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Heyliger Asks For More Time To Form Government

St. Maarten – UP leader and formateur Theo Heyliger has asked and received more time to submit the final names of his cabinet to form the new government according to a press release from Governor Eugene Holiday.

The formateur originally had a November 30 deadline to submit the final list, but in a meeting with Governor Holiday yesterday, Heyliger made his request for additional time and was granted till December 16 Read more

Telem Group Celebrates Contributions Of Its Long- Serving Employees

POND ISLAND, St. Maarten – TelEm Group management and staff celebrated the contributions of its longest serving employees during a moving Jubilee anniversary event at Captain Oliver's, Oyster Bay, last Thursday.

The veteran workers clocked in a massive 280 years of combined service having reached milestones of 25 years, 30 years, 35 years and 40 years in service.

Each Jubilee celebrant was presented with a gift on behalf of the company along with some encouraging words from TelEm Group Mangers and directors, including Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mrs Read more

Mp Lake Would Like To See Next Government Promote Degrees Offered By Usm

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – As an educator and a Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says one of his priority areas is higher education for the people of Sint Maarten.

"I would like the incoming Government to work on promoting degrees and academics at the University of St. Martin (USM). USM should be the University of higher learning on the island.

The incoming Government has to promote and send more students to USM Read more

Safety Tips For Holiday Shopping

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – As part of the Minister of Public Health's Hon. Cornelius de Weever 'Get Checked' campaign, every parent's number one concern this holiday season should be to make sure that whatever it is you buy for your child this year, it's safe.

Therefore, make sure you check the safety information of t Read more

Editorial - Not unthinkable

That outgoing Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake wants the Council of Ministers to get on with approving the much-discussed purchase of the Vorst land in Cay Hill (see Friday paper) is to a certain extent understandable. After all, the family has been waiting since the days of former Minister Roland Duncan and his plans for a Justice Park on that location.

Not only that, but they have agreed to lower the price at least twice Read more

Notices November 29

Saturday, November 29

FREE HIV TEST

Organised by St. Maarten AIDS Foundation for World AIDS Day

Place: Scotiabank in Philipsburg (next to KFC)

Time: 10am to 3:30pm

Results in 15 minutes.

Saturday, November 29

MOVIE NIGHT

Organised by 1st St. Maarten Boys' Brigade & the 2nd St. Maarten Girls' Brigade

Time: 7:00pm

Place: Louisann Augusta Illidge Hall

Admission: Adults - NAf 8 or US$4/ Children - NAf 4 or US$2

Drinks and snacks will be on sale Read more

Heyliger to now present final formation report on Dec. 16

HARBOUR VIEW--The process of searching through the lives of the minister candidates for the new Cabinet with a fine-tooth comb is in “its final stage,” but has not yet been completed. This has led Governor Eugene Holiday to grant formateur of the new Cabinet United People’s (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger a new deadline of December 16 to present his final report.

The screening of minister candidates covers a background review of personal and professional credentials, their financial position, fiscal compliance (tax and social security premiums), a judicial check for possible suspicious transactions, the security background and, if necessary, the health condition of the candidates.

The purpose of the screening is to assess the integrity, independence and solvency of the candidates, as well as the stability of the new government, according to a statement from the Governor’s Cabinet.

Member of Parliament Heyliger met with Holiday on Friday, ahead of his November 23 deadline for his final report, to give his progress report on the screening of the candidates for the posts of prime minister, ministers, minister plenipotentiary and acting minister plenipotentiary.

The current Wescot-Williams III Cabinet has remained in office as a caretaker government since the August 29 Parliamentary Elections.

This is the first time in St Read more

Maria to stand trial for ‘tax fraud’ and participation in criminal organisation

~ Pre-trial set for Jan. 7 ~

PHILIPSBURG--United People's (UP) party member Maria Buncamper-Molanus will stand trial for tax fraud, fraud and participation in a criminal organisation.

The pro forma/pre-trial hearing in this case is scheduled for January 7, 2014, Prosecutor Tineke Kamps announced in a press statement on Friday.

Kamps said the Prosecution Service stuck to its word to take a decision about the prosecution in the Buncamper-Molanus investigation before December 1 Read more

Caravanserai timeshare owners lose injunction against Alegria

BEACON HILL--Timeshare owners at Caravanserai Beach Resort have lost the injunction they had filed against the property's new owner, Alegria Real Estate BV, concerning ownership rights.

The Court of First Instance ruled in the injunction on Friday, and stated that Timeshare Owners at Caravanserai Association (TOCA) had no case against Alegria, because association members had not closed timeshare agreements with Alegria or with the former resort owner, but with Endless Vacation NV.

As a result, TOCA was ordered to pay Alegria's legal fees, which were estimated at NAf Read more

>HARBOUR VIEW:--- On Friday, November 28, 2014, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, met with and received a progress report from formateur Mr. Theo Heyliger.
During the meeting the formateur updated the Governor on the progress of and deliberated on the required information for the screening of the candidates for the posts of Prime Minister, Ministers, Minister Plenipotentiary and acting Minister Plenipotentiary Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams did not waste any time on Friday after she read the press statement issued by caretaker Minister Maurice Lake. In a letter sent to the various media house Wescot Williams outlined what she said on Tuesday to Minister Lake in the Council of Ministers meeting and what she stated on Wednesday during the weekly press conference, below is the letter from caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams.

Dear Minister Lake/Dear Maurice,

In my opinion, we have arrived at a sad state of affairs when persons can not express their own view(s) Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The public prosecutor has taken close to four years to decide whether or not they will prosecute former Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus who sold the economic rights of government long lease land. The Buncamper case made headlines when several media houses including SMN News dug deep and found that Maria Buncamper sold the economic rights for long lease land she obtained from government Read more

Rotary Sunrise Acknowledges Rotary Foundation Month And Paul Harris Fellows

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - November is Rotary Foundation Month and Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise Foundation Director Meredith Boekhoudt recently gave a review to fellow members on the Rotary Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation was formed on the advice of Past Rotary International President Arch C. Klumph who suggested an endowment "for the purpose of doing good in the world".

The Foundation aims to "advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty".

They do this mainly through their End Polio Now campaigns and through offering Peace Fellowships where degrees and certificates are earned in peace and conflict resolution.

Ms Read more

Dp Leader Responds To Minister Lake Request Concerning Planned Purchase Of Vorst Property

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - DP leader the Honorable MP Sarah Wescot-Williams responded Friday to a press statement from the Honorable Minister Maurice Lake on the subject of the Vorst property.

Minister Lake in his press statement which was also carried on this website, stated that he would like the Council of Ministers to take a vote on the planned purchase of the Vorst property.

In his statement Minister lake stated that "I was not surprised by the comments of our Prime Minister about the Vorst and Emilio Wilson land purchases Read more

Notices November 27

Saturday, November 29

FREE HIV TEST

Organised by St. Maarten AIDS Foundation for World AIDS Day

Place: Scotiabank in Philipsburg (next to KFC)

Time: 10am to 3:30pm

Results in 15 minutes.

Saturday, November 29

MOVIE NIGHT

Organised by 1st St. Maarten Boys' Brigade & the 2nd St. Maarten Girls' Brigade

Time: 7:00pm

Place: Louisann Augusta Illidge Hall

Admission: Adults - NAf 8 or US$4/ Children - NAf 4 or US$2

Drinks and snacks will be on sale Read more

Minister Lake wants ministers to vote on Vorst land purchase

PHILIPSBURG--Outgoing Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake wants the Council of Ministers to vote in its upcoming meeting on the pending purchase of the Vorst land in Cay Hill.

He is preparing an advice on the land purchase to take up in the Council of Ministers' meeting. The decision on whether or not the land should be bought for US $4.5 million "should be a council decision," instead of outgoing Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams "deciding for the entire council."

Wescot-Williams told the press on Wednesday of the offer to government of a reduced purchase price for the land from the property heirs Read more

Sarah withdraws her support from coalition

PHILIPSBURG--Just over a month after gaining the support of ten Members of Parliament (MPs), the United People's (UP) coalition has lost the support of one partner: Democratic Party (DP) leader MP Sarah Wescot-Williams.

The withdrawal of support for the coalition has been considered a foregone conclusion since earlier this month, after Wescot-Williams announced that her party's minister candidates had been passed over in favour of those submitted by DP parliamentarian Cornelius de Weever to formateur of the new cabinet UP leader Theo Heyliger Read more

DP moves to ‘expel’ De Weever from ranks

PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP) has moved to expel Member of Parliament (MP) Cornelius de Weever from its ranks. The party has given De Weever until 5:00pm today, Friday, to appeal his expulsion if he so wishes.

De Weever, who is off-island, has not responded to requests for a comment on what he intends to do in the face of his pending expulsion.

De Weever was informed of his pending expulsion from St Read more

Editorial - Despite the turmoil

People worried about the delay in installing a new cabinet and its consequences for the budgetary process should be reassured at least somewhat after statements this week from outgoing Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Finance Minister Martin Hassink (see Thursday paper).

The intention is to ratify the draft budget in the Council of Ministers on Tuesday coming, after which the Advisory Council is to review such Read more

style="text-align: center;">UPP candidates fuming because they got no Ministerial Positions

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the United Peoples Party (UPP) and formateur Theodore Heyliger has shuffled the deck of cards again as he tries to form the next government Read more

style="text-align: center;">DP Expelled MP De Weever from Democratic Party

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams sent an official letter to the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger informing him that she has withdrawn her support from his coalition government.
The letter sent to Heyliger is dated November 18th, 2014 Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake welcomed on Tuesday Emmalexis Velasquez to Ministry VROMI as its Public Relations Officer (PRO).

Minister Lake met with Velasquez to discuss a number of things and is very pleased with her work to date.

"There is a lot of information that needs to be communicated from time to time, and I am very happy that Ministry VROMI continues to move upward and improving its services to the Sint Maarten community.

"The ministry has completed the Plans of Approach monitored by the Progress Committee, and this is a very positive development of the ministry Read more

Minister Lake would like a Council of Ministers Vote on Vorst Property Purchase.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday that the current Council of Ministers (COM) should be the one to conclude the Emilio Wilson Estate purchase and the Vorst property in Cay Hill.

"I was not surprised by the comments of our Prime Minister about the Vorst and Emilio Wilson land purchases Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended the launch of the African Caribbean Heritage Alliance ACHA at the Belair Community Center on Thursday. The ACHA is an organization founded with the vision to create unity and linkages amongst people of African decent living in St. Maarten and between Africa and the Caribbean in general Read more