of The Treaty Of Concordia

Where over the world say where? Youll find an island there so lovely small. With nations Freewith People French and Dutch, they say, though talkin English much, as my St. Martin, as your St. Martin, Our sweet St. Maarten in the Sea.

Honorable and distinguished guests, people of St. Martin, good morning.

Today March 23, 2021, though having special significance for me, as the day I became a mother for the first time, it is the day that we celebrate Treaty of Concordia Day. As Madam VP Valerie Damaseau said, Since 2018, we have been working to make it more than about nice speeches Read more

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Four Bids Received For Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project On March 23, 2021

Simpsonbay, Sint Maarten – Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) completed its bidding submission process to officially select a General Contractor for the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project Package 2.A bid opening committee convened at the Project Management Unit (PMU) airport site office to systematically open the electronically submitted bids on March 23, 2021at 3:00pm.

There was widespread interest by international companies with submissions in the range between US $70m through US $99m. Reportedly, a sum of four (4) major bids have been submitted to the Project Management Unit (PMU), who respectfully presides over the entire Airport project. The companies included CCECC (Singapore), Ballast Nedam International (Netherlands), Cotton Global Solutions (United States) and Aecon Airport Construction Ltd (Canada). 

The PMU explained that the bidding process was performed according to the World Bank procurement regulations, which were carefully adhered to. The bidders were required to submit their proposals in a digital encrypted file before 2:00pm today, which were later opened under the supervision of Bakertilly, an independent accounting firm, who received the passwords to unlock the encrypted bids. 

The long-anticipated day is finally upon us whereby we can now boast of this latest milestone in the way forward to complete the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project Read more

Successful Second Edition Of The Coast Guard Recruitment Day

SIMPSON BAY, Sint Maarten – The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard would like to thank the community of St. Maarten for attending the second edition of the recruitment day held last Saturday.

For the day, the Coast Guard opened her doors to all St. Maarten youngsters interested in becoming a Coast Guard officer. Many youngsters with their parents and guardians braved the torrential downpours and gusting winds that day and received information and were able to speak with Coast Guard officers about their work Read more

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Mp Grisha Heyliger-Marten (Upp) Congratulates Mfk And People Of Curaao Election Result Should Come As No Surprise

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten –On behalf of the United Peoples Party,I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the MFK party in Curaao and their leaderMP Gilmar PikPisas for the convincing election victory on March 19th. The people of Curaao have spokenloud and clear,and are the ultimate winners ofthis andany election.

From what I have observed and been told, I think it is safe to conclude that the elections were basically a contest between the proponents of the CRE, and those who believe it is unconstitutional and violates the autonomy of the island among other objections. 

The time it took for the Council of State to provide an advice on the proposed CRE/COHO, raises the question if this highest advisory body in the Kingdom acknowledged the objections brought forward by the islands and pointed these out to the Dutch Government.

The election results clearly show that the large majority of the people of Curacao are against the conditions as imposed by Holland in return for financial aid Read more

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Port St. Maarten Kicks Off Vaccine Information Sessions. Saving Lives And Livelihoods

PORT ST. MAARTEN, Sint Maarten A number of management and staff at Port St. Maarten have received their COVID-19 vaccines after the government-owned company launched their internal vaccine information sessions for staff. The COVID-19 virus continues to wreak havoc around the world and threatening economic recovery, but with the rollout of the vaccine, lives and livelihoods will be saved. Minister of Tourism, Economic, Transport & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Ludmila de Weever commends Port St Read more

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Prime Minister Of St. Maarten, Silveria Jacobs On The Anniversary Of Covid-19 In St. Maarten

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten OnMarch17,2020, the first positive COVID-19 case was confirmed on St. Maarten; thus, we are justoverone year since the coronavirus cases came to our doorstep.Since then, weinstitutedone lockdown,followed by a phased reopening of essential services, businesses, medical services, schools, sports and arts facilities, as well asto the world.Today, we are welcoming visitors to our shoressafely,releasing more and more restrictions, and moving forward with our vaccination program,though we are stillinrecovery Read more

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Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs Recognizes World Down Syndrome Day

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten TheUnited Nations (UN)reports that over 3000 to 5000 children are born with Down Syndrome every year worldwideandgoes on to saythatdown syndrome has always been a part of the human condition and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health.St. Maarten therefore,recognizes that there are many persons living on St. Maarten who areclassified as being born with down syndrome and thereforehave special needs. We recognize, appreciate and validate you as key stakeholders in our society for which we must ensure your rights are met and you are included.

Within our community, on St Read more

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Second Batch Of The Pfizer Vaccine Arrived On Friday

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) Thesecond batch ofthePfizer vaccine,arrivedin the country on Friday, March 19. TheMinisterof Public Health, Social Development (Ministry VSA)Richard Panneflek, was at the Princess Juliana International Airport on Friday when the shipment came in ona scheduledRoyal Dutch Airlines KLMflight.

The second batch consists of 7.020 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Read more

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Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs Recognizes World Poetry Day

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Celebrated each year on March 21, 2021, is oneofour societys most beloved forms of art and cultural expression, Poetry. Poetry brings us together on various continents and isasuitable form of expression for every walk of life. Our very own local poets depict our pain, struggles, triumphs and joys and express the diversity of culture within our community through their poignant words.

This day is observed in respect and celebration of poetry by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Read more

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