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Government About To Collect 13 Million From Casino Sector

Parliamentarians happy with withdrawal increased road tax

St. Maarten – By providing the receiver’s office with a mandate, the government is able to collect 13 million in tax arrears from the casino-sector, Finance Minister Richard Gibson said yesterday afternoon during a meeting of the Central Committee where he, as announced on Wednesday, withdrew the draft law to increase the road tax in 2016.

In a brief introduction, the minister told parliament that he would like to make some changes to the draft the previous government had submitted Read more

Protest against Ministers draws only a small crowd

PHILIPSBURG--The angry sentiments expressed on radio and in some quarters of the community against the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet for not resigning in the face of the September 30 motion of no confidence passed by the new National Alliance (NA)-led coalition did not translate into a large turnout for the protest in front of the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning.

Some people on the scene are planning to return to the site again today, Thursday, for similar action Read more

style="text-align: center;">Uninsured Police Officers called to protect Ousted Council of Ministers

PHILIPSBURG:--- Heavy equipment’s were used early Wednesday morning to block the entrance of the Government Administration Building. The drivers of three heavy equipment arrived in the area of the Government Administration Building shortly before 5am where they parked their vehicles blocking the entrance towards the Government Administration Building and left.
Around 6:30 am the night watch- commander Officer Gomes along with some police officers walked towards the Government Administration and began questioning bystanders and the security guards as to who parked the heavy equipment’s that were blocking the streets Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel has issued a strong call on the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger whom he said should practice what he preached in 2013 when the National Alliance led government wanted to call for new elections Read more

Garbage Meeting Fizzles: Many Questions, No Answers And No Solutions

St. Maarten – At the end of a long meeting, finally there were some fireworks when opposition MP asked Vromi-Minister Claret Connor to answer one question: “Is there a contract with a company to build the waste-to-energy plant and how does this jive with your visit to a project in Miami?”

Minister Connor, who had just said that he would be able to inform the parliament on Monday when he would be able to answer the more than one hundred questions MPs had asked, did not bite Read more

Members of Parliament wanted more speaking time in Zebec/Harbor debate.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament were called to vote on Monday when a member of the opposition asked for speakers time to be extended and a member of the coalition opposed the extension. MP Frans Richardson who supports the government voted in favor of the extension citing that he believes that Members of Parliament should be given extra time if they need when debating certain topics Read more

It’s time to move on

Dear Editor,

If government officials cannot address the public in a sober and civil manner, then they need to reconsider their position and move on. It is totally unacceptable for representatives of the people to express themselves in ways that are substandard to effective leadership. This pattern of behaviour seems to be a developing trend - a style that exposes their state of mind – a mind that is overruled by frustration, which has lead them to the point where they are unable to guide their thoughts.

Politicians, who are called to lead, would be cognizant of their choice of words and actions Read more

Disaster waiting to happen at Landfill --- MP’s express outrage at the current situation regarding Waste to Energy Plant and statements made by Prime Minister.

style="text-align: center;">MP Meyers and MP Marlin engaged in verbal war during live meeting of Parliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several Members of Parliament expressed outrage on Friday morning in Parliament while posing several questions regarding the dumpsite in the middle of Philipsburg. Recently Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel posted a video on Facebook on the current situation at the Landfill Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament from the National Alliance Faction and Democratic Party dispatched a letter to the Chairman of Parliament requesting an urgent meeting to debate the statements made by Attorney General of St. Maarten Guus Schram on September 11th 2015.
The le Read more

Minister of Education could not make full discloser to Parliament on NIPA saga due to meeting she has scheduled with NIPA board.

style="text-align: center;">Ministry is at its last straw --- Wednesday meeting Government will give NIPA Board ultimatum, situation gotten worst.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education Rita Bourne Gumbs told Members of Parliament on Monday afternoon that her hands are tied while her lips have to remain sealed until Wednesday since she has a meeting scheduled with the board members of NIPA. The National Alliance Faction of Parliament called the Minister of Education to Parliament in an urgent meeting to get further information on what is happening at NIPA.
Minister Bourne Gumbs told Parliament that it is not ethical for her to divulge information to the public prior to sharing the Ministry’s decision on how they intend to move forward with NIPA Read more

Faction leaders outline their achievement and failures during parliamentary year 2014 -2015.

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Faction leader of the United Peoples Party Franklin Meyers in his remarks during the closing of parliamentary year 2014-2015 said that the moment the UPP and MP De Weever formed the coalition that formed the current government they got all sorts of pressure from the Dutch Government (Kingdom Partners) which includes an instruction Read more

Dutch Government wants to impose instruction on St. Maarten when it comes to establishing an Integrity Chamber --- Kingdom Council of State now has to decide.

style="text-align: center;">Ten MPs voted in favor of draft law to establish Integrity Chamber --- DP Faction Leader spearheaded the drafting and finalizing of law

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten has to brace itself for a possible instruction in order to establish an integrity chamber on St. Maarten. Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson submitted the document to the Parliament of St. Maarten on Monday where the Dutch Government want Kingdom Council of State to grant them permission to impose a Kingdom measure on St Read more

MP’s claim that Police Officers want Minister of Justice out of Office.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- At least two Members of Parliament namely Leona Marlin Romeo and Christopher Emmanuel advised the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson to go and speak with the regular police officers in order for him to know how they feel about him Read more

Foreigner and Board Member of Kadastre Office wants to take up Director’s position.

style="text-align: center;">MP Emmanuel says St. Maartener’s must hold key positions --- Calling for the Acting Head to be appointed as Director.

PHILIPSBURG:--- MP Christopher Emmanuel is calling on the Minister of VROMI and the two board members of the Kadastre office to appoint the acting head Marcia Peterson- Richardson as Director of the Kadastre office.
MP Emmanuel said its time that St Read more

Parliament to co-sign letter on shelving of dispute regulation

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Parliament will be a co-signer along with the legislatures of Curaçao and Aruba on a letter to the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament, seeking that body’s position on the Dutch Government in effect shelving the establishment of a dispute regulation, and a related body for the kingdom.

The letter, drafted by the Curaçao Parliament, came after last month’s Kingdom Conference -a meeting of the countries of the kingdom- saw the Dutch Government putting up a road block on the issue Read more

style="text-align: center;">Haitian Lives Matters --- St. Maarten may soon be flooded with these people that are being deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel has issued an open call to the Governor of St. Maarten whom he said met recently with the President of the Dominican Republic Read more

Gebe Street Light Monitoring Project Attracts The Attention Of Mp Christopher Emmanuel

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - MP the Honorable Christopher Emmanuel is concerned about developments at GEBE as he believes that there is a monitoring of the streetlights on the island by a foreign company.

He is concerned about the cost to the company GEBE and as a result, the people of St. Maarten.

He is calling on the GE Read more

$68K figure for GEBE payment ‘never received’

PHILIPSBURG--Alfred Harley says he and his company SXM Services Provider are being dragged through the mud in connection with the ongoing problems at utilities company GEBE.

Harley is particularly angry about the allegations that have been repeated in media outlets, in Parliament and in court that the company was receiving hefty payments approved by GEBE Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Managing Director Romelio Maduro, against the wishes and to an extent against the knowledge of GEBE's Supervisory Board.

One figure being cited is US $68,000, which seems to be the total amount the company needs to be paid, but has received in full Read more

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