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Vromi To Sell M/V Island Scout (Imo Number: 9215220)

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI) announced during Wednesdays press briefing its intention to sell the Island Scout (IMO number 9215220). Under Article 13, Section 1 of the Landsverordening houdende maatregelen tot opruiming van schepen en wrakken in zee en op het zeestrand (National Ordinance containing measures for the removal of ships and wrecks at sea and on the sea beach)

The Island Scout is a 69-meter-long tug/supply ship that was beached and successfully salvaged, with efforts from both the Ministry of VROMI and TEATT following the passing of Tropical Storm, later Hurricane, Ernesto Read more

14Th Anniversary Of Constitution Day To BeCelebrated On October 14Th 2024

PHILIPSBURG On October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten took its place as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an event that forever changed our islands path and identity. In celebration of this historic milestone, Constitution Day is commemorated annually on the second Monday in October. This year, Constitution Day falls on Monday, October 14, 2024.

This years theme,Jollification Season: Building Home, Building Community, Building Nation, will spotlight Sint Maartens resilience, diversity, and the collaborative spirit that has shaped our nation Read more

Temperatures Above Existing Background (Base) Levels Detected At The La Soufriere Volcano

Saint Vincent According to information received from the Seismic Research Centre at 2:38 p.m. today (Monday October 7, 2024); a low thermal anomaly (temperatures above existing background/base levels) was detected at the summit of the La Soufriere volcano by the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system on Sunday October 6, 2024. This low thermal anomaly as detected by NASA FIRMS is currently ongoing.

Potential scenarios associated with the detection of the thermal anomaly include a Sulphur fire in the crater, a small phreatic (steam) eruption that may have exposed hot underlying rocks, or the start of new extrusion of lava in the crater.

Analysis of multi gas data collected on October 4, 2024 by the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) Soufriere Monitoring Team, and further reconnaissance via sea along the West Coast today (Monday October 7, 2024) are still underway Read more

Com Approves Amendment To 2024 Budget

Finance Minister Gumbs Submits it to Parliament: Council of Ministers has approved the amendment to the 2024 budget, and it has already been sent to Parliament, said Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.

Civil Servants, Subsidized Schools will Receive COLA at Same Time in 2025, Finance Minister Assures

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten There will be no distinction between civil servants and subsidized schools in terms of payment of Cost of Living Adjustment, (COLA), next year, Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs has assured Read more

Ser St. Maarten Chairman Pays Visit To Ser Aruba

PHILIPSBURG— After a 16 month delay due to the non-appointment of its Board, a delegation of the Social Economic Council (SER) visited the SERs of Aruba and Curacao last week. The Sint Maarten delegation consisted of SER Chairman, Harlec Doran and the Secretary-General, Gerard Richardson Read more

Marinka Gumbs: Addendum To Ennia Outline Agreement Will Save St. Maarten Nafl. 37 Million

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs, will be in Parliament on Monday, October 7, 2024, for the second round of questions posed by the MPs regarding the Addendum she negotiated.to the controversial ENNIA Outline Agreement.

I am optimistic that Members of Parliament will approve the ENNIA outline agreement and its accompanying addendum, as the approval carries significant implications for St Read more

Praise For St. Maarten Project At Oranje Fonds Event

THE NETHERLANDS — The Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, supported the Sint Maarten finalists for the ‘Apples of Orange’ awards of the Oranje Fonds at the prize giving ceremony in The Hague. The Apples of Orange are a kingdom-wide annual award recognizing and rewarding three initiatives that successfully connect different groups, or that contribute to people being able to participate in society again.

The ‘Adopt a Grandparent Experience (AGE)’ project of Sint Maarten’s Hearts United Holistic Care Foundation was one of ten finalists out of a total of 212 entries Read more

Com Approves Amendment To 2024 Budget

Finance Minister Gumbs Submits it to Parliament

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten The Council of Ministers has approved the amendment to the 2024 budget, and it has already been sent to Parliament, said Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs.

Although the amended budget contains a reduction of approximately 25 million guilders in both income and expenditures compared to the current budget, it still includes allocations for several key investment projects that are crucial to St Read more

Usm President Strengthens Ties With Dutch Universities Of Applied Sciences

POND ISLAND — University of St. Martin (USM) President, Dr. Antonio Carmona Bez, visited two leading universities of applied sciences in The Netherlands during the last week of September, furthering USM’s long standing relationships with Dutch higher education institutions Read more

Grisha Meets With Cma-Cgm Over Transshipment Issues

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten After reports that CMA CGM, a leading ocean freight company, decided to re-route its transshipment operations from Pointe Blanche to Guadeloupe, Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten took action.

During her official trip to a yachting conference in Monaco, the St. Maarten government minister met with Jean-Baptiste Lumineau, Director of Finance and Infrastructure, at the companys headquarters in France Read more

Min Heyliger-Marten Unannounced Visit To Small Businesswomen Avillion

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Grisha Heyliger-Marten (3rd R), last week paid an unannounced visit to the small businesswomen housed temporarily at the Pavillion at the old Government Administration Building area while work on the Soualiga Market gets off the ground on Backstreet Read more

In Light Of Global Financial Market Expectations Cbcs Reduces The Pledging Rate

Willemstad/Philipsburg The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) decided to ease its monetary policy stance by reducing the pledging rate1 by 0.50 percentage point to 5.25%. This decision is based on the solid and stable foreign exchange position and import coverage in the monetary union, and the expected reduction of the federal funds rate. However, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBCS will continue monitoring the domestic and international economic developments closely, particularly the key indicators for monetary policy in the union, and will adjust its policy if necessary.

According to the latest projection, the deficit on the current account of the balance of payments of the monetary union is expected to drop from 15.8% of GDP in 2023 to 13.9% in 2024, due mainly to an increase in net current transfers from abroad, stated executive director, Dr Read more

SlaS With School Bus Operators, StudentTransportation Management System Approved

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Demissionair Minister Lyndon Lewis has signed several Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with bus operators providing school transportation services on St. Maarten. These agreements aim to standardize and improve the management of school bus services on the island.

The SLAs are comprehensive and address key issues such as:

Established routes Standards for both buses and drivers Responsibilities regarding bus operations and the supervision of students Remuneration and insurance requirements Other relevant operational matters

In addition to the signing of the SLAs, Minister Lewis is also pleased to announce that the Council of Ministers has approved the introduction of the Student Transportation Management System Read more

Lewis Receives Quality Inspection Report ForPublic Schools: Urgent Improvements Needed

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — A comprehensive Quality Inspection Report has been conducted and presented to Demissionair Minister of Education Lyndon Lewis by the Inspectorate of Education. The report, finalized in June 2024, examines the quality of education in public schools across St. Maarten and provides detailed recommendations for improvement.

The inspection, which took place between October 2023 and March 2024, included lesson observations, interviews, and desk research Read more

Unbelievable ~~~To Say The Least~~~

Dear Editor,

It is with great admiration that I watch the interview done by Mr. Oral Gibbs with the Minister of Justice Mr. Lyndon Lewis a few days ago. It was interesting to listen to all that the Minister had to say regarding his position after the results of the last election.

What baffled me (and I guess many others) was the expression by the Minister about the performance of the Chief of Police, Mr Read more

Isaiah Peterson Awarded 2024 President Of Parliament Award.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten During the reception on the occasion of the new Parliamentary Year, a youth is awarded the President of Parliament Award for exemplary behavior, leadership skills as well as their contribution to thecommunity. On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Hon. President of Parliament, Mrs. Sarah A.Wescot-Williams announced Mr Read more

Island Initiatives To Restore Coral Reefs

Each of the six islandsAruba, Bonaire, Curaao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maartenhas taken unique and proactive measures to address the challenges facing their reefs. The restoration efforts by local nature conservation organizations were presented during the recent Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) Reef Restoration Workshop and are critical in ensuring the health and longevity of these underwater treasures for many years to come.

Aruba: Building a Future for Coral Reefs

Arubas reef restoration efforts are spearheaded by the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF), which has been actively working to revive and sustain the island’s coral ecosystems Read more

Governor Baly Starts Consultations As A Result Of 2024 Snap Election

HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG On Tuesday August 20, 2024, the Governor of Sint Maarten, His Excellency A.G. Baly, LL.M. was informed by the chairperson of the Central Voting Bureau about the proceedings of the August 19, 2024 parliamentary elections. The Governor has also received the preliminary results of said parliamentary elections.

Based on the preliminary results, the Governor has commenced the consultations with various stakeholders to gather information on the process regarding the formation of a new government Read more

Launch Entrepreneurship Development Program

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten -The Sint Maarten Entrepreneurship Development Center (SEDC)Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the first Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).

The four-week EDP is designed to equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with essential business skills Read more

Soualiga Corporate Toastmasters Club Congratulates Pdd Brenda Maynard, Dtm

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten —In Anaheim California, August 16, 2024 at the 100th year Anniversary of Toastmasters International Hall of fame Ceremony,PDD Brenda Maynard, DTM wasinducted into the Hall of Fame 2024as she received thisprestigious President Citation Award from Toastmasters International President Morag Mathieson during t Read more

Dog Owner Fined Naf 5,000 For Negligence After Pitbull Incident

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten A dog owner was sentenced to pay a fine of NAf. 5,000 by the Court of First Instance today, Wednesday, following an incident involving his pitbulls that resulted in endangering the safety of people on his property.

The prosecution initially demanded a sentence that included conditional custody of three months in addition to the fine. However, the court settled on the financial penalty alone Read more

Death Announcement: Mr. Dennis Augustin James, Also Known As Den-Den

DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT

We regret to announce the death of our beloved father, grandfather, brother,
uncle and cousin:

Mr. Dennis Augustin JAMES, also known as Den-Den
born in Curacao on August 22 nd , 1957 and passed away on Friday, August
16 th , 2024 in Anguilla at the age of 66 years

Left to mourn:
His children: – Jason Augustin James
– Kevin Dexter James
– Richelline James

His grand-children:

– Kimora Duchene
– Cymphonique Bellechasse
– Jeremiah Arrindell James
– Avielle Conquet James

His brothers: – Franklin James & family in Curacao
– Robert James & family in Sint Maarten
– Reginald James & family in Sint Maarten
His sisters: – Gladice Simmon-James & family in New York
– Veronica Gumbs-James & family in Anguilla
– Marjorie Barry-James & family in Curacao

All his nephews, nieces, cousins, sisters-in laws, godchildren and friends too
numerous to mention.

He was related and acquainted to the families James, Peters, Simmon, Gumbs,
Barry, Salomons, Wilson, Jacobs, Clarke, Thomas, Laveist, Maccow,
Cannegieter, Kruythoff, Halman, Illidge, Vlaun, Arnell, Nisbeth, Bell, Brown,
Duchene, Bellechasse, Arrindell, Conquet, Richardson, Haddocks, Sherwood,
Smith, Delvalle, Holguin Diaz, Martina, and many others too numerous to
mention.

Funeral arrangement will be announced on a later date.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away
May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace

The post DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT: Mr Read more

Mp Emmanuel: Ennia Debacle Turning Out To Be Financial Genocide Upon St. Maarten

~ Questions why BES, Suriname linked to St. Maarten ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — In a scathing rebuke, Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday accused the former National Alliance government and the Central Bank of Curaao and St. Maarten (CBCS) of committing financial genocide by burdening the people of St. Maarten with the disastrous Ennia bailout agreement. Emmanuel’s remarks followed revelations made by Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs, exposing hidden terms that would further drain St Read more

Mp Gumbs Submits Draft Financial Legislation To Minister Finance

Manifesto Dealbreaker Point Met

PHILISPBURG Party for Progress member of Parliament Melissa Gumbs submitted draft legislation to the Honorable Minister of Finance, Marinka Gumbs, on Thursday, 15 August 2024 Read more