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Skeletons at GEBE Prompted Prime Minister to ask for closed door session -- MPs voted for it to be public session.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Members of the public and the media almost got shut out of the urgent meeting that was called by the National Alliance Faction to discuss the developments at GEBE when the shareholder representative Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs asked that the meeting be held in closed doors due to a court decision that will be forthcoming on July 9th 2015 Read more

Parliament committees to look into French/Dutch joint issues

Representatives of the French side Territorial Council with Members of Parliament in Parliament House on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG--A meeting between the French side Territorial Council and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament House on Tuesday resulted in various topics discussed being sent to Parliament’s permanent committees for further deliberation and solution seeking.

Among the topics discussed was pensioners living on the French side, but who have contributed to the Dutch side’s General Pension Fund by working on the southern side of the island accessing their benefits Read more

Govt. back to drawing board with Integrity Chamber Law

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament has sent Government back to the drawing board with the controversial draft National Ordinance on the establishment of an Integrity Chamber for the country.

Parliament sending Government back to make changes was not unexpected, as the majority of MPs had voiced their discontent with the draft when it was tabled in the Central Committee of Parliament about two months ago.

The reworking of parts of the law means the deadline of June 30 for Parliament to handle the law as stated in a recent protocol with the Dutch Government will not be met Read more

style="text-align: center;">Was St. Maarten’s Entities Consulted --- MP Leona Romeo Marlin.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of National Alliance and Member of Parliament William Marlin asked several questions regarding the protocol Minister Dennis Richardson signed on May 23rd with the Dutch Government on the establishment of an integrity chamber Read more

style="text-align: center;">Will MP Meyers be living on his Knees or will he die Standing?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel did not mingle with words during the parliamentary debate on the establishment of an integrity chamber on St. Maarten that was held on Monday. MP Emmanuel said that people need to stop blaming the Dutch for everything and blame the person that places the country in the position it is now Read more

Attempts To Quell Conflict At Nipa Underway

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The level of concern with developments taking place at NIPA, the National Institute for Professional Advancement, is high.

Information reaching our newsroom paints a picture of conflict at the institution at a time when the institute is trying to move forward and attract more students. The conflict is said to exist between the board of the Institute which is headed by Drs. Marcella Hazel and Mr. Vernon Richards the Director.

The Minister of Education the Honorable Rita Bourn –Gumbs is said to be aware of the problem and so too is MP Christopher Emmanuel Read more

style="text-align: center;"> Academy Sweeps Young King Awards!

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten:--- The third SXM Weekend of POWER was exactly that, powerful! The team of GIFTED and the artistes on the Caribbean Gospel Music Tour held entertaining motivational talks in seventeen schools in two days. These were followed by two free concerts in the Belvedere community –Daughters of Zion, and the Sons of Thunder concerts. The finale, ‘A Betta Tomorrow SXM’ Concert and Young King Awards was held at Port de Plaisance on Sunday Read more

Mp Lake Travels To Curacao To Participate In Anti-Corruption Procurement & Integrity Training Course

MP Lake travels to Curacao to participate in Anti-Corruption Procurement & Integrity Training Course

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, has travelled to Curacao to participate in a two-day Anti-Corruption Procurement & Integrity Training Course in Willemstad that starts on Wednesday.

The course is an initiative of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) in collaboration with the International Anti-Corruption Academy which is based in Austria.

The IOI has decided to make this training available to its members and opened it to members of the Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA).

"I am along with my colleague Member of Parliament Emmanuel Christophe, will be representing the Parliament of Sint Maarten at this two-day course since the opportunity was provided for other entities to also partake in this very important training course.

"Our own Ombudsman approached parliament and presented this opportunity for one or more MPs to take part in the course Read more

Mp's Commit To Ensuring Matter Of Increasing Legal Drinking Age Is Handled

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Back on April 7th 2015, the Permanent Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) of Parliament, met with the St. Maarten Lions Club on where a presentation was made regarding underage drinking and parental responsibility.

The club started their awareness programme in March of last year.

During their presentation to Parliament in April, the club requested that MP's make amendments to the law in its current form that allows youngste Read more

SMHGC and Checkmate Security Contract does not look legitimate says MPs.

style="text-align: center;">Handwritten changes was made on the contract, which is termed as being illegal.

PHILPSBURG:---- During the continuation meeting on Thursday regarding the contract between Checkmate Security and Government owned company St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies (SMHGC) Members of Parliament were told that there is only one contract between the government owned company and Checkmate Security, and that Members of Parliament cannot obtain a copy but could only peruse the five page document Read more

style="text-align: center;"> "As a Member of Parliament I will not deal with a draft law unless I know what was discussed in The Hague."

PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel is calling on the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson who travelled to the Netherlands last weekend to meet with the (Raad van State) Council of State and Minister of Interior Affairs Ronald Plasterk to further discuss the draft integrity law that was discussed in parliament and higher supervision that the Kingdom wants to impose on St Read more

Ser Wants Additional Meeting About Counterpart Policy

St. Maarten – The Social Economic Council (SER) met with the central committee of parliament yesterday afternoon. The role of the SER and what they are presently working on was discussed among other issues by the advisory body.  Chairwoman Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet headed the discussion with a presentation about the role of the council and its scope for solicited and unsolicited advice. The chairwoman took the helm of the organization in 2014 and will end in 2017.

Member of Parliament Leona Marlin Romeo stressed on consumer protection which she says is being neglected Read more

St. Maarten should seek to have its own Attorney General --- Current Attorney General does not work in the interest of St. Maarten --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson.

style="text-align: center;">Ruling Majority totally against draft ordinance.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson did not mingle with words on Monday morning when he was responding to questions regarding the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten.
On the question as to who is responsible for justice on St. Maarten, Minister Richardson said that the Minister of Justice is responsible for justice in each country, however, he made clear that St Read more

Integrity Chamber Meets Resistance From Coalition

St. Maarten – The draft ordinance for the establishment of St. Maarten’s Integrity Chamber met with unexpected opposition from within the governing coalition yesterday. Members of the opposition also expressed their doubts. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said that he is facing a May 5 deadline. On that date, the Dutch Council of State renders judgment on the advice the Kingdom Council of Ministers has requested about a looming instruction for St Read more

Heated Debate by Members of Parliament as to how they will deal with the Petition sent to Parliament regarding the Simpson Bay Development.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Chairlady of the petitions committee of Parliament MP Leona Marlin-Romeo opened a pandora box on Thursday when she asked the Members of Parliament to establish how they will handle petitions sent to Parliament. While the debate on how the committee will handle petitions, the three residents of Simson Bay were sitting in Parliament to be heard Read more

Prime Minister says draft law to Establish Integrity Chamber is not to please the Dutch Government.

style="text-align: center;">Parliament voted on a motion for Government to establish the recommendations in Integrity Reports --- PM

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs made clear to Parliament on Wednesday that the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten is not to please the Dutch Government. Prime Minister Gumbs reminded the members of parliament that the parliament of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Several Financial Statements still not available Corporate Governance Council Rejects candidates proposed by government.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs informed Parliament on Tuesday that the government of St. Maarten is currently working on taking the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) to court in order to obtain two audit reports Read more

style="text-align: center;">MP Christopher Emmanuel wants to know how would the change be implemented, says KPSM understaffed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the Lions Club presented the project they launch late last year to curb under-age drinking on St. Maarten. The members of the Lions Club called on Members of Parliament to amend the legislation to increase drinking age from 16 to 18 Read more

Opinion: Transparency

Opposition politics is one part criticism and one part coming up with better ideas than the government has to offer. We’re not into politics for dummies, but we do wonder at times about the way our politicians are going about their business.

We’re living in a time where integrity and transparency are on everybody’s mind. For as long as we remember, politicians have opted to speak in veiled terms about any subject they touch – in the former Island Council, in parliament and also during press conferences.

That’s what we’d call old-school politics Read more

TELEM and SMCU meet on Suriname contractors

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On March 15,2015 the group of illegal workers of Surinam whom was working for Telem left the island without being deported from the island.

In the mean time the SMCU is aware that Telem requested work permits for this group of Surinam workers. SMCU is still of the opinion that this group of Surinam workers infringed with our laws and that they had to be deported with a penalty that they are not allowed to return to the island for a period of one year.

In the mean time SMCU send a mail to the head of the labor affairs department requesting that this office assures that these group of Surinam don't get working permits for the reason of the infringement of our laws Read more

style="text-align: center;">People are fed up and wants to know what the UPP was Ready to do.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The four members of parliament from the National Alliance faction told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that they would like to know what the United Peoples Party was ready for when they campaigned in 2014 Parliamentary elections and won seven of the 15 parliamentary seats Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- MPs  Silveria Jacobs, Christopher Emmanuel, George Pantophlet and Johan Janchi Read more

American University Tax Deal: Minister Authorized To Lift Confidentiality-Rule

St. Maarten – Repeated attempts by National Alliance MP Christopher Emmanuel to get information about the tax-deal with the former owners of the American University in Cupecoy have so far stranded on Finance Minister Maarten Hassink’s refusal to make information about individual tax payers public, citing confidentiality Read more

Emmanuel: Connor must provide Checkmate contracts within week

~ Wants Mingo, board to step down ~

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Emmanuel has issued a firm call for the resignation of Shareholder Representative of the Harbour Claret Connor, if he fails to provide all documents related to the contracts the harbour has with Checkmate Security Services within one week.

He has also issued a call for the resignation of the board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Harbour Mark Mingo over the controversial increase in Checkmate's contract.

Checkmate Security Services has been making headlines in recent days when news broke that the company is in line for a massive US $2.2 million increase in its contract at the Harbour Group of Companies this year Read more