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Taliesin charged less, scored better for airport FBO project

AIRPORT--According to a trusted source, Taliesin Construction was chosen over the competition – Windward Roads and Designer’s Choice – for Princess Juliana International Airport’s fixed-base operations (FBO) project because the company charged less and scored more points according to evaluation reports by both an airport operating company team and Studio Acht, the project’s designing company.

This question was answered in response to enquiries by Prime Minister (PM) Marcel Gumbs as he sent a notice of delay in early May in regard to building permits for the temporary office for the Meteorological Office, the Fire and Rescue Building and the FBO building Read more

St. Martin Book Fair Program June 4 – 6, 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -  Pre-Book Fair Activities;

Tuesday, June 2

8pm – 11pm
The Poets Lounge
Guest poets: Rosabelle Illes (Aruba), Fola Gadet (Guadeloupe). Magueda Jackson (St. Martin/Anguilla), reads her poetry from the new anthology Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla
Place: Q Lounge (Upstairs, McDonald's Restaurant)
Simpson Bay

Wednesday, June 3

6 pm – 7:30 pm
Economic Models in the Caribbean
Presentation/discussion with business and political leaders
Guest speaker: Luiz Bernardo Pericás (Brazil)
Historian, social critic, translator
Author of Che Guevara e o debate econômico em Cuba
(Che Guevara and the economic debate in Cuba)
Cambridge University Press

Place: Mr Read more

Editorial - Status quo

Readers may have been surprised to note in Monday's paper that Government as sole shareholder of water and electricity company GEBE had rejected a request by the Supervisory Board not to extend the contract of Chief Operations Officer and Managing Board Chairman Romelio Maduro. After all, government-owned companies were put "at arms' length" in the first place to prevent political meddling.

Moreover, a Corporate Governance Code was introduced by law to stipulate rules on how to deal with these public entities operating in the private sector and a council with the same name has been established to regulate such Read more

MPs have not yet received harbour security answers

PHILIPSBURG—Members of Parliament (MPs) have not yet received the "sensitive answers" about the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies' security contract, despite the receipt of these by Parliament's Secretariat since May 26. The delay in the dissemination is due to "administrative reasons," according to Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Speaking at a DP press conference in Parliament House on Monday, Wescot-Williams said she is patiently awaiting the answers to see if they satisfy her burning questions Read more

Shareholder Overrules Supervisory Board: Maduro With Gebe Until 2017

Gebe’s Chief Operations Officer Romelio Maduro. Photo Gebe Facebook page

GREAT BAY- Gebe Chief Operations Officer and Chairman of the Managing Board Romelio Maduro will be at the helm of the company until 2017. The Council of Ministers extended his contract on Friday.

The shareholder representative adopted a motion bypassing the supervisory board’s decision to terminate the contract. This newspaper obtained a copy of a letter directed to the Chairman of Gebe’s Supervisory Board René Richardson, in which Vromi-Minister Marcel Gumbs states that “The shareholder representative of Gebe has decided to extend the contract of Mr Read more

Gumbs calls residents to prepare as season starts

PHILIPSBURG--“Be vigilant and be prepared. This is a call to action,” said Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in his message to residents about preparedness as the annual Atlantic Hurricane Season starts today, Monday. The season continues until November 30.

“Do not be lulled into a sense of false security. At the beginning of every hurricane season, prepare yourself and your family,” Gumbs said in a message issued on Sunday.

“We must always remain mindful that for six months out of the year, we live in the hurricane season Read more

Govt rejects board’s request to not extend Maduro’s contract

~ Approves two year extension ~

PHILIPSBURG--Government, as shareholder of water and electricity company GEBE, has rejected a request of the GEBE board not to extend the contract of Romelio Maduro as Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Chairman of the Managing Board of the utilities company.

The board's request was to reverse the shareholder's earlier decision to extend Maduro's contract. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said in a letter to GEBE board Chairman Rene Richardson dated Friday, May 29, that the shareholder was not in a position to decide positively on the board's request.

Gumbs said Richardson should submit all documents that had led to the board's decision in this matter, to assist the shareholder to reach to an informed decision whereby all facets of good corporate governance are upheld.

Gumbs requested a copy of the "expiring" contract with Maduro, audit reports and all other reports pertaining to this matter, the minutes of the meeting of the Supervisory Board of Directors dealing with this subject matter and the minutes of the meeting of the Supervisory Board of Directors in which Maduro had been heard.

Gumbs also requested all written correspondence between the Supervisory Board and Maduro, establishing that Maduro had been given the opportunity to react regarding the issues mentioned against him.

"Once in possession of the relevant documents, the shareholder will have an independent investigation carried out, whereby the commissioning of an Operational Forensic Audit cannot be ruled out," Gumbs said in the letter, which he signed as Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment VROMI.

"Based on the urgency and circumstances surrounding these matters, these decisions have been taken in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation of GEBE and in particular the article affording the shareholder the possibility to make decisions outside of an ordinary Meeting of Shareholders."

He said Maduro would continue in his function as COO and continue carrying out the tasks of Chairman of the Managing Board pending the outcome of the investigation, to prevent any major disruption in the functioning of GEBE.

In a second letter to Richardson also dated May 29, Gumbs said the shareholder had decided to extend Maduro's contract as COO and Chairman of the Managing

Board for two years.

"In this regard, you are hereby requested to prepare the draft contract extension agreement and submit same to the Shareholder for ratification and or approval," the letter reads.

"The Shareholder has not come to a decision regarding the proposal to grant Mr Read more

style="text-align: center;">Will he be used to execute MOU signed with GB Energy?

PHILIPSBURG: ---- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs reversed the decision taken by the Supervisory Board of GEBE to fire its COO Romelio Maduro. The decision was taken on Friday after Maduro's lawyer Peggy Ann Brandon intervened and threatened to file an injunction against GEBE and government.
SMN News learnt that the Prime Minister reversed the decision seemingly because the shareholder representative (government) was not consulted prior to them taking the decision not to renew Mauro's contract and to give him up to Friday (yesterday) to vacate his office and be off the premises Read more

St. Maarten’s International Airport (PJIAE) stands to lose Financial Credibility if Building Permits not Issued by June 15th.

style="text-align: center;">PJIAE placed in a precarious position due to lack of Building Permit for FBO, and Fire Station.

AIRPORT:--- Management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) stands to lose its financial credibility if Prime Minister and Acting Minister of VROMI Marcel Gumbs along with the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger continues to stagnate the issuance of the building permits that were requested by PJIAE since November 2014.
Management of PJIAE signed agreements with Signature a multi-national FBO agency and locally based company TLC that is also an FBO professional Read more

St. Dominic High School winner Moot Court 2015

PHILIPSBURG--After a Friday afternoon filled with pleadings, arguments and rebuttals in a high-profile and legally highly complicated case involving crimes against humanity and human rights violations, the legal team of St. Dominic High School emerged as winners in the first SXM Moot Court Competition for high school students. They received a trophy from Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs.

Against the opposition of students of Learning Unlimited (LU) Preparatory School, Caribbean International Academy (CIA), St Read more

Sarah questions Govt on integrity protocol

THE HAGUE--"Does the government consider the maintenance of law and the other judicial parts in the document part of the Integrity Chamber? If not, why are those agreements part and parcel of the protocol regarding an Integrity Chamber?" was one of several questioned posed by Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a letter to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet via Chairman of Parliament Dr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---  Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs expresses his deepest sympathy to the family of Pieter Hooft, a civil servant who worked with the Government of Sint Maarten for more than 25-years.
"My condolences on behalf of the Council of Ministers also go out to civil service corps of country Sint Maarten Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Expresses Condolences To The Hooft Family And The Civil Servant Corps

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs expresses his deepest sympathy to the family of Pieter Hooft, a civil servant who worked with the Government of Sint Maarten for more than 25-years.

"My condolences on behalf of the Council of Ministers also go out to civil service corps of country Sint Maarten Read more

style="text-align: center;">PM now investigating Bidding Process.

Airport: --- The board and management of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) was given three weeks to provide a number of documents to the Acting Minister of VROMI and Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs before he would take a decision on issuing the building permits for the construction of the Fixed Based Operations (FBO) project at PJIAE and the Fire Station Read more

Charlotte Brookson Academy to relocate from USM year end

~ LaBega saddened by MP's remarks ~

PHILIPSBURG--Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA) of the Performance Arts will be relocating from its current home at the University of St. Martin (USM) to another location at the end of the year.

USM Dean of Academics and Interim President Dr. Francio Guadeloupe said the contract between CBA and USM ends in June and the tertiary institution has given CBA until December to find another suitable location.

CBA has been occupying classrooms at USM since it first opened its doors almost three years ago to provide education for students with a strong interest in the arts and with a strong focus on academics.

A source close to CBA said the intention was never for the school to be permanently housed at USM Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, May 22nd 2015, the Ombudsman, Dr. Nilda Arduin left for Curacao to attend the 8th Caribbean Ombudsman Membership Conference.
The theme of the conference is "Human rights –the measuring rod for Good Governance."
Renown speakers will be will be making presentations on the topic. Dr. Arduin will be speaking on "Human Rights an Intrinsic element of Good Administration"; other speakers will be addressing other areas of human rights in relation to the role of the Ombudsman.
Another topic that will be presented is "Corporate Governance and State-Owned Enterprises".
A highlight of the conference is a two day Anti-Corruption Training sponsored by the International Ombudsman Institute (I.O.I.).
"Following the very successful anti-corruption training program conducted by the International anti-corruption Academy (IACA) at its seat in Austria in 2013, the I.O.I Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs congratulates Sint Maarten Guyanese Community on Guyana’s 49th Independence and President Granger

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Hon. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs would like to congratulate the Sint Maarten Guyanese community with respect to Guyana's celebration on May 26 of their 49th independence celebration of statehood.

At the same time, Gumbs would also like to extend congratulations to the 8th Executive President of Guyana Hon. Brigadier David Granger (69) who was sworn in on May 16 after his A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) won the 2015 national general and regional elections on May 11.

President Granger will be inaugurated at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on Tuesday.

"I take the opportunity to congratulate President Hon Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Congratulates Sint Maarten Guyanese Community On Guyana's 49Th Independence And President Granger

PHILIPSBURG – Hon. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs would like to congratulate the Sint Maarten Guyanese community with respect to Guyana's celebration on May 26 of their 49th independence celebration of statehood.

At the same time, Gumbs would also like to extend congratulations to the 8th Executive President of Guyana Hon. Brigadier David Granger (69) who was sworn in on May 16 after his A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) won the 2015 national general and regional elections on May 11.

President Granger will be inaugurated at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on Tuesday.

"I take the opportunity to congratulate President Hon Read more

Lake: ‘High time’ for two missing ministers

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake has issued a call to his coalition partners that it is "high time" the two missing ministers be appointed to the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet "to get this country moving."

The Gumbs Cabinet, sworn in in December 2014, has had two ministers carrying double portfolios Read more

Sarah to lobby opposition for audit chamber investigation

PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams said she will be lobbying her fellow opposition members to bring about an investigation by the General Audit Chamber into the security contract between St Read more

EXCLUSIVE: GEBE Supervisory Board got three separate reports on COO and CFO

style="text-align: center;">Supervisory Board soon to take decision on how they will deal with CFO.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The supervisory board of GEBE was presented with three reports on May 13th 2015. The first report dealt with the misuse of GEBE's credit cards that were allotted to the company's Chief Operations Officer (COO) Romelio Maduro and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gartner. Based on the contents of the first report which addressed the misuse of the credit cards the COO Romelio Maduro used the company's credit card on an open tab at the cigar lounge and at several brothels on the island.
While Gartner used the credit cards to purchase airline tickets, and a satellite for his office Read more

George wants info about civil servants

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has written to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in his capacity as General Affairs Minister enquiring about a number of topics related to civil servants.

Pantophlet wants a list of the vacancies filled in the ministries during the past two years, the names of the people who have taken up those posts and whether they are on government contract or in permanent employment.

In the letter sent to Gumbs via Parliament Chairman Dr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs opened the 10th Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE EWS-X) conference on Tuesday at Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Casino and Spa.
The Government of Sint Maarten is proud to host this important regional meeting that has brought together disaster management officials from across the region Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has dispatched two letters to the Chairman of Parliament where he posed several questions regarding civil servants and other persons that currently working for the government of St. Maarten and those that have left. MP Pantophlet wants to know how many Ministries were filled in the last two years and by whom Read more