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PHILIPSBURG:--- MINISTRY OF Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication (TEATT) held its Closing and Certification Ceremony of the SME Entrepreneurship Development Program (SEDP) and launched the Sint Maarten Entrepreneurship Development Center (SEDC) on Friday, August 25th, 2023.

The structured one-year Business Support and Entrepreneurship Development Training Program which targeted both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs funded by the Department of Economy, Transportation and Telecommunication (ETT) and executed by A & A Accounting and HPS Consulting, cumulated with a grand successful finale on Friday, August 25, 2023, at the Belair Community Center.

A sense of accomplishment was felt during the evening as the participants in the program displayed their products and/or services and vividly networked with all invited guests.

Over the one-year training and coaching period, the program boasts of its Key milestones achieved
The number of existing businesses registered with the program grew from 43% (16) to 92% (42) Read more

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Court Grants Gebe Its Request To Terminate Hr Manager Clifford Sasso.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The court of first instance granted NV GEBE its request to terminate its Human Resource manager Clifford Sasso who was placed on suspension.
The verdict was read in open court on Wednesday, August 30th 2023.
Based on the verdict GEBE is allowed to end its working relationship with Clifford Sasso since the company had issued several warning letters to Sasso prior to the last suspension.
NV GEBE must compensate Sasso for his years of service. He is to be paid NAF 264.801.00
Below is the decision of the court both in English and Dutch.

order
COURT IN THE FIRST INSTANCE OF SINT MAARTEN
Case number: SXM202300375
Decision dated 30 August 2023
regarding
the limited liability company N.V Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- NV GEBE was hit with another blow on Wednesday morning when the Court of First Instance delivered its verdict in favor of former Temporary manager Sharine Daniel who was also the companys head internal auditor for more than ten years.
In the decision rendered on Wednesday, the court said that NV GEBE did not prove its case neither did they submit and or substantiate the accusations they brought against Daniel, one being she stole property from the company and is responsible for the March 16th, 2022 cyber attack.
Based on the decision the court ordered that NV GEBE reinstate Sharine Daniel as the Head Internal Auditor seven days after it is notified of the courts decision Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Tina Hamm, an 11-year breast cancer survivor, was the guest speaker at the fourth monthly meeting of the Breast Cancer Support Group held on August 24, 2023.  The topic was The Journey from Loss to Purpose.

Ms. Hamm (mstinahamm@gmail.com) passionately brought her experience as a luxury travel concierge, podcaster, author, and international motivational speaker to a room filled with survivors (long and short-term), as well as supporters, caregivers, and a few women currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer Read more

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Government Wins Case In Over The Bank Land Issuance Saga.

PHILIPSBURG:---   On August 22, 2023, the Court in First Instance rendered its verdict in the Over the Bank case. In that judgment, the Court determined that Country Sint Maarten is not bound by the (draft) decrees issued by then Minister Meyers and/or that the Over the Bank group could not derive any legally justified expectation from the documents provided by then Minister Meyers due to the violations established with the public order and/or principles of good governance (including the principle of transparency) Read more

~15 graduates are now better equipped to serve on Supervisory or Managing Boards~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ardwell Irion, the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and the Themis Institute for Governance and Leadership celebrated the successful completion of a collaboration towards the Corporate Governance Trainee Program for Young Professionals Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---  The Honorable Minister of Justice, Anna E. Richardson, and the Honorable Minister of Finance, Ardwell Irion, accompanied by their support staff, recently concluded a significant milestone by presenting computed calculations for Justice employees to His Excellency Ajamu Baly, the Governor of Sint Maarten.

This presentation marks the final stage in the comprehensive process led by the Minister of Finance, leading up to the submission of a budget amendment to the Parliament of Sint Maarten.

The legislative journey encompasses several vital steps Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Today Claudius Buncamper generously lends his support to the group of VWO 5 students, who will visit the Anne Frank Realschule in Ahaus Germany in October of this year. Students of that school had visited Sint Maarten and MPC last schoolyear and the VWO 5 students will pay them a return visit just after the October break Read more

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~Increase in the interest rates, if conditions are not met, is exacerbating the already precarious situation of the countries and AGAINST our development.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- In assessing where we are financially and economically, the DP leader did not mince any words when she first directed her view to the Dutch government: Even though they are in a caretakers state, I continue to remind the Dutch government of their responsibility to assist in our countrys sustainable growth Read more

BONAIRE:--- Since June 2023, Mr. Arno Willems has been serving as the Royal Representative of Patroness Her Royal Highness (H.R.H.) Princess Beatrix for the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA). He succeeds Mr. Jaap van Leeuwenburg, who held the position from 2009-2023 and has recently retired Read more

United People's Party Extends Gratitude For Successful 2023 Convention, Recognizes Outstanding Contributions.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United People's Party (UP Party) has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the general public and the more than seven hundred attendees who made the UP Party's 2023 Convention an unparalleled success. Held on Sunday, August 13, at the esteemed Aleeze Convention Center, the event was a remarkable display of unity, strength, and meticulous organization.
Distinguished by an impressive parade, the convention saw the dynamic leadership duo of Member of Parliament, the Honorable Rolando Brison, securing his reelection as the UP Party leader, and Minister Omar Ottley officially being elected as the Deputy Leader Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- This Saturday, August 12, 2023, Ms. Tefari Prevoo Francisco, returned from a five-week summer intensive music program at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She successfully completed this preliminary course to the Bachelor program and received a glowing introductory letter from Mr. Witness Matlou, a South African Jazz Pianist and a music theory professor at Berklee. Ms. Tefari Prevoo Franciscos participation in the course was made possible through assistance by the Division of Study Financing, the Department of Culture, and the Cabinet of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS) Read more

Napb President Lending Support To Customs Workers.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of the NAPB, Rogerrel Mauricia, has responded to a recent article circulating on social media and in newspapers in Sint-Maarten. The article highlights the concerns raised by customs officers regarding their working conditions and salaries. The president of NAPB Sint-Maarten was also contacted by his counterpart from Curacaos union S.T.R.A.F.F., which represents customs officers and police when the news broke.

During the meetings held by NAPB Sint-Maarten in early August 2023, this union leader visited the customs office and observed that the current structure of the customs department is problematic, potentially leading to issues Read more

~ The UPP was not formed to benefit one individual or their families Franklyn Meyers.~

PHILIPSBURG: --- Despite the infighting and political backstabbing, the United Peoples Party led by Rolando Brison is back as their supporters showed up in large numbers showing their support for the new and reformed UPP the green machine.
On Sunday evening persons within the St Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- "I am deeply concerned about the situation at the Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA)," remarked Stuart Johnson President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU).

Johnson sent an email correspondence to the board of CBA over the weekend questioning a number of concerns.

One of the most alarming concerns was the situation regarding the Financial support of the CBA.

"What is the situation regarding the Financial advisor of CBA? Has the staff of the CBA been fully informed about this development? Has a contingency plan been put in place? Who is responsible for the financial responsibilities now?" Johnson questioned.

He minced no words in expressing, "if any negative impact happens to the staff or by extension the students, you will bare the full strength of the WITU Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Rodolphe Samuel, wishes to address the recent article published by "Caribisch Netwerk", which highlights the unfortunate inability of the swimming national team to participate in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Japan due to a lack of funding. While it is disheartening to hear of any athlete's dreams being hindered, it is important to clarify the circumstances surrounding this matter and address the concerns raised about potential government funds and their accessibility.
At the core of our approach, the Department of Sport has clear funding guidelines, outlined in the Program of Requirements Policy Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice, under the leadership of Minister Anna E. Richardson, marked a groundbreaking milestone in event planning efficiency with an insightful seminar aimed at enhancing the event permit application process. On August 3rd, 2023, Minister Richardson spearheaded a comprehensive session designed to foster transparency, regulatory compliance, and harmonious collaboration between event organizers and government authorities.
The seminar addressed a pressing concern within the event-organizing community, where events were frequently conceptualized and marketed prior to obtaining the necessary permits Read more

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~ Internal protocols discussed ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- "I am truly surprised by the recent public remarks made by a member of the Teaching fraternity of St.Maarten. Even more surprising is these remarks are from an educational assistant, Ms. Glenda Mussen who also is the General Secretary of WITU," said Stuart Johnson President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, Omar Ottley is pleased to announce that the Council of Ministers has approved the bid submitted from Independent Consulting Engineers (ICE) to execute the technical aspect of the second cohort of the extensive home repair project.

Since the passing of the hurricane in 2017, the Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs Department has carried out a variety of small-scale housing repairs as part of the Ministry of VSA's recovery initiatives.

However, it was determined that beneficiaries required greater repairs, and as a result, the first cohort of the large-scale home repair project was implemented in 2022.

Minister Ottley deemed it essential to execute the second cohort of the program due to the high demand, the success of the first cohort, and number of registered beneficiaries who require home repairs Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of the SMILE Jobseeker Course Program in the run-up to the St. Maarten Innovations, Initiatives and Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE), St. Maarten-born entrepreneur John A.M. Sandiford presented his "Personal Finance" Masterclass, 6-INGS. The masterclass is intended to coach financial literacy & planning on the often-tough road toward a dream job, taking into account the need for saving, investing, and personal growth development.

Based on his own previous struggles to make amends as a student in the Netherlands as well as his first steps as an entrepreneur, Sandiford created a personal finance framework that grew into a course that has helped out many students and young professionals in both the Caribbean as well as the Netherlands Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of Sint Maarten is taking its Tier III Trafficking in Persons ranking, received from the United States Department of State, in June 2023, seriously. Based on the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of 2019, enacted by all the countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the stage for instrumenting a collaborative effort in combatting the crimes of human trafficking and human smuggling on each territory is organized. This policy invites the opportunity for mutual cooperation on the topic of human trafficking and migrant smuggling on both repressive and administrative sides of execution Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---  Fabio Doralice, is excited to announce the relative success of the pilot project for the Craft & Farmers Market. The market, held under the banner of Le Sommet Foundation, aimed to gauge community interest and support for local farmers and artisans. The results have been promising, and we are thrilled to continue the project with some notable enhancements.
Throughout the pilot period, the Craft & Farmers Market garnered net positive feedback from both vendors and patrons Read more

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