SXMElections.com

St. Maarten Budget Balance Deteriorated

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Government is faced with disappointing financial results. The budget balance of the first quarter of 2016 has deteriorated by some NAf. 8.6 million, according to the Committee for Financial Supervision Curaçao and St. Maarten CFT.

‘Statia Must First Do Its Homework’

~ DP cites critical CFT report ~

THE HAGUE--Members of the St. Eustatius Government should not complain about unfair treatment by the Dutch Government, but instead should first do their homework and get the island’s financial management in order, stated Democratic Party (DP) Island Council Members Adelka Spanner and Koos Sneek during their visit to the Netherlands.

Newly Installed Supervisory Board Of Gebe To Hold Their First Board Meeting On Saturday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The seven persons that were appointed by the shareholder as Supervisory Board of Directors will be holding their first board meeting on Saturday morning at 9am.
SMN News learnt that the SBOD of GEBE began working behind the scenes as soon as they were appointed last week.
SMN News learnt that several employees of GEBE are running scared of the new board since they are asked to provide certain documents in order for the board to get a clear picture of what has been taking place at the government owned company.
The seven new members are as follows:-

1 Read more

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Follow Up To St. Maarten Gender Equality Movement.

Gender equality is not a woman’s issue, it is a human issue. It affects us all

Pond Island:---  The University of St Martin’s School of Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning hosted the Gender Equality round table discussion on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at USM. The event which was a collaboration with the Women Island Network WIN (founded by SCELL) was a success as most of the participants were eager to join the WIN network after the discussions held. The Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sports, Silveria Jacobs was amongst the guest whereby she expressed how much she enjoyed the evening and seeing women unify and take a stand.

Dr Read more

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Let’S Help Tom Burnett And Little Leaguers Team Reach Canada

Editor’s Note:
As a united community let’s help Tom Burnett and the young little leaguers team reach Canada.
I would like to suggest that if we can get 5 family members, friends or co-workers to donate $20 each, together as a good community we can easily reach $100, and deposit it in an envelope and drop it off at Tom’s job.
Tom Burnett is the sport writer at the The Daily Herald newspaper.
Our $20 is a blessing to a good cause, to get our youngsters to this important summer baseball camp in Canada.

If you can make this $3,000 donation in one shot, you will be a blessing to this trip!

A Gofundme account was opened and you can also donate via the gofundme, with the use of your credit card.

The GoFund link is: https://www.gofundme.com/27jwzp7g Read more

Electoral Reform Debate: Revisited

By Julio R. Romney, Political Analyst

Julio R. Romney, Political Analyst

Hidden under the wing of autocracy, cut off from the people of St. Maarten by non-transparence and promised participation in the process, Electoral Reform in time for the September 26, 2016 Parliamentary election appears likely to be out of reach now or any time in the near future.

With the fall of the UP/USP/DeWeever/Marlin coalition and the postponement of Parliamentary elections from February 9, to September 26, 2016 facilitated by National Decree, an Electoral Reform Committee was established to research and formulate electoral reform recommendations to “eliminate ship-jumping” ahead of the September 26, Parliamentary Elections Read more

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“How Healthy Is St. Maarten/St. Martin” Eu-Funded Survey

PHILIPSBURG – On Friday, May 27, the University of St. Martin (USM) celebrated the success of a groundbreaking project where representatives of Dutch and French St. Maarten conducted a survey on the physical and psychological health of the entire population.

The locale was fitting as the study was the result of the collaboration between the Observatoire Saint Martin-Sint Maarten, the Department of Public Health of St. Maarten, and University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) at the University of St Read more

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State-Of-The-Art Technology To Make St. Maarten Safe.

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – The Department of Justice and Pointe Blanche Director Edward Rohan have been successfully working on a 14-month plan with Probation Department Head Cynthia Filomon and Fennix360.

This is the first successful Electronic Monitoring Program in the region, given the expenses the aforementioned department faces with each inmate costing the state US $225 per day. With the use of the FennixShackle (ankle bracelet) at a cost of US $25 per day per inmate, the St Read more

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Minister Lee Visits St. Maarten House In The Hague

PHILIPSBURG – As part of Minister of Health Emil Lee’s working visit to the Netherlands, he paid a courtesy visit to the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary (St. Maarten House) in The Hague where he met with staff of the St. Maarten House.

In the absence of Minister of Plenipotentiary Henrietta Doran-York, who is presently on a working visit, Minister Lee was received and welcomed by Director of the cabinet Perry Geerlings Read more

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Education Minister Slams Newspaper For Negative Story About St. Maarten Student

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs has slammed the Today Newspaper for publishing a front page story of a St. Maarten student in Tallahassee, Florida, who committed an infraction, suggesting the story may have been a deliberate attempt at highlighting the negatives of a St. Maarten student.

The student’s father, a civil servant, has broken his silence, not only to express dismay at the story, but has accused the government of victimization as it relates to denying his child study financing Read more

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Increased School Inspections Expected

PHILIPSBURG – There will be increased inspection and assessment of government-funded schools on St. Maarten beginning the new 2016/2017 school year, announced Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs at the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, June 8.

The Minister noted that in a bid to assess the performance of schools, and to improve the quality of education on St Read more

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St.Maarten Adopting Security And Safety Options By Way Of High State Of The Art Technology To Make St.Maarten Safe.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Justice and the Point Blanche Director, Mr. Edward Rohan have been successfully working on a 14 month success story with the Probation Department head Cynthia Filomon and FENNIX306.

The story is based on the first successful Electronic Monitoring Program in our Region, given the expenses the aforementioned department faces with each inmate costing the state when incarcerated USD $225.00 per day and with the use of the FennixShackle (Ankle Bracelet) at a cost of USD $25.00 per day per inmate the Sint Maarten Government is now saving on average USD $6,750.00 per inmate monthly.

In the past Sint Maarten tried to implement the program with two other providers, but they both failed.

The company who is now providing the successful technological solution is Fennix Global Technologies with their exclusive monitorINMATES brand.

Fennix Global Technologies is an American based company established in Panama Read more

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Electoral Reform Debate: Revisited.

Hidden under the wing of autocracy, cut off from the people of St. Maarten by non-transparence and promised participation in the process, Electoral Reform in time for the September 26, 2016 Parliamentary election appears likely to be out of reach now or any time in the near future.

With the fall of the UP/USP/DeWeever/Marlin coalition and the postponement of Parliamentary elections from February 9th to September 26, 2016 facilitated by National Decree, an Electoral Reform Committee was established to research and formulate electoral reform recommendations to "eliminate "ship-jumping"" ahead of the September 26, Parliamentary Elections Read more

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Candidates in this article:

“How Healthy Is St. Maarten/Sint Martin”

Coalition of the EU funded survey

PHILIPSBURG:--- USM, On Friday 27 May 2016, The University of St Martin’s celebrated the success of a groundbreaking project whereby, representatives of Dutch and French St. Maarten conducted a survey on the physical and psychological health of the entire population.

The locale was fitting as the study was the result of the collaboration between the Observatoire Saint. Martin-Sint Maarten, The department of Public Health of St. Maarten, and University of the Virgin Islands at The University of St Martin (UVI@USM) Read more

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Exit Exam Average Up From Last Year

PHILIPSBURG--The average pass rate for this year’s Foundation Based Education (FBE) Exit Exams has increased compared to last year. Education Minister Silveria Jacobs announced on Wednesday that the average percentage stood at 58, up from 55 last year.

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that the article written by the Today newspaper about a student that made front page had lots of fiction and not based on facts. The Minister said the article is very damaging and even though she addressed the issue last week during the press briefing she elaborated some more when asked by SMN News to do so now the father of the student broke his silence.
The Minister said that the article was written to create sensation and what looks more like an opinion ended up on the front page of the newspaper Read more

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Draft Law On Youth Employment Fund Soon To Be Taken To Parliament --- Pm Marlin

Labor Department have about 500 unemployed persons in their database that fits the criteria.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister William Marlin announced on Wednesday that the draft law that he sent to the legal department for advice sent him back the draft law with some adaptations they made to the draft law. Marlin said he will do his best to get this draft law on the agenda for Thursday’s Council of Ministers meeting where it could be approved before it makes it way to the various organs before going to the Parliament of St Read more

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Matser’S Appeal Case Postponed To August

PHILIPSBURG--Member of Parliament (MP) Silvio Matser’s appeal case against his tax-fraud conviction in the Court of First Instance has been postponed because several witnesses still have to be heard by the judge.

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Emmanuel Questions Posting Of Trini As Usm Dean Of Academics

POND ISLAND--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel has fired off a number of questions to the University of St. Martin (USM) board on the recent appointment of a Trinidad national to the post of Dean of Academics.

Kingdom Law Proposal Debated With Dutch Caribbean Delegates

THE HAGUE--It was quite an exceptional setting in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday, with seven special delegates from the Dutch Caribbean Parliaments seated in the benches: Rene Herdé, Desiree de Sousa-Croes, Ady Thijsen and Andin Bikker of Aruba, Glenn Sulvaran of Curaçao and Cornelius de Weever and Leona Marlin-Romeo of St Read more

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William: Lifting Cuba Embargo Not A Threat

HAVANA, Cuba--The lifting of the embargo on Cuba should not be seen as a threat to the Caribbean tourism product, but as a chance at new opportunities and increased regional cooperation and integration, Prime Minister William Marlin told fellow Caribbean heads, including Cuba President Raoul Castro Ruz, in the recent summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) held on Cuba Read more

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Cul de Sac:--- Disciples Toastmasters Club will be hosting an information session on prostate cancer at the University of St. Martin on Thursday, June 9, 2016 from 7:00pm until 9:00pm.

This information session will highlight the high rate of prostate cancer in the Americas and the Caribbean, in particular. It will also outline how prostate cancer is treated when diagnosed early.

The main speakers for the evening will be Dr. Van der Wag and Mr. Michael Ferrier, the latter of whom is a prostate cancer survivor Read more

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SIMPSON BAY:----Following nearly 18 months of negotiations, PJIAE and WICSU-PSU recently signed a four-year agreement, which covers the employees of SXM Airport’s Air Traffic Services division.
Mr. Larry Donker, Deputy Managing Director of PJIAE, said it was “both a pleasure and honor” to be part of “this great accomplishment.”
“There were some intense moments, some sleepless nights, but throughout it all you remained professional. There’s no doubt that we have some of the best in this industry working in that tower and it goes without saying that PJIAE is proud of the men and women of the Air Traffic Services division and their hard work,” said Mr Read more

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Nature Foundation and Dutch Universities Cooperate to Learn More about Endangered Sint Maarten Sea Turtle Population

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation is collaborating with the University of Groningen (NL) and IMARES Wageningen UR (NL) on a Dutch Caribbean sea turtle project funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Green and hawksbill turtles are observed feeding in the waters of St. Maarten with both species also nesting on St. Maarten along with the leatherback turtle Read more