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EU Funding Available to Construct Waste Management Plant at Bellevue Border --- Deadline to Obtain EU Funds has to be completed by December 2015.

style="text-align: center;">What will this do to the MOU signed with GB Energy and GEBE?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of the French Executive Council met with members of Members of Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the usage of European funding that are available to both sides of the island.
Both President Aline Hanson and Vice President Guillaume Arnell told the Members of Parliament that the two sides of the island have to take matters seriously and work efficiently in order for the island to obtain the funding to construct some main projects, one being a waste management plant in the vicinity of Bellevue border 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

Sarah calls for high priority for performing arts centre

PHILIPSBURG--"Put politics aside" and get moving on the development and construction of a preforming arts centre for St. Maarten was the call from Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams to her fellow MPs on Monday morning.

The arts centre should be "put as a high priority" by government and the money needs to be found for the project, Wescot-Williams said in the notification section of the plenary session of Parliament dealing with the Integrity Chamber.

Her call stemmed from the packed arts and cultural schedule in the just concluded weekend 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

Parliament Meets With Justice Minister And Pm On Integrity Chamber Protocol Monday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The draft National Ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber was the focus of debate Monday in the chambers of the Parliament of St. Maarten.

Present for the meeting were all members of Parliament including the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister. As was speculated, a motion of no confidence against the Justice Minister was not tabled by the leader of the US party MP Frans Richardson.

Discontent with the signing of the Integrity Chamber protocol was however unanimous however at varying levels.

Justice Minister Dennis Richardson advised the Parliament of St Read more

> PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet is still waiting on answers to questions posed to Ministers Marcel Gumbs and Marten Hassink respectively. These questions were submitted through the President of Parliament in his letter of May 19, 2015 Read more

>Airport:--- Dignitaries from both sides of the island including Anguilla attended the opening ceremony of the renovated departure lounge at the Princess Juliana International Airport on Wednesday evening. Special Projects Coordinator Robert Brown gave an outline to the large gathering how management of PJIAE decided to upgrade the airport beginning with the departure lounge Read more

EXCLUSIVE:GEBE Supervisory Board Refuses to Resign.

>PHILPSBURG: ---- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs and the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger seems to have more problems on their hands now that the Supervisory Board of GEBE made it clear that they will not vacate their positions.
SMN News learnt that the leader of the UPP contacted the board members and asked them to make their positions available, the contact it is understood was made on Thursday last week, by evening that same day the chairman of the supervisory board Rene Richardson sought legal representation and basically sent out a press release stating that the company’s COO Romelio Maduro does not have any contract with GEBE and is currently on non-active duty.
The supervisory board of directors sent out a four-page memo to the staff and other stakeholders of GEBE informing them that they sent a report to the shareholder representative informing them why they took the decision not to renew Maduro’s contract.
The memo basically states that the internal auditor found a number of irregularities when an internal investigation was conducted on the COO Read more

>PHILIPSBURG: --- The USP board will be holding a board meeting on Tuesday to determine whether or not they will continue to support the current coalition or if they will leave and go back to the opposition benches.
SMN News understands that Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson informed the Council of Ministers and members of the coalition on Friday during the coalition meeting of the letter he received from Member of Parliament Frans Richardson also on Friday who asked him to resign effective immediately.
According to information SMN News received it appears as though several members of the coalition will not be voting for the motion if MP Frans Richardson brings it to the floor of Parliament Read more

EXCLUSIVE: --- GEBE Board asked to Resign --- UP Leader called GEBE board members and asked them to make their positions Available.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger contacted each of the members of the Supervisory Board of GEBE and asked them to make their positions available Read more

AUC wins tax appeal, NAf. 70 mil claim off

PHILIPSBURG--The former owner of American University of the Caribbean (AUC) at Cupecoy won its case against the Tax Inspectorate of St. Maarten before the Tax Court in Philipsburg on Thursday. The court ruled the appeal admissible and destroyed the decision to impose an additional profit tax assessment of 61.4 million guilders, plus 9.2 million in fines.

The additional assessment was issued on April 27, 2012, on 2011 profit tax of the company that is part of a group owned by a Cayman Islands-based holding Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The leader of the United Saint Maarten Party (USP) Frans Richardson hand delivered a letter to Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on Friday when he met with him at his office around 1pm.
SMN News understands that the USP leader made clear that as a coalition partner he got that Ministry and since he formed part of the coalition he is not informed on how the Justice Ministry functions.
After the meeting with the Minister of Justice MP Frans Richardson showed up at the Government Administration Building where members of the coalition met.
Attending that meeting which lasted over three hours were the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger, MP Franklin Meyers, MP Silvio Master, MP Maurice Lake, MP Leona Marlin, MP Cornelius de Weever, and MP Johan Janchi Leonard.
Also in attendance was Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and the other members of the Council of Ministers.
When the meeting ended all Members of Parliament left stating that nothing happened and that the coalition meeting was called to discuss the budget Read more

EXCLUSIVE:-- MP's wants Government to extend garbage contracts and not put them on bidding – Efforts being made by MPs to remove Buncamper.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Several Members of Parliament that have family members that have garbage collection contracts with government met sometime last week to discuss how they will by-pass the bidding process this year for the collection of garbage, a source close to the MPs told SMN News.
SMN News learnt some Members of Parliament wants to remove Claudius Buncamper from his post because he is the one that has to put the collection of garbage on bid, which Buncamper intends to do because that is what the law dictates.
However, certain MPs that are related to the persons who hold garbage collection contracts do not want to go through the bidding process but simply extend the contracts that were issued in May 2011, those contracts will expire in May 2016 Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Removal of Justice Minister Dennis Richardson will bring possible Shake up in Government

style="text-align: center;">Will Council of Ministers be getting a motion of non-confidence?

PHILIPSBURG:--- The removal of Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson by Member of Parliament Frans Richardson will bring about a possible shake up in the five member Government. SMN News has been reliably informed that Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs already indicated to several persons that should Minister Richardson be removed from office he will tender his resignation Read more

USP to discuss possible removal of minister today

PHILIPSBURG--The possible removal of Justice Minister Dennis Richardson by the United St. Maarten Party (USP) will be discussed in a special meeting of the party’s board and advisors in the Parliament Building today, Thursday, at 6:30pm.

USP has been in control of the Justice portfolio since earlier this year, but is yet to place its own minister Read more

style="text-align: center;">COO working without contract, promised contract till 2017.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The legal rumble and deal making continues at GEBE while the COO Romelio Maduro does not have a contract but signed a check on Tuesday June 2nd for over $60,000.00 for Alfred Harley who got a contract from GEBE which was not approved by the Supervisory board. Based on information SMN News received is that Alfred Harley a former journalist on St. Maarten secured a contract with GEBE through his company “St 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

I voted for improvement yet nothing has changed

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address the United People’s party.

UP party, as a supporter of the united people’s party, I have a request in return for all my hard work and efforts in getting votes for the current government body.

It is only fair and understandable that while some other supporters/campaigners are benefitting from their input; Erno York has only received small but appreciated donations Read more

EXCLUSIVE: GEBE Management Team plans to use Company’s Statuut to vote a motion of No Confidence against CFO.

style="text-align: center;">Management Team of GEBE in Shambles, No CEO, No COO and now CFO in predicament.

PHILIPSBURG: --- The members of the management team of GEBE is planning to use the company's statuut to vote a motion of no confidence against the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gartner. That motion might come as early as today (Thursday) an insider at GEBE told SMN News.
The source said that none of the personnel could get along with Gartner and just recently he sent home the head of the finance department because he does not like or agrees with that person Read more

Up Board Denounces Statements On Smn-News Website

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The United People's Party (UP) board recently met to discuss a number of pressing issues inclusive of a recent statement found on the online news site SMN-News.

"We the board of the UP board would like to denounce a recent statement made on one of the local online media outlets Read more

>AMSTERDAM/PHILIPSBURG:--- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson is in the hot seat now that he has signed an agreement with the Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs Ronald Plasterk to install an integrity chamber on St. Maarten, especially since Minister Richardson chose to place the Parliament of St. Maarten in an awkward position by placing a deadline on Parliament to approve the national ordinance by June 30th. Minister Richardson gave his Dutch counterpart the best part of the deal regarding the Integrity Chamber of St Read more

GEBE Supervisory Board sends home COO for Irregularities and Mismanagement – Reliable Sources --- Allegations against Gartner Proven, No Sanctions Taken (UPDATED)

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The supervisory board of GEBE dismissed the Chief Operations Officer (COO)Romelio Maduro of the company on Tuesday. According to information coming from a board member they had to take the decision when they found gross irregularities and mismanagement of the company. Maduro became COO about three years ago. No details of the irregularies or mismanagement have been disclosed.
Ever since Maduro took office the company have been making the news almost every week in a negative light.
Another person the supervisory board is looking at is the Chief Financial Officer Rene Gartner whom they were investigating for the abuse of the company's credit card.
SMN News wrote that story some weeks ago when the board found out that Gartner bought airline tickets to the Netherlands with GEBE credit cards for his personal use.

SMN News learnt that Maduro was called in on Monday where  he attended a short meeting with the Human Resources Manager and then left,  The source said that Maduro was informed of the Board's decision on Tuesday and since then he did not return to work up until Monday morning when he attended a short meeting then left the premises Read more

Meeting on Checkmate contract proves fruitless

Various Members of Parliament speak with Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Claret Connor and his support staff.

 

~ ‘Sensitive answers’ to be given in two weeks ~

 PHILIPSBURG--The meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament, which had been called by National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking answers about a hefty rise in pay in a security contract signed between St Read more