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Unions Meet With The Prime Minister And The Council Of Ministers

Philipsburg – On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, representatives from all the unions representing the public and private sector convened with the Council of Ministers (COM) upon invitation. The meeting, initiated by the COM, centered on crucial topics including Vacation Allowance, Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA), Justice Matters, payment to subsidized schools, Social & Health Insurance (SZV), Med Works, and the National Health Insurance (NHI). While commending the COM for extending the invitation, the unions expressed concerns regarding the current political atmosphere and sought clarity on the purpose of the meeting, considering the caretaker status of the government Read more

Ursm Calls Out UppS Misleading Tactics On Gebe Crisis

Philipsburg, St. Maarten – The Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) expresses profound disappointment regarding the United People’s Party’s (UPP) continuous misleading statements, which serve only to gain political mileage amid the GEBE power outage crisis. While Honorable Omar Ottley, Leader of the UPP, demands transparency and action from the Council of Ministers, it is essential to recall that the root causes of the current outages are deeply embedded in the mismanagement and negative political interference during the four years of governance by the party now in opposition Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Thursday, 30 May 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Friday midday (12:00 LST) 31 May 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Friday midday: Partly cloudy with light haze and brief local showers possible.Forecast High: 33C / 91F              Forecast Low: 28C / 82FSunset Today: 6:44 P.M.                  Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:36 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Friday midday: East-southeasterly with a light to moderate breeze of 5 to 13 mph.SYNOPSIS: The humid atmosphere will allow for hot days and warm nights to persist Read more

Brutal Attack On Inmate At Pointe Blanche Prison

PHILIPSBURG--An inmate at Pointe Blanche prison, confined in an isolation cell, was attacked and injured by two masked men dressed in prison uniforms. This was revealed during the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday by Minister of Justice Lyndon Lewis, who has initiated an investigation into the incident.

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Patrice Underscores The Importance Of StrongGlobal Governance In Face Of Climate Change

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Kingdom of the Netherlands signals its commitment to the development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by sending a significant delegation to the 4th United Nations Conference on SIDS. Under the overarching theme of Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity,” the conference aims to evaluate the progress of SIDS in achieving sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

For the first time, the Dutch delegation includes representatives not only from the four constituent countriesAruba, Curaao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlandsbut also from the three special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius Read more

Com Meets With Advisory Committee On Slavery, Atonement, And Reparations

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Slavery, Atonement, and Reparations (ACSAR) had an introductory meeting with the Council of Ministers (CoM).

The meeting commenced with an honorary session dedicated to the ancestors of Sint Maarten, with the ritual performed by Nkosazzana Illis. Following this, the committee members explained the manner and reason for the Committee’s establishment and emphasized the importance of discussing slavery Read more

Gumbs, Arrindell Prepare For Sint Maarten Students-Housing Remains Critical Issue

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Minister Plenipotentiary Patrice Gumbs and Deputy Minister Gracita Arrindell met last week with the Head Division Study Financing Mr. Antonio Aventurin on issues surrounding education, education financing, and particularly the status of students in the Netherlands Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Wednesday, 29 May 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) 30 May 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Thursday midday: Partly cloudy with brief local showers possible.Forecast High: 33C / 91F              Forecast Low: 28C / 82FSunset Today: 6:44 P.M.                  Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:36 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Thursday midday: Easterly with a light to moderate breeze of 5 to 13 mph.SYNOPSIS: Lingering moisture from a recent surface trough may produce a brief shower from time to time during this forecast period Read more

New Group Of 25 Justice Workers Receives Eagerly Awaited Decrees

Justice Minister Lyndon Lewis (front, centre), Chief of Police Carl John (right) and Ministry of Justice Secretary General Florence Marlin (left), with justice workers holding their National Decrees.

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DATE ISSUED: Tuesday 28th May 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) 29th May 2024

WEATHER:

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Fair to partly cloudy with brief isolated showers possible.

Forecast High: 33C / 91F               Forecast Low: 27C / 81F

Sunset Today: 6:43 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:36 A.M.

SURFACE WINDS: 

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: East to southeasterly with a light to moderate breeze of 5 to 13 mph.

SYNOPSIS: 

Lingering moisture and weak instability associated with a surface trough may cause brief isolated showers during this forecast period Read more

Szv Boosts Library Operations With Donation Of Card Printers

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten Social & Health Insurances SZV has donated two fully equipped card printers to the Sint Maarten Library. As SZV continues transitioning to provide more digital public services, these card printers will no longer be needed at SZV. However, in its commitment to supporting vital community resources, SZV believes the printers would be a valuable asset for the library’s operations.

We are grateful for the generous donation of the card printer, which will greatly enhance our library and better serve our community! – Mr Read more

Dcomm Documentalist Participates InDutch Caribbean Heritage Platform Conference

Philipsburg In their 10th year of existence, the Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform, held their 4th conference, with this years theme of Awareness. The biannual conference was held on Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, from May 5-May 9.

Present at the conference were participants from the BES islands and the rest of the Dutch Caribbean (Sint Maarten, Curacao, and Aruba), including participants from Anguilla.

The DCH platform was founded on the basis of strengthening cooperation among the Dutch Caribbean islands, exchanging knowledge, networking, and learning and sharing information, practices, and activitieswith the support of ErfgoedAcademie, a Dutch institute, founded in 1986, for heritage education.

The Department of Communication (DCOMM) Documentalist, Lee Williams attended the conference, which began on Sunday evening with a soft opening where Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Lyndon Lewis gave a short opening remark Read more

Airport Reconstruction To Be Completed By October, Pjiae Tells Minister Of Teatt

GREAT BAY The reconstruction of the Terminal Building at Princess Juliana International Airport will be completed by this October, management of the airport assured Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication when she toured the facilities on Friday.

In her discussions with the airport management (PJIAE) team, the minister emphasized the critical importance of completing the terminal building which has been ongoing for the last seven years.

This project is vital not only for the residents of St Read more

Minister Lewis Prioritise Digital Safety For Children

From left: Minister Lyndon Lewis, a representative from the UNODC and the ministers Senior Policy advisor Jerome Gumbs in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

PHILIPSBURG--On May 22 and 23, Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Lyndon Lewis attended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Program on Cybersecurity in Port of Spain, Trinidad Read more

Conflict Between Unions And Collectivit Over Ghislaine Rogers School Ends With Agreement

Ghislaine Rogers School in Grand Case. (Collectivite photo)

MARIGOT--The Collectivit announced over the weekend a protocol agreement has been signed between the three main unions and Collectivit President Louis Mussington to end the conflict over conditions for employees at Ghislaine Rogers School in Grand Case.

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DATE ISSUED: Monday, 27th May 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Tuesday midday (12:00 LST) 28th May 2024

WEATHER:

This afternoon through Tuesday morning: Partly cloudy to cloudy with light haze and isolated showers.

Forecast High: 32C / 90F               Forecast Low: 26C / 79F

Sunset Today: 6:43 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:36 A.M.

SURFACE WINDS: 

This afternoon through Tuesday morning: Easterly with a light to moderate breeze of 6 to 13 mph and possible higher gusts.

SYNOPSIS: 

Moisture trailing a tropical wave coupled with unstable conditions will cause cloudy periods, showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms across the region Read more

Minister Confirms Overtime Payment For Immigration Amidst Strike, Staffing Crisis

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs has confirmed that the overtime payment for airport immigration workers, initially due in April, was included in the May 2024 salary payment. This delay in payment was a result of information regarding overtime not being submitted timely to the payroll administrators, which impacted payroll pr Read more

Ursm Denies Having Influenced MaingretteS Decision To Return

PHILIPSBURG--On Saturday, in response to a letter sent to Governor Ajamu Baly by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Maingrette renewing his support to the Mercelina-led coalition in Parliament, Unified Resilient St. Maarten MovementRead more

Independent Mp Kevin Maingrette Withdraws Support From Great Eight

PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Maingrette, who declared his support to the seven-member National Alliance/United People party opposition on Monday, resulting in a landslide in Parliament resulting in a new coalition of eight, changed his mind Read more

Minister Lewis Intervenes Amid Immigration Officer Shortage At Pjia

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On Saturday, May 25, 2025, an unexpected shortage of immigration officers at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) due to a mass sick call, reportedly linked to unpaid overtime, prompted immediate action from the Ministry of Justice. Justice Minister the Honorable Lyndon Lewis, also a former immigration officer, personally visited the airport to assess the situation and lend a hand. Efforts to mobilize additional officers from the mobile unit were unsuccessful, leading the Minister to step in directly alongside his former colleagues on the front lines Read more

Ursm Addresses Recent Political Developments Regarding Mp Maingrette

Philipsburg The board of the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) has issued a statement regarding the recent actions of Independent Member of Parliament Kevin Maingrette Read more

Mind-Boggling !!!

Dear Editor,

The article dated May 15th, 2024 from Saint Martin News Network titled Acting head of Landsrecherche removed from position pending investigation is mindboggling to say the least. That the position officially does not exist and that Ms. Lucy Gachette did not suffer any losses in terms of benefits or salaries, is one thing. But the mere fact that the Minister of Justice stated that there will be an in-depth investigation into matters threatening the countrys security, is a matter of serious concern.

Although questions were posed to the Minister, he correctly declined to provide more information then that the information had been classified and that those who needed to know, were officially notified Read more

PHILIPSBURGIn a letter to Prime minister Luc Mercelina, the Central Voting Bureau has announced a proposed postponement of Election Day to August 19, 2024, citing significant legal and practical concerns. The Bureau has suggested a revised timeline to ensure a fair, free, and transparent electoral process.

The revised election timeline, as proposed by the Central Voting Bureau:

Voter Registry Closure: Monday, June 3, 2024

Deadline for Registration of Political Parties: Monday, June 17, 2024

Postulation Day: Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Election Day: Monday, August 19, 2024

Assembly of New Parliament: Friday, September 20, 2024

On May 21, 2024, a National Decree was signed calling for new elections under Article 59 of the Constitution, which mandates a three-month timeframe Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Friday 24th May 2024 @ 11:45 LST (15:45 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Saturday midday (12:00 LST) 25th May 2024WEATHER:This afternoon: Partly to occasionally cloudy.Tonight, through Saturday midday: Partly to occasionally cloudy with isolated showers.Forecast High: 32C / 90F               Forecast Low: 27C / 81FSunset Today: 6:42 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Saturday midday: East to southeasterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 08 to 16 mph.SYNOPSIS: Relatively stable conditions and gentle to moderate winds persist, as a high-pressure system dominates Read more