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Governor Receives Final Report William Marlin

Harbour View, Sint Maarten – On November 18th, 2015, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the final report of formateur W. Marlin.

The formateur has accepted the commission to form a new government supported by a majority in Parliament comprised of the NA-fraction, the DP-fraction, the USP-fraction, independent Member of Parliament S Read more

Dp Announcement - Emil Lee To Be Next Minister Of Vsa

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Democratic Party would like to announce the swearing in of DP candidate Emil Lee as the next Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA).  

Emil will be sworn in tomorrow Thursday, November 19th, 2015 Read more

Minister Sams Provides Public Transportation Sector With Copies Of Draft National Decree

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – On October 23rd at the Stafbureau of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), Minister Ernest Sams made good on part of his promise and presented to representatives of various taxi and bus associations on the island a translated version of the draft national decree on public transportation.

This draft national decree being worked on currently serves the purpose of providing a bridge between the existing ordinance which is more than 40 years old and a new national ordinance on public transportation slated to be sent to parliament in 2016. 

The draft national decree was distributed to those present and they were requested to review it and provide their feedback as part of the stakeholder consultation process within four weeks.

In the two hour meeting with public transportation stakeholders, Minister Sams and his Cabinet, Secretary General of Ministry TEATT and the Head of the Inspection Department TEZVT held an interactive discussion with the various association board members on the challenges faced by the industry including the influx of unsanctioned operators, industry trends and changes, areas of potential mutual collaboration.

What was also stressed in the meeting by Minister Sams and his team was the need for individual accountability, teamwork and professionalism by all Read more

Mini Symposium And Expo On Suriname Independence At The Library

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - This Friday at 7 pm a mini symposium will be held in the Philipsburg Jubilee Library in honor of the anniversary of the independence of Suriname.

Suriname became an independent country on November 25th, 1975 and this year will mark the fortieth anniversary of its independence.

Under the slogan “Celebrating 40 years republic of Suriname : sharing lesssons learned with St Maarten”, the symposium will focus on how Sint Maarten, as a young nation, can learn from Suriname Read more

Up Board Extends Deepest Condolences To The People And Government Of The Republic Of France

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The United People's Party (UP) family, Leader and board extends its deepest condolences to the people and Government of the Republic of France who experienced the worse terrorist attack on continental Europe in recent history, UP Party Board President Sylvia Meyers said on Monday.

“The UP family joins with our brethren on the north side of the island (Saint Martin) and the entire Sint Maarten community, in prayer for all those who have lost loved ones and to those who were injured, may the Almighty give them strength during this difficult period,” the UP Party Board President Sylvia Meyers concluded Read more

Message Of Condolence From The Democratic Party

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Our prayers and thoughts are with the government and people of the French Republic as they try to put the pieces together after the horrendous attacks throughout the French capital on Friday, November 13th.

Their personal and collective loss is immeasurable and we  hope and pray that they will find strength, peace and comfort in the coming days and weeks.

We look closer to home and extend words of comfort to our French St. Martin brothers and sisters.

This is not only an attack on the French capital, but one on humanity itself Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Congratulates Minister Of Culture Bourne-Gumbs And Organizers On Sint Maarten’S Day Theme And Celebrations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo, congratulates outgoing Minister of Education Culture Youth Affairs and Sports Rita Bourne-Gumbs and organizers for a well thought out theme for the 2015, Sint Maarten’s Day Celebration.

“It was a pleasure to see the display of diverse cultures unified to celebrate Sint Maarten’s Day in a dignified way Read more

Mp Lake Is Awaiting Answers From The Caretaker Government For The Landfill, Cadastre, And Usm

ST. PETERS, St. Maarten - MP Lake has sent letters through the President of Parliament to the Caretaker Government to get the long awaited answers that was promised to Parliament. â€œThe first request for answers is from the meeting with the outgoing Minister of VROMI Claret Conner. The first meeting was called on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 but couldn't proceed due to illness of the Minister but the next day he was on a flight to Miami looking at another company for the Waste to Energy Facility Read more

Position Airport Director Labega Under Pressure

Managing director Regina Labega at her desk at Princess Juliana International Airport. File photo SXM

Court rejects suspension of government-decision

St. Maarten – Starting tomorrow, Regina Labega is no longer authorized to function as the managing director of Princess Juliana International Airport, but it is at this moment uncertain whether she will be removed from her position, her attorney Cor Merx told this newspaper yesterday. “It is unclear what is going to happen on November 13.”

Labega’s position requires a certificate of no objection, but Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs refused to give this to her, based on the result of a screening by the national security service VDSM.

The airport risks a fine of 1,000 up to 500,000 guilders – per violation – if it allows Labega to stay on as managing director Read more

St. Maarten Day Speeches Focus On Cooperation

From left: Collectivité President Aline Hanson, Préfète Délégué Anne Laubies, Governor Eugène Holiday, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Chief Inspector Denise Jacobs, Franklin Richards, MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, MP Cornelius de Weever, Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs at the border monument in Cole Bay Read more

Sxm Airways Gets Support From Parliamentarians

SXM Airways Managing Director Rolando Brison during his presentation to Parliament. Photo contributed

Upstart airline SXM Airways received encouraging words of support from Members of Parliament on Tuesday as management and shareholders briefed the Central Committee on the airline’s plans and vision. The MP’s urged management to “keep pushing” and not to be afraid of competing with other airlines including Winair.

Managing Director Rolando Brison and shareholders Elvis Queeley, Michel Carter and Jeff Oliver, gave a comprehensive presentation about everything from the origins of the idea for the on-demand airline, to educational initiatives, market analysis, market share, share availability for local purchase and operational perspectives Read more

Conference Gets To The Roots Of Mental Illness

Workshop at the mental health conference in progress. Photo contributed

Belair, St. Maarten – The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) facilitated a resonating conference on community and person-centered treatment planning at the Belair Community Centre last Thursday and Friday.

The 2015 Mental Health Conference was held in collaboration with The Institute for Progressive Living and Empowerment (IPLE), a New York based organization of mental health clinicians that promote culturally sensitive, evidenced based interventions within communities Read more

Unity, Theme Word For St. Maarten/St. Martin Day 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - President of the Collectivite of St. Martin Madame Aline Hanson told her peers and those gathered to celebrate St. Maarten/St. Martin Day 2015 that their aim is to go forward, as they look towards developing the island.

She also spoke of the areas of cooperation between St. Maarten/St. Martin.

Outgoing Prime Minister, the Honorable Marcel Gumbs of St Read more

Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2016 Expands Outreach To Latin America, Emerging Destinations & Niche Markets, Appointment Requests Now Open; Educational Sessions Added

THE CARIBBEAN - The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is raising the global profile of Caribbean Travel Marketplace providing opportunities for hoteliers attending the event to find new contacts and sources of business. CHTA is targeting wholesalers in Latin America and emerging destinations as well as tour operators specializing in niche markets. Caribbean Travel Marketplace is scheduled Jan. 21-23, 2016 at the Atlantis, Paradise Island in The Bahamas.

Building upon the existing and longstanding portfolio of global operators conducting business in the Caribbean, CHTA is focusing on securing the participation of Latin American tour operators in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Venezuela and emerging destinations Russia, India, Scandinavia, Ukraine and the Middle East.

            With the growth and importance of the niche travel segments to its membership, CHTA is inviting niche tour operators to attend Caribbean Travel Marketplace Read more

Seven New Political Parties Report For 2016 Elections

St. Maarten – An astonishing number of seven new political parties reported to the offices of the Electoral Council yesterday to submit their request to be registered for the February 9 elections. Among them is the St. Maarten Christian Party, led by Pastor Wycliffe Smith. On the other hand, the party of European Dutch residents did not show up, reportedly because they did not have enough time to prepare their documentation.

With the seven new parties – if they get all their formalities in order – the field for the elections will consist of eleven and possibly twelve parties Read more

Mp Leona Marlin-Romeo Commends Mental Health Foundation On Successful Turnout At 2015 Conference

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten  – The giving back to the community project is not limited to only financial contributions. This was illustrated on the successful turn out and positive feedback of the Mental Health Foundation 2015 Conference. 

Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo, gave the opening speech on the second day of the conference and spoke of how a discussion two years ago materialized, “Bringing Life into thought, Bringing passion into purpose”. 

The workshops though organized by the Foundation, the MP facilitated in making the connection with a close college associate Pascale Jean-Noel, a licensed Masters level Social Worker from New York State.

Pascale Jean-Noel, was more than willing to make a contribution to Sint Maarten by participating in bringing awareness on person centered treatment planning, trauma informed care, working with substance use disorders and understanding the practitioner’s role while providing mental health service as it relates to our community.  

Jean-Noel is a second generation Haitian, and understood what it means to connect with an audience of Caribbean background Read more

Idominate 360 Takes Businesses To The Next Level, Two Day Experience For Those Who Are Serious About Transforming Business And Lives Is Held 20-21 Nov

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten – Over the course of two days, November 20 and 21, entrepreneurs, innovatives, and leaders on St. Maarten and in the region, will get to transform their businesses and lives with internationally acclaimed speakers and entrepreneurs at iDOMINATE 360, which is a key activity during Entrepreneurship Week 721.

Designed by Foundation INFOBIZZ to assist people to achieve new levels of success, iDOMINATE 360 Experience hosts a series of experiential workshops on November 20, 2015 and a dynamic interactive evening with networking, a mini expo, and sales pitch competition on November 21, 2015 with internationally acclaimed entrepreneurs and speakers Read more

President Of Parliament Wescot-Williams Wishes Indian Community Happy Diwali

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Activities to mark Diwali – the Festival of Lights – started this weekend with the annual “Diwali Nite” show on Saturday, at the Belair Community Center.

Diwali, is considered to be one of the most sacred of Hindu festivals and is fervently celebrated by people in all parts of India and across the world over a five-day period.

The Festival of Lights is celebrated every year between mid-October and mid-November, depending on the lunar cycle.  It coincides with Hindu New Year and light.

The festival is observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.  Houses are decorated with candles and colourful lights; people share gifts and say prayers.

This year the actual day of Diwali will take place on Wednesday, November 11.

President of Parliament Hon Read more

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen Makes National Statement At 38Th Unesco General Conference

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen, addressed the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently at the 38th UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France, where she presented country Sint Maarten’s National Statement.

Honorable President, Honorable Director General

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr. President, it is an honor and distinct pleasure for me to stand here at this 38th

Session of the UNESCO General Conference and its 70th Anniversary to share the vision and accomplishments of Sint Maarten.

Firstly, I wish to extend congratulations to you Mr Read more

Caribbean Congress Of Labour And Caribbean Employers’ Confederation Agree To Establish Formal National Bipartite Forums

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - A Regional Bipartite Meeting attended by representatives from senior trade union and employer organizations from fifteen Caribbean countries was held 3-5 November 2015 in Grenada, under a Project* funded by the European Union and executed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In a joint statement, David Massiah, President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and Wayne Chen, President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) announced the agreement to establish formal bipartite forums in each of the fifteen Caribbean States Read more

Stalling Planned Elections Would Be Unconstitutional Says Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Can the incoming government take a decision to annul the decree as has been signed by the Governor and the Prime Minister to dissolve parliament and hold elections?

That question was put to outgoing Prime Minister, the Honorable Marcel Gumbs this week.

The Prime Minister noted that the process towards the snap elections is now law and as such it is the right of the people to vote on the 9th of February Read more

John Maxwell Coach To Host Live 2 Lead Rebroadcast: November 8Th On St. Martin

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - “We need good leadership,” appears to be the buzz word locally and internationally, over the past several years.

On the local front, instability in Government, and other leadership challenges involving integrity issues, point to the necessity for each of us to raise our leadership lids.

Consequently, Victorious Living whose mission is to empower, enlighten and reconcile individuals and communities has joined a global movement to improve the leadership in our nation on every level by introducing leadership simulcasts; Leadercast and Live 2 Lead to St Read more

Mp Lake Calls For Constitutional And Electoral Reform Before Elections

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - MP Maurice Lake calls all political leaders to show political maturity and raise the bar to address the amendment to the Constitution.

I have listen keenly to the caretaker PM and the Minister of Justice and I have to say for two senior officials I have lost great respect for them for playing politics and making mockery of our Constitution.  

The caretaker Minister of Justice should know better as being part of the constitutional process for Country St Read more

February Elections Will Cost Almost 230,000 Guilders

St. Maarten – The cabinet has budgeted 229,763 guilders ($128,359) for the upcoming elections on February 9. The money comes from the budget of the Ministry of General Affairs.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said yesterday that the voter registry will close on November 23 and that the members to the Central Voting Bureau will be appointed on December 23.

Postulation Day is on December 22 and a day later, parties will have to submit the signatures of voters who support their list.

The elections will take place on February 9 – a Tuesday Read more