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Government Departments Affected By Second Wave Of Covid-19 As Numbers Increase.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several Government offices and services are being affected by the second wave of the COVOD-19 outbreak on St. Maarten. The Department of Immigration and Border Controls closed their doors because an immigration officer tested positive for the COVID-19, due to contact tracing four other persons working at the department are now under quarantine.
The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau also had to close its doors as someone in high standing also tested positive. SMN News understands that all employees of the Tourist Bureau were sent to be tested while the office is now closed.
The Inspectorate of Health and Labor located at the Vineyard Building is also closed as an inspector tested positive Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, June 22, 2020, at 7:00 am, Sint Maarten time, Chris van Dam, Member of the Dutch Second Chamber, will be presenting a motion to the Second Chamber in which he is requesting the Dutch Government to establish that the prison system of Sint Maarten is taken over completely by the Kingdom Council of Ministers for a period of five (5) years at the expense of Country Sint Maarten.
Mr. van Dam sent a copy of this motion to our Members of Parliament with a letter explaining his reasons for submitting it Read more

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Payment Date For License Plates And Vehicle Inspection To Be Extended To June 30.

POND ISLAND:---  Due to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Irma, the country is still in the recovery phase.
Hundreds of vehicles suffered damage. The Government is well aware that many in the community are facing serious hardships and choices have to be made such as fixing one’s home, awaiting settlements from insurance companies, awaiting parts/or awaiting repairs for their vehicles; taking the aforementioned into consideration, with motor vehicle fees due in February, a decision has been taken to extend the compliance payment date for license plate and vehicle inspection fees by an additional four months.
The aforementioned is a form of relief to the community which is still suffering from the effects of the hurricanes Read more

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Minister Of Tourism De Weever Welcomes Cn-Express Air Connection For Windward Islands With Bonaire.

POND ISLAND:--- Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever, says he welcomes the news about an agreement that has been signed this week between the Netherlands and Winair that would establish a direct air link between Bonaire and the Windward Islands of Saba, St Read more

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Minister Of Tourism De Weever Pleased With Market Vendor Consultations For A New Viable And Sustainable Market Place.

POND ISLAND:--- Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever, on Monday, attended a presentation that was organized by Ministry TEATT to inform market vendors about plans for market place.
“It is very important to communicate, inform and involve the market vendors in the process in order to have a win win for all involved.
“Market places are an attraction wherever you travel Read more

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POND ISLAND:--- Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever, is encouraging interested persons and young people to apply for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Scholarship Foundation for study grants and scholarships.
The scholarship foundation is accepting applications for the aforementioned from Caribbean nationals in CTO member countries Read more

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Simpson Bay:---  Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications (TEATT) the Honorable Cornelius de Weever made the opening remarks at the Tactical Meeting of the Steering Committee and Stakeholder Forum for the COSME program being held at the Simpson Bay Resort on February 14th and 15th 2018.
The minister spoke words of welcome, acknowledging the Project Officer/ Private Sector Specialist of the EU Delegation, Ms Read more

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Minister De Weever Opens Departure Pavilion.

Great Bay:---  Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic& Telecommunications (TEATT), the Honorable Cornelius de Weever officially opened the Departure Pavilion at the Princess Juliana International Airport over the weekend.
Minister De Weever mentioned during the opening ceremony that as acting Minister of TEATT, with the responsibility for the airport, government will do all within its power to facilitate the rebuilding and further development of the facilities, and will also continue to encourage strategic partnerships in this vital sector that will result in a win-win-win situation for all involved.
Hurricane Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria two weeks later, and is the second-costliest Caribbean hurricane on record, after Maria Read more

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POND ISLAND:--- The Acting Minister responsible for Telecommunications Cornelius de Weever, would like to congratulate radio station owners, st, ff and listeners on the occasion of World Radio Day which is being observed around the globe today, Tuesday, February 13.
The theme for World Radio Day 2018 is “Radio and Sports.”
“Radio is a very powerful tool, and we once again experienced that on September 6, the day hurricane Irma made landfall and caused catastrophic damage to our beloved island.
“For several weeks, several radio stations served as beacons of hope as they provided information to the community and to loved ones abroad who were following developments on the island right after the hurricane.
“I would like to take this opportunity to commend our radio stations, the owners, the staff, technicians, program producers and hosts for the very important role that they played after the hurricane.
“In the past, pre-Irma and today, radio continues to perform a very important role and this will continue for the foreseeable future Read more

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POND ISLAND:---  Destination Sint Maarten/St. Martin is once again profiled in a major U.S. media publication, the USA Today. On Monday, February 12, in its Travel Section under the title, “Best beaches in the Caribbean, 2018 edition,” there were 51 photos featuring the aforementioned in the Region, and destination St. Maarten/St. Martin was mentioned in the number two spot pointing out that the island’s 37 beaches are back in business.
The feature written by Melanie Reffes as a special to USA Today starts out, “Even if you’ve been there and done that, chilling on a Caribbean beach never gets old.
“Whether you like snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing, people-watching on party beaches or the sand-less-traveled, our island-by-island guide can help you find the best sandy swaths under the sun.”
Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever said on Monday that once again this is positive promotion for the destination after the hurricanes of September 2017.
Minister De Weever was quoted in the publication as saying: “A fan of the beach closest to the city, minister of tourism Cornelius de Weever gives a thumbs-up to Great Bay Beach where the ‘boardwalk bars host spirited happy hours, there’s a lot of shopping in adjacent Philipsburg and as the pier is at the end, it’s perfect for cruise shippers looking to spend an afternoon on the sand.’”
“Keeping travelers and the travel and tourism trade informed on how we are progressing is very important for the destination Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Prime Minister William Marlin says the draft national ordinance to amend the civil code to stem the abuse of short-term labor contracts has been watered down to such an extent that the original intention of the law is no longer visible.

The current draft on the table, he adds, primarily benefits businesses and seems to make a mockery of the system Read more

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POND ISLAND:--- Tuesday, February 6 is Safer Internet Day and this year’s theme is, ‘Create, Connect and Share Respect: A better internet starts with you.’
Over the years, Safer Internet Day (SID) has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated in approximately 130 countries worldwide.
SID is a global initiative started by the Insafe network in Europe to champion safe and responsible use of internet technologies, including on mobile devices.
“The growth of the internet has been remarkable Read more

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POND ISLAND:--- The New York Times (NYT) Travel section featured “52 Places to Go in 2018,” as part of a starter kit for escaping into the world, and the Caribbean came in as number four under the banner, “Tourism speeds recovery in a storm-battered part of the world.”
Destination Sint Maarten’s newest tourist attraction was mentioned under the Caribbean, “The new St. Maarten Rockland Estate Eco-Park Rainforest Adventures’ new Rockland Estate Park introduced a zipline to Saint Maarten.” The section was written by Elaine Glusac.
Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever said this publicity was very good for the destination as the country continues to recover from the damage caused by the September 2017 hurricanes.
“We are very pleased that one of our newest attractions which recently opened was mentioned in this prestigious and credible U.S Read more

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PUERTO RICO:--- WestJet, a Canadian airline, will begin weekly scheduled service to the destination as of April 23 and thereafter every Saturday. In the past, the Canadian market was the country’s fastest-growing market.
Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever on Thursday said he welcomes the return of WestJet to the country starting in April.
“During the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, we had discussions with WestJet representatives and they were impressed with the updates that we provided about the destination’s recovery Read more

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PUERTO RICO:--- Destination Sint Maarten is being represented at the Caribbean’s largest and most important marketing event this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico, namely the Caribbean Travel Marketplace.
Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever on Wednesday said, the Caribbean Travel Marketplace affords tourism suppliers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with wholesalers from around the world selling Caribbean vacation travel.
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is holding its Caribbean Travel Marketplace at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan from January 30 to February 1.
Minister De Weever on Wednesday morning briefed the regional/international travel media about the status of the destination Read more

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POND ISLAND:--- The challenges being faced by InselAir airlines from Curacao and PAWA Dominicana airlines in the Dominican Republic, has the full attention of Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Cornelius de Weever.

The Minister received reports about the groun Read more

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Great Bay:--- Minister of TEATT, the Honorable Cornelius de Weever, toured the Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise Facility on Monday, June 22nd, accompanied by members of his cabinet. The aim of the Minister’s visit was to get a close-up view of the damage that Hurricanes Irma and Maria inflicted on the Harbor, the effects of this on business and the island’s economy, and the recovery plans of the Harbor.
Tom Van Kooten, CFO of St Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday afternoon following an introductory meeting to assess the current state of the Postal Services Sint Maarten a delegation including the Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever and Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin visited to the offices of the PSS to observe the working conditions and to better understand the severity of the financial situation that PSS finds itself in today.

Management of PSS and the SMCU union are on the same page and that is a positive sign Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau together with the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) recently hosted the Strategic Marketing Summit with the main theme ‘Marketing & Promoting St. Maarten Moving Forward’. Amongst the attendees were managers from several hotel properties, activities and tour providers, together with representatives from Princess Juliana International Airport, Port St. Maarten, Chamber of Commerce, French Tourist Office, PDP Marina, St Read more

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Justice Conference On Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Commencing on Monday, January 22nd, 2018 Minister of Justice Mr. Cornelius de Weever in cooperation with the office of the Representative of the Netherlands in Philipsburg will be hosting a two-day working conference between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands on the topics of Border Control and the recovery of the local Justice-chain post-Hurricane Irma.

Participating in the conference will be officials of the Sint Maarten Police Force, Prison, Customs, Coast Guard, Public Prosecutor’s Office, Royal Marechaussee, Court of Guardianship, the Foundation Judicial Institutes St Read more

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WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- Immediately after having been sworn in as Minister of Justice on Monday, January 15th, 2018 the Honorable Minister Cornelius de Weever traveled to Curacao to participate in the biannual meeting of the four Ministers of Justice of the countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

During the formal Ministers’ meeting which took place on Tuesday, January 16th agreements where made regarding cooperation and joint programs towards: further strengthening the Justice-chain, the prevention of High Impact Crimes, improving exchange of data, the implementation of ICT systems and combating Human Smuggling and Trafficking.

In addition, the Honorable Minister of Justice of Sint Maarten and his esteemed colleagues of Curacao Minister Girigorie, Aruba Minister Bikker and the Netherlands Minister Grapperhaus agreed to explore the possibilities of modernizing and improving the Prison System.

Particular emphasis was furthermore placed on the importance of the implementation and continuous carrying out of crime prevention programs specifically aimed at the youth as well as improving legislative capacity on the islands

In his closing remarks, Minister de Weever expressed his gratitude and extreme appreciation for all the assistance and support the kingdom partners have given Sint Maarten during the aftermath of hurricane Irma.

“I would like to thank the St Read more

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GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- As a follow-up to a unanimous decision of the newly installed incoming Council of Ministers (COM), a delegation consisting of Minister of Finance, Michael Ferrier, Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Emil Lee, Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, Miklos Giterson and Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Hasani Ellis, were given a tour of the Sint Maarten Airport Terminal Building (ATB) in the afternoon of Monday, January 15, the same day the Council was sworn in.

Prior to his departure to Curaçao for his first ‘Justitieel Overleg (JVO)’, Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever, also visited the airport building.

Management and board of SXM Airport were present and conducted both tours for the delegation, as well as for Minister de Weever.

It was pointed out to the representatives of the airport that the public’s perception of Sint Maarten’s ATB is that after four and a half months post-hurricane Irma, the main portal of Sint Maarten’s economy is still in shambles and that seemingly very little has been done to repair the destruction.

While according to the airport officials present, improvements are being made, amongst which having a baggage handling system that is now about 80% functional, the conditions of the ATB appear to have been allowed to deteriorate daily, according to the visiting ministers.

Practically the entire roof continues to leak unabated even today, resulting in mold throughout the entire facility Read more

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HARBOUR VIEW:--- On January 12, 2018, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the updated final report from formateur S. Wescot-Williams.
The formateur has accepted the commission to form an interim new government supported by a majority in Parliament comprised of the UP-fraction, the DP-fraction, and Member of Parliament C.E Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The UP/DP/Brownbill government submitted the following names of persons who have to undergo the necessary screening in order for them to fill the positions as Prime Minister and Ministers in the interim.
According to well-placed sources, the following names of p Read more

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