SXMElections.com

~Ministry of Finance & U.S. Consulate joined the delegation to build strategic relationships~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The winners of the National Youth Pitch Competition, Upcycl, and young entrepreneur Giomara Olivacce, embarked on an enriching journey to Atlanta, participating in the inaugural Islandpreneur Summer Entrepreneurial Exchange (ISEE) program. Representing Milton Peters College, Isaiah Peterson, Jael Jong a Lock, and Kymora Reed and winner of the International Youth Entrepreneurship Program (2021) spent a week in Atlanta learning about its entrepreneurial ecosystem, meeting with founders and investors, and exploring the uniqueness of Atlanta through a variety of curated attractions Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Minister of Justice, Ms. Anna E. Richardson, and the Director of the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), Dr. Felix Holiday, convened a meeting to discuss potential collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and SMMC to improve and to strengthen the medical structure and services provided at various detention facilities. The meeting was attended by Mr. Harlec Doran, SMMC HR Manager, Mr Read more

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DATE ISSUED: Friday, July 21, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Saturday midday (12:00 LST) July 22, 2023

WEATHER:

This afternoon through Saturday midday: Fair to partly cloudy and hazy with a brief shower possible.

Forecast High: 33C / 91F             Forecast Low: 28C / 82F

Sunset Today: 6:50 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:48 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Saturday midday: East northeasterly to east southeasterly with a light to gentle breeze of 04 to 10 mph.

SYNOPSIS:

A loose surface pressure gradient will maintain light to gentle winds across the region Read more

A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept

Speaking about promises, lets talk about the hospital. It has been not one, not two but three years since promises have been made to ensure that the hospital is realized. Do we need to make promises to paint the building green and orange to ensure that we have enough rooms for our people who are now being shipped overseas?

They dont even have the option of passing away in the country of their loved ones because we do not have the capacity to take care of them here. Some of you are well aware of how emotionally challenging it is, after learning about the passing of a loved one, to try to bring them back to St Read more

Gordon-Carty: Yet Another Financial Burden On Our Books

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — It is with deep displeasure that we of the US Party have taken note of yet another added troublesome component to the already existing burden on the people of St. Maarten. Why is St. Maarten’s government delving into new projects rather than attending to the existing infrastructural necessities that are in dire need of repair when there is no clear pathway regarding the government’s plans to navigate our nation into fiscal prosperity?

Just last week, Bearing Point Consultancy won a court case for 1 million guilders while there are a plethora of other court cases and litigations that are still pending against the Government of St Read more

Usp Leader Mrs. Gordon Carty: Unfair Employment Practices

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Lately, I have noticed that a lot of our employment vacancies are being advertised via online Dutch mediums rather than in our local newspapers and other media outlets as stipulated by law.

Some of the online Dutch outlets include:
www.jobnet.nl,
www.simplyhired.nl,
https://www.nationalevacaturebank.nl, https://www.uitzendbureau.nl/vacatures/sint-maarten, and
https://bkv.jobs/nl/zorgprofessional/werken-in-het-buitenland/sint-maarten Read more

Price Indication Of Goods And Services Now Being Enforced As A Measure Of Consumer Protection.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Effective January 5, 2023, the Ministerial regulation on the prices of goods and services (Regeling prijsaanduiding goederen en diensten, AB 2023, no. 01) went into effect. The objective of this regulation is to lay down rules concerning the display of prices at which goods or services are offered to the public. An added benefit of this regulation is that it contributes to consumer protection and awareness by ensuring that the selling price is unambiguous, easily identifiable, and clearly legible for all goods and services Read more

Gebe Hacking Scandal: A Wake-Up Call For Change

By David Salomon

In March 2022, St. Maarten’s utility company GEBE fell victim to a devastating cyberattack that resulted in the loss of all its billing information. The consequences of this breach have been far-reaching, exposing a web of nepotism and favoritism within the company, which has left us, the citizens, grappling with confusion and soaring bills.

The graph below illustrates the alarming trend in electricity bills since January 2021, with the red trend line showing a steep increase over the years Read more

New Us Party Leadership: Educating Its New Candidates

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Leader of the US Party, Mrs Pamela Gordon Carty, recently declared that she was content to see that a valiant attempt is being made by the other political parties to educate their incoming potential candidates. On the other hand, she remains skeptical as it appears to be a copycat phenomenon that seems to have been initiated as of late. The USP has been providing informative sessions to the citizens of St. Maarten under its new leadership team since November of 2021 Read more

DATE ISSUED: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) July 20, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Thursday midday: Fair to partly cloudy, breezy, and hazy. 

Forecast High: 33C / 91F             Forecast Low: 28C / 82F 

Sunset Today: 6:51 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:47 A.M.  

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Thursday midday: Northeast to east with a moderate to fresh breeze of 13 to 20 mph and occasional higher gusts. 

SYNOPSIS:   

A tight pressure gradient will account for brisk winds Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- In March 2022, St. Maarten's utility company GEBE fell victim to a devastating cyberattack that resulted in the loss of all its billing information. The consequences of this breach have been far-reaching, exposing a web of nepotism and favoritism within the company, which has left us, the citizens, grappling with confusion and soaring bills.
The graph illustrates the alarming trend in electricity bills since January 2021, with the red trend line showing a steep increase over the years Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament is delighted to announce the display of artwork by The Sint Maarten Youth Parliament under the title "The Seven Phases of the Moon". This art project, which showcases the talent and creativity of three young artists, Ms. Aljene Henry, Ms. Jemyah James, and Mr. Jahfier Marlin, captures the different phases of the moon.
The students have described the moon as a symbol of fertility, emotion, intuition, and change and have chosen to depict their paintings using the symbol of change, as the moon changes every night Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten marked Justice Day on July 17th, 2023, with a spectacular parade through the streets of Philipsburg. The event brought together troops and representatives from various justice organizations, showcasing unity and solidarity in the pursuit of justice.
The parade commenced at the Government Building on Soualiga Road, where participants assembled with enthusiasm. The ceremony began with the soul-stirring rendition of the National Song of Sint Maarten, performed by Immigration Officer Mr Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Philipsburg Toastmasters Club, a prestigious organization dedicated to enhancing communication and leadership skills, is delighted to announce significant developments within the club. This includes the introduction of a dynamic new board, the induction of talented new members, and the recognition of exceptional achievements by existing members.
The club had a full agenda for their first meeting of the new Toastmasters year 2023-2024. The hybrid meeting was held on Thursday 6th July 2023 at the Carl and Sons cafe on the Pondfill Read more

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SIMPSON BAY:---  The Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports (DCCA), an alliance formed in 2021 by the airports of the Dutch Caribbean, aims to improve the travel experience between the islands, focusing on consistency, affordability, and sustainability, a commitment reiterated by Joost Meijs, Chief Executive Officer of Arubas Queen Beatrice International Airport and Chairman of the DCCA, during his recent visit with Minister Lambriex.

Updating the Minister on the mission and vision of the DCCA, Meijs explained that a Task Force was established in January of this year, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the commitment of the partnership between the islands Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Bureau Telecommunications St. Maarten (BTP) organized a highly successful information session last week on High Frequency (HF) radio as a robust backup communication option. The event, held at the Sint Maarten Fire Station, was attended by the EOC, telecom operators, and esteemed guests, including the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, the Honorable Silveria Jacobs.

The session featured informative lectures by Dr Read more

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DATE ISSUED: Tuesday, July 18, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)  

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) July 19, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Partly cloudy and hazy with a brief local shower possible. 

Forecast High: 33C / 91F             

Forecast Low: 28C / 82F 

Sunset Today: 6:51 P.M Read more

~CBCS Presents Best Economic Research Award 2023~

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) presented the Best Economic Research Award to high-school and university students for the third time this year. To be eligible for the award, HAVO and VWO students in Curaao and Sint Maarten had to submit their research paper for the subject of Economics. Students at the bachelors and masters levels could compete for a prize by submitting their graduation thesis Read more

DATE ISSUED: Monday, July 17, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Tuesday midday (12:00 LST) July 18, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Tuesday midday: Partly cloudy and hazy, becoming cloudy at times with brief isolated showers possible. 

Forecast High: 32C / 87F             

Forecast Low: 27C / 81F 

Sunset Today: 6:51 P.M Read more

Chris: Vanity Projects Still Being Prioritized Over Public Interest

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Leader of the NOW party (Nation, Opportunity, Wealth) MP Christophe Emmanuel on Sunday said that the National Alliance led government of St. Maarten has clearly prioritized political vanity projects over issues that matter most to the population. So much so, he said, that the government sees no need to provide relevant and factual information on ongoing projects such as the hospital and the airport, but choose instead to roll-out projects meant to distract people over the summer break.

There are so many issues that affect our people direct and indirectly that this government is willfully and strategically ignoring due to the fact that elections are on the horizon Read more

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Emmanuel Wants Guarantees From Govt. On Student Housing In Holland

~ Not exploring solutions is unacceptable ~

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Leader of the NOW party (Nation, Opportunity, Wealth) MP Christophe Emmanuel is calling on the Minister of Education Rodolphe Samuel to assure and guarantee parents that their children travelling to the Netherlands to further their studies this year will have adequate, stable student housing once they arrive in the country in a few weeks.

The MP said he is very concerned about the status and mental health of St Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---: Rollocks Jr. Candidate for the URSM Party has announced, that he is donating Back Packs and school supplies, and stands in solidarity with struggling single mothers and parents, who have difficulty finding school fees and school supplies on a yearly basis.
Although parents generally purchase school supplies at the start of the school year, the need for some items, like backpacks, varies with use and daily wear and tear Read more

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United People's Party Announces Date Of Its Highly Anticipated 2023 Party Congress

PHILIPSBURG:--- The United People's Party (UP) has officially announced the date of its eagerly awaited 2023 Party Congress. Set to take place on August 13, 2023, at the prestigious Aleeze Event & Convention Center in Madame Estate, it promises to be a milestone in St. Maarten's political landscape.
The congress will commence at 5:00 pm and is expected to draw a large gathering of party members, supporters, and political enthusiasts.
"As one of the largest political parties on the island, the UP Party continues to shape the course of St Read more

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Top Research And Development In The Caribbean.

by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

Which are the top ten leading territories for research and development in the Caribbean? No? Top five? How about three? Is it because the region doesnt need any research and development? That is strange. Because the most developed countries in the world also spend the most money on research and development. One would think that they are so freaking developed already that they really dont need more of it. Is it because they can spend more since they have more funding available for it? Or is it that they have more funding as they have invested more in research and development and are benefiting from it?

The development of an R&D Center (Research & Development) is a crucial element to contribute to the development and dissemination of new rigorous evidence and innovative products, methods or technologies that provide practical solutions to issues, confrontations and problems that must not be overlooked in the Caribbean Read more