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State Secretary Alexandra Van Huffelen Visits Aruba, Curaao And St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations will pay a working visit to Aruba, Curaao and St. Maarten from the 19th to the 26th of March 2024. The visit is largely devoted to the Mutual Arrangement Cooperation on Reforms. Within this framework, the State Secretary will hold talks with prime ministers and ministers in all countries about cooperation and the implementation and progress of the Country Package. In addition, the State Secretary will speak about the opening of the National Growth Fund and the SDE++ regulation for the countries.

Aruba

The working visit of State Secretary Van Huffelen begins in Aruba, where the State Secretary has scheduled a conversation with Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes about the Mutual Arrangement Cooperation on Reforms and the investment funds Read more

National Recovery Program Bureau Completes Fifth Year Of Clean Financial Audits

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten The National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) reports the completion of its fifth consecutive year of clean financial audits of the projects it manages under the St. Maarten Trust Fund, which reflects the ongoing commitment to transparent and accountable management practices. This consistency in financial integrity has played a crucial role in supporting the island’s ongoing recovery and development efforts. The Trust Fund was established in 2018 and is financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.

Currently, the NRPB is managing eleven projects centered on recovery, resilience and sustainability collectively valued at over US $400 million Read more

Gebe Bulk Bills Not In General Interest Of The Public

I, Julian Rollocks Jr, noticed with great concern that on November 9th, 2023, it was reported in the media that GEBE intends to give its clients their outstanding bills in bulk with a distinct possibility of clients getting twenty outstanding bills simultaneously. GEBE also announced that clients would only have a thirty day grace period to settle their outstanding bills Read more

What Separates A Democracy From A Dictatorship?

Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs failed to get SER up and running as prescribed by law.

It is very unfortunate that our Minister of General Affairs, the Honorable Prime Minister
Jacobs, deemed it necessary to create such a burden on the employers and employees
associations to nominate people to the SER. However, after the nomination of members
to the SER by these organizations, there is still no clear indication on when the
appointments will take place.

In the past, the SER has been instrumental in giving advice to the government of St.
Maarten by keeping them in check with the positive and negative advice Read more

Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake Will Be The New Acting Governor Of Sint Maarten

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, is pleased to congratulate Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake on the approval of her nomination as Acting Governor of Sint Maarten. In her function as Acting Governor Dr. Bird Lake will replace His Excellency Ajamu Baly, in his duty as Governor of Sint Maarten, in the event he is unable to perform them. Born on Sint Maarten, Dr Read more

Small Businesses To Benefit From Access To Financing For 3 More Years.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Based on the success of the Enterprise Support Project and the evident need for further assistance to entrepreneurs in the local market, the National Recovery Project Bureau (NRPB) is pleased to announce that the project has been extended until June 2028. This extension will provide local businesses with more time to apply for grant funding, thereby fostering further growth and development in the sector.

With this extension, businesses can now apply for grants and low-interest loans until June 30, 2025 Read more

Integrity Chamber Releases 2022 Annual Report

The Integrity Chamber presented its 2022 Annual Report to the Honourable Prime Minister, Ms. Silveria Jacobs, on August 25, 2023. The report provides a summary of the activities of the Integrity Chamber and information on the history, structure, and statistics of the organization.

The Integrity Chamber spent its third operational year laying the groundwork for a government and society built on integrity Read more

Investments In Mental Health Sector Will Improve Access And Service Delivery

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten Sint Maartens healthcare sector will receive a significant investment in the coming years through the Improving Mental Health Services Project with a goal to sustainably improve the entire mental healthcare chain. The project will seek to improve access and quality in service delivery and contribute to the construction of a new mental health facility geared towards future demand.

Recognizing the urgent need for more effective and accessible mental healthcare, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) Omar Ottley is pleased that this project is well on its way to successful implementation.

Mental health is a critical aspect of our overall well-being, and it is imperative that the national mental health system is robust and adequately resourced to meet the growing demand for mental health services Read more

Wilson Has Questions Regarding National Health Insurance

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten On Sunday, August 20, the United Sint Maarten Party (USP) candidate Gromyko Wilson, sounded the alarm on the intention of Government to pass the National Health Insurance (NHI) law by January 1, 2024. Wilson warned that this law may not be in the interest of the community.

Government is pushing to get the opinion of different stakeholders in the community, like the Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) and SER Read more

Pfp Proposal To Remove Curtain From Voting Booth Approved By Com

Gumbs pleased with progress, awaits next steps

PHILIPSBURG Party for Progress member of Parliament Melissa Gumbs expressed satisfaction for the update received from Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in Parliaments Central Committee meeting of August 17th Read more

Mp Grisha Heyliger-Marten Reminds Ministers Of Growing Backlog Of Responses

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — During a joint press briefing with her colleague MP Sarah-Wescot Williams on July 18th, MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten, expressed her concerns about numerous pending meetings and the lack of timely responses from letters to Government within the legal timeframes set out in the Rules of Order of Parliament.

Just last week alone, my office sent out reminders to three individual Ministers, Heyliger-Marten stated in a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Heyliger-Marten, the Hon Read more

Integrity Symposium A Success

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Integrity Chamber hosted its first Integrity Symposium at the American University of the Caribbean, under the theme: Building Integrity to Build a Nation. The symposium highlighted the need for building integrity, the challenges that must be overcome, and the importance of doing so collectively.

The Integrity Symposium opened with an official opening address by the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, the honourable Silveria Jacobs Read more

Sint Maarten Lions Club Hosts Successful 43Rd Multiple District 60 Convention

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Sint Maarten Lions Club hosted a very successful 43rd Multiple District 60 Convention with over 300 Lions and Leos from countries as far south as Suriname up to Grand Cayman in the north and including all the English-speaking Caribbean islands staying at the luxurious Divi Resort Hotel. Delegates from French St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, France and the U.S.A. also participated in the Convention. Delegates were honored with the presence of specially invited guest, Past International President of Lions Clubs International, USA, Lion Al Brandel and his Partner-in-Service, Lion Dr Read more

Gumbs Questions Pm Jacobs About Gebe, Climate Change Mou

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Party for Progress member of Parliament Melissa Gumbs submitted a letter to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs on Monday, requesting an update on the status of NV GEBE Read more

3,908 De-Registered In Civil Registry Clean Up

Source: The Daily Herald

PHILIPSBURG — A total of 3,908 persons have been de-registered from St. Maartens Civil Registry as part of the clean-up process of the registry.

Members of Parliament (MPs) received the information from Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, who was responding to a question during the public meeting of Parliament on the 2023 budget last week.

Jacobs said the project to clean up the Civil Registry began in September 2022 and entails the clean-up of the basic administration system Read more

Pfp Submits Draft Lb-Ham To Prime Minister

MP Peterson: Parliament changing Election Ordinance would be rats minding the cheese

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Via a letter penned by Member of Parliament Melissa Gumbs, the Party for Progress faction in Parliament submitted a draft LB-HAM (national decree containing general measures) to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs on Thursday, 23 February 2023, prior to leaving for the IPKO session Read more

Witu Proposes Adjustments To Salary Scales

— Laptops should be delivered soon —

Philipsburg The board of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) submitted a proposal for an adjustment to the Salary Scales of employees in Education.

The fight continues to ensure Education is truly prioritized in our Country as teachers should be respected and not be neglected, remarked Stuart Johnson President of the WITU.

Johnson submitted the proposal addressed to the Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs on Friday, 24thFebruary 2023 Read more

Wilson To Prime Minister: Fix Fire Dept. Function Book Even If ItS A Political Stunt

~Almost 12 years Firemen waiting for 1st rank stripe~

Gromyko Wilson an aspiring political USP candidate for the upcoming elections

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The Sint Maarten Fire Department has been treated as a forgotten stepchild of Government since 2010 Read more

Npower 2023 Connect And Inspire Conference: Continuing To Build A Stronger Civil Society

St. Maarten NPOwer, an arm of Foresee Foundation, successfully concluded its “Connect and Inspire” Conference from February 23 to 25, bringing together over 125 representatives of non-profit organizations (NPOs) and stakeholders from St. Maarten and neighbouring islands.

The conference, mainly funded by Samenwerkende Fondsen Cariben SFC, St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) and Resources for Community Resilience (R4CR), aimed to revitalize, build and strengthen the capacity of NPOs while fostering greater connectivity among regional and local organizations Read more

Witu Submits A Letter To Pm And Retells MlkS Reconstruction Origin

— No political agenda —

Philipsburg — ThePresident of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Stuart Johnson stated, We want to see a genuine effort to truly ensure one of our nations greatest assets, teachers and staff in education are properly taken care of.

Johnson minced no words in expressing that the WITU is not being political, “I understand with our Country seemingly heading into yet another election, I expect some level of rhetoric, but I had hoped that there would be some improvements to the level of discourse and the rhetoric would be less especially from a Member of Parliament.”

The Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) submitted a letter to Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and the Council of Ministers on Friday, February 10th,2023.

In the letter,the WITU stated, The Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) board attended a meeting with you and the Ministers of ECYS, TEATT, and Finance on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 Read more

More Than 90 Stakeholders Share Their Ideas About Sint MaartenS Solid Waste Future

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten More than 90 stakeholders came out and shared their ideas about Sint Maartens solid waste future during a consultation meeting on Wednesday, February 1.

The meeting presented the draft vision for Integrated Solid Waste Management on Sint Maarten by 2030. Based on previous discussions within government, this document outlines a future in which persons act responsibly and the country is greener and more sustainable. It also sketches a future in which solid waste materials are reduced, reused, and recycled, and where waste management is funded through structural means and executed by a Waste Authority.

After the presentation of the draft vision, attendees participated in a public roundtable discussion Read more

Trust FundS School Repair Program Completes 3 More Schools

EBENEZER, Sint Maarten With work completed at Milton Peters College (MPC), Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Comprehensive Secondary Education, and St. Dominic High School, a total of six (6) schools have now been repaired through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund.

The programs scope of work includes fixing roofs, doors, and windows, as well as mold remediation, plumbing, and minor electrical work. The contractor also installed new aluminum shutters on doors and windows where necessary.

In the case of MAC, additional structural interventions had to be done to improve the schools resilience to natural disasters Read more

Ambulance Workers Complete Operational And Maintenance Training For New Ambulances

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten Personnel of the Sint Maarten Ambulance Department have successfully completed a five-day training course to familiarize themselves with the four (4) brand new ambulance vehicles that were delivered in late December 2022.

Conducted by ambulance manufacturer REV Group and Zoll, the training sessions focused on the use and maintenance of the ambulances and their operating systems. It also included a train-the-trainer” component to enable local ambulance workers to provide these operational and maintenance training courses in the future.

At a combined cost of approximately US $1.2 million, the new ambulances were procured through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten.

Since 2018, the Sint Maarten Trust Fund has invested in equipment for Sint Maartens firefighters and ambulance workers, as well as in repair work to the Philipsburg and Simpson Bay police stations and Fire and Ambulance building to fix damage caused by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria Read more

Resilience Has Been Built Into Every Part Of The Newly Renovated Belvedere Towers

BELVEDERE, Sint Maarten As most residents settle into their new homes in the Belvedere Towers, they can sleep soundly knowing that the renovations were guided by the Government of Sint Maartens build back better principle. The results are safer, modern apartments that can better withstand future natural disasters.

Financed through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, the renovations took place in 64 apartments in six (6) residential buildings managed by the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) Read more