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Editorial - Siamese twins

The first meeting between Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and his Curaçao counterpart Ivar Asjes is said to have gone well (see related story). Their respective cabinets consider it important to maintain good relations.

While that is also the case for Aruba, one must keep in mind that St. Maarten and Curaçao are more than kingdom partners Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs and Prime Minister of Curacao Ivar Asjes both dubbed the latter's visit as important in establishing a basis for continued good relations between the two countries.

PM Asjes continued his working trip to St. Maarten on Monday by meeting with Governor Eugene Holiday, President of Parliament Dr Read more

Curacao’S Prime Minister Asjes Pays A Working Visit To St. Maarten

WILLEMSTAD – Prime Minister Ivar Asjes is on Sint Maarten for an official working visit until January 13. This will be the first time the two Prime Ministers of the former Netherlands Antilles islands will meet. Marcel Gumbs was recently sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, four months after the parliamentary elections were held Read more

Gumbs, Asjes Focus On Continued Good Relations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs and Prime Minister of Curacao Ivar Asjes both dubbed the latter's visit as important in establishing a basis for continued good relations between the two countries.

PM Asjes continued his working trip to St. Maarten on Monday by meeting with Governor Eugene Holiday, President of Parliament Dr Read more

‘Look in the mirror,’ PM tells crowd at National Prayer Day

PHILIPSBURG--A few hundred people gathered on Clem Labega Square late Sunday afternoon to celebrate the National Day of Prayer.

The event was organised by the St. Martin Ministerial Foundation, the St. Maarten Council of Churches, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The service started with a word of welcome by Monique Rey, who said St. Maarten was a nation under God. She welcomed the dignitaries, who included Governor Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, Minister of Finance Martin Hassink, Jean-David Richards of the Collectivité of French St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Besides devoting most of his time on extremely pressing matters such as budget 2015, Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Hon. Marcel Gumbs has still been scheduling time to meet with departments under the General Affairs Ministry for which he is responsible.
The Prime Minister is taking his "stability, civility, tranquility, prosperity" message to the public servants as well, stressing that service is what they provide and it should be practiced with the utmost professionalism Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Hon. Marcel Gumbs on Sunday welcomed Prime Minister of Curacao Hon. Ivar Asjes to St. Maarten for his official working visit. Prime Minister Gumbs met Prime Minister Asjes as he arrived at the Princess Juliana International Airport.

PM Asjes official working visit to St. Maarten is from from January 11 to 13 where he will be discussing issues of mutual interests Read more

Sarah: January 7 ‘dark day for all’

PHILIPSBURG--January seven was “a dark day for all of us,” said Democratic Party (DP) Leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a condolence message to the family of the victims of the tragic shooting at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the French Republic and all of Europe impacted by the events on Wednesday.

“In a very special way, we empathize with our French St Read more

PM Gumbs pushes to have Ms. Lalie’s statue repaired.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs has made sure that one of St. Maarten's national figures and a local heroine is remembered with respect. The statue of Lalie Duzanson on the Dutch Quarter/Belvedere round about was damaged during the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo and has ever since been leaning backwards.

Prime Minister Gumbs recently got in contact with sculptor Michael Maghiro with a simple yet deliberately strong message: Ms Read more

Pm Gumbs Pushes To Have Ms. Lalie's Statue Repaired

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel Gumbs has made sure that one of St. Maarten's national figures and a local heroine is remembered with respect.

The statue of Lalie Duzanson on the Dutch Quarter/Belvedere round about was damaged during the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo and has ever since been leaning backwards.

Prime Minister Gumbs recently got in contact with sculptor Michael Maghiro with a simple yet deliberately strong message: Ms Read more

Minister Fleming-Artsen attends New Year’s reception at the Governor of the Residence in The Hague.

style="text-align: left;">PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen attended the New Year's reception at the Governor of the Residence, Lieutenant General dr. J.A.J. Leytens and Mrs. Dr. M.G.W. den Boer in The Hague, the Netherlands on Monday, January 5th, 2015.

The Governor of the Residence is mainly responsible for the military ceremonials in The Hague.

Minister Fleming-Artsen stated that it was a great moment to network and to meet and share information about Sint Maarten at the event where a variety of key business and political personalities were in attendance.

"It is my intention to improve the image of Sint Maarten in The Hague and throughout the Netherlands," Minister Hon Read more

Minister Fleming-Artsen Attends New Year's Reception At The Governor Of The Residence In The Hague

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen attended the New Year's reception at the Governor of the Residence, Lieutenant General dr. J.A.J. Leytens and Mrs. Dr. M.G.W. den Boer in The Hague, the Netherlands on Monday, January 5th, 2015.

The Governor of the Residence is mainly responsible for the military ceremonials in The Hague.

Minister Fleming-Artsen stated that it was a great moment to network and to meet and share information about Sint Maarten at the event where a variety of key business and political personalities were in attendance.

"It is my intention to improve the image of Sint Maarten in The Hague and throughout the Netherlands," Minister Hon Read more

St. Maarten Mourns With France In Aftermath Of Terrorist Attack

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Country of France is still coping with the aftermath of a terrorism attach this week on the French media.

The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked on January 7th by Islamic extremist leaving at least 12 people dead.

Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Marcel Gumbs as a result of this incident has sent letters to the President of the Collectivite of French St Read more

Cruise terminal bomb hoax causes traffic disruption

PHILIPSBURG--A bomb scare on board a cruise ship docked at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility on Wednesday afternoon turned out to be a hoax.

The threat sparked a large scale security alert after a security officer reported that a crew member of one of the four cruise ships had told him around 4:00pm that she was carrying a bomb.

Security immediately informed the police, who rushed over to the cruise terminal, which was shut off from all traffic. Police, Port Security and the captain of the vessel discussed the situation Read more

UP Board President Meyers Thanks Former UP MPs and Ministers for their Service to Country. New Year’s Message Highlights Collective Approach to Opportunities and Success for All in 2015 and Beyond.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- United People's (UP) Party Board President Sylvia Meyers would like to thank former UP Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the Council of Ministers for their years of service to country Sint Maarten, since October 2010 to December 2014.
The MPs and Ministers who have not returned to the House of Parliament or Council of Ministers are: former MPs Jules James, Dr Read more

Up Board President Meyers Thanks Former Up Mps And Ministers For Their Service To Country. New Year's Message Highlights Collective Approach To Opportunities And Success For All In 2015 And Beyond

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) Party Board President Sylvia Meyers would like to thank former UP Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the Council of Ministers for their years of service to country Sint Maarten, since October 2010 to December 2014.

The MPs and Ministers who have not returned to the House of Parliament or Council of Ministers are: former MPs Jules James, Dr Read more

Prime Minister And Minister Of Tourism And Economic Affairs Visits Port

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and Minister of Tourism, Economic and Maritime Affairs Claret Connor visited the harbour facilities to receive a first hand briefing of the incident.

They were provided with a detail report by Harbour CEO Mark Mingo, Head of Security at the Harbour Roberto Leventsone and Police Commissioner Carl John.

Both Ministers stressed that such actions that threaten(s) the corporate and economic image of St Read more

Pm Gumbs Tasked With Completing His Cabinet

St. Maarten – The mandate for United People’s party leader Theo Heyliger as formateur ended shortly after he submitted his final report to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday on December 17. Heyliger presented a cabinet of five ministers and stated in his one-page report that he had elected “to pursue the appointment of the remaining ministers as soon as possible.”

However, Heyliger’s role as formateur ended when the five ministers were sworn in, the press secretariat of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs confirms.

In his New Year’s message, Heyliger emphasized that he would like to see a complete 7-member cabinet in place within the first sixty days of 2015 – setting a deadline at March 1.

“The task of nominating remaining ministers falls with Prime Minister Gumbs,” the press secretariat confirmed Read more

Ministers Sign Declarations National Ordinance Registration & Finance

St. Maarten – The five Ministers of the Gumbs Cabinet on Tuesday signed the declaration pursuant to article 53 of the National Ordinance Registration and Finances of political parties prior to the stipulated deadline in the law. All five signed their declarations at the office of the Electoral Council.

Article 53 point 2 stipulates that within 30 days of accepting an appointment as Minister, a Minister must submit a declaration signed by him to the Electoral Council that he did not act in contravention of the provisions of the national ordinance during the election campaign Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The five Ministers of the Gumbs Cabinet on Tuesday signed the declaration pursuant to article 53 of the National Ordinance Registration and Finances of Political Parties prior to the stipulated deadline in the law. All five signed their declarations at the office of the Electoral Council.

Article 53 punt 2 of the stipulates that within 30 days of accepting an appointment as Minister, a Minister must submit a declaration signed by him to the Electoral Council that he did no Read more

Editorial - Not if, but how

Mention of the counterpart policy in Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs’ New Year’s speech has led to several reactions. The idea for such a mandatory regulation when employing expatriates has been contested from the start, because of the feared detrimental effect on the local business community.

Then again, that the policy would be part of the incoming cabinet’s plans was to be expected, especially as now-independent (former DP) parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever had cited the intention to leave such out of a governing programme for the originally envisioned NA/US/DP combination as his main reason to “jump ship” and support a UP-led coalition instead Read more

New Year’S Address Prime Minister Gumbs: Government Wants To Implement Controversial Counterpart Policy

St. Maarten – In his inaugural New Year’s address, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has indicated that his government will make work of implementing the controversial counterpart policy and that it will tackle the gray economy. Gumbs’ address is first and foremost a message that holds the promise of an incorruptible government that takes ingerity serious and that intends “to carry out the majority of the recommendations” from the three integrity reports, produced by the General Audit Chamber, the Bob Wit-committee and PricewaterhouseCoopers Read more

Editorial - A bit of balance

The Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPOK takes place this week in Aruba, starting with today's preparatory tripartite session between the Parliament Presidents of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. While the first six agenda points for this IPOK are from the last meeting in June, five more have been added that very much relate to current events.

It is obviously with this in mind that Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and Justice Minister Dennis Richardson met with St Read more

Ferrier wants PM to explain how counterpart policy will be applied

~ 'It will stifle economic growth' ~

PHILIPSBURG--Businessman Michael Ferrier is looking forward to an explanation from Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on how the counterpart policy will be applied in St Read more