Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Mps Pass Motion For Government To Present Evaluation In 6 Months
MPs during the meeting.
PHILIPSBURG--On Tuesday evening, Members of Parliament (MPs) passed a motion urging Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Finance Minister Ardwell Irion to Read more
Mps Discuss Draft Law To Cut Politicians Salaries, Benefits
PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) discussed the draft Temporary National Ordinance on the amendment of the employment conditions of political authorities, which will reduce MPs and Ministers total employment packages by 25 per cent until further notice.
A 25 per cent reduction in politicians employment packages was one of the conditions stipulated by the Dutch government for St. Maarten to receive the second tranche of liquidity support.
The cut will be in two parts Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, January 25, 2021, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion attended a Central Committee meeting of Parliament where they were able to present the legislative changes to one of the three amending national ordinances for the agreed-upon cost-cutting measures to be enforceable Read more
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs And Minister Of Finance Ardwell Irion Present Legislative Amendments For Top Income Earners At Semi-Public Entities To Parliament
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – On Monday, January 25, 2021,Prime MinisterSilveriaJacobsand Minister of FinanceArdwellIrionattended aCentralCommittee meeting of Parliament where theywere able topresent the legislative changes to one of the three amending national ordinancesfortheagreed uponcost cutting measures to be enforceable.The Temporary National Ordinance on the standardization of top incomes and adjustment of employment conditions at (semi) publicsector entitieswasdiscussed for implementation per the conditions for receiving the second tranche of liquidity support from the government of the Netherlands Read more
Jacobs Norm Law To Cap Renumerations Of Top-Earners Around Naf. 39,500 Per Month
House of Parliament
PHILIPSBURG--The total employment package of top-earners in government-owned companies and (semi-) public institutions will be capped at NAf. 39,519.73 per month under the Temporary National Ordinance on the standardisation of top incomes and adjustment of employment conditions at (semi-) public sector entities, Finance Minister Ar Read more Candidates in this article:
St. Maarten Government Representatives Meet With State Secretary Knops
Philipsburg On Thursday, January 7th, Prime Minister & Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, and their support staff met with State Secretary of Interior & Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and his delegation in a series of meetings at the Government Administration Building to update and follow-up on agreements made prior to the end of 2020 Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, January 7th, Prime Minister & Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs, Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, and their support staff met with State Secretary of Interior & Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops and his delegation in a series of meetings at the Government Administration Building to update and follow-up on agreements made prior to the end of 2020 Read more
Mp Emmanuel: Govt. And MpS PlayingDangerous Game With Dutch
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP’s are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops.
“When you listen to MP’s supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP's are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops.
"When you listen to MP's supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading Read more
Naf. 61.2M Transferred To St. MaartenS Account
PHILIPSBURG--Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said on Wednesday that St. Maarten had received a 61.2-million-guilder loan from the Netherlands on December 28.
~UPP, PFP, and NA supports the signing of agreement and COHO
PHILIPSBURG: --- The coalition partners that are supporting the government of St. Maarten give the Prime Minister of St. Maarten its blessings in the form of a verbal declaration to go ahead and sign the COHO law. The leader of the UPP faction was the first to give the Prime Minister the declaration State Secretary Raymond Knops wants when he demanded that she gets such prior to the December 18th meeting.
UPP supports the signing of COHO Law.
After making her position known, the UPP MP and Faction Leader Grisha Heyliger Marten gave the declaration that the State Secretary Raymond Knops is looking for, thereby Heyliger Martin then said I am sure of our Prime Minister of St Read more
Irion Counters Cft Letter That Govt.S Financial Management Is Inadequate
PHILIPSBURG--Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said on Wednesday that his ministry has made several improvements in a relatively short period of time, countering statements by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT that governments financial management is severely inadequate.
Jacobs Holds Info Session On Cost- Cutting Measures With Civil Servants
Silveria Jacobs
PHILIPSBURG--Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs on November 6, held a virtual information session for civil servants to provide an update concerning governments cost-cutting measures as per the conditions for further liquidity support from the Netherlands.
The conditions, among other things, are a 12.5 per cent per cent reduction on the total salary package and employment benefits of civil servants, as well as a 25 per cent reduction on the total salary package and employment benefits of Members of Parliament and Ministers.
In its efforts to meet the second tranche conditions set by the Dutch government, St Read more
2021 Plates Ordered, Solution For Future
File photo of the 2019 number plates, which were still used in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis (file photo).
PHILIPSBURG--Motorists in the country will get new number plates for their vehicles in 2021. Finance Minister Ardwell Irion said government is still looking into the possible solutions that can be used in the place of n Read more
~ State Secretary did not respond to St. Maarten~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday that there is still no agreement with the Dutch Government with regards the continued financial support. Jacobs said discussions are ongoing with the CFT and that St. Maartens Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion just last week sent another proposal to the CFT which would avoid the government from cutting the salaries of civil servants.Jacobs explained that St Read more
Article 25 Trumps Article 16 Of The Kingdom Law On Financial Supervision.
The conclusion I have come to after reading a letter dated October 19, 2020 sent by the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to State Raymond Knops is that article 25 of the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision trumps articles 16 of the same Law. A text from the advices of the Department of Judicial Affairs and Legislation from the Ministry of General Affairs both from St Read more
PHILIPSBURG:--- The plan presented by the Minister of TEATT Ludmilla de Weever to the parliament of St. Maarten last week is just the Ministers big idea says Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion. Irion made the statement at the Council of Minister's press conference on Wednesday when he was asked by SMN News if he could provide further details on the tax abolishment that was part of the plan Read more
Mps Calls On Government To Reopen All Ports Now To Rebound Economy.
PHILIPSBURG:--- I told you so, says Member of Parliament Omar Ottley when he was pushing the government to begin rapid testing as visitors arrive on the island for the COVID-19 tests. Ottley told the Ministers that attended the parliament meeting on Wednesday that they to reopen all business on St. Maarten so that money could circulate Read more
Dutch Still Refuses Entertain Discussion On Cre, Knops Blackmail Continues.
PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs confirmed that the Dutch government still refuses to entertain any form of discussions on the law to establish the Caribbean Reform Entity (CRE). Jacobs said that the same goes for Curacao and Aruba. She said as soon as the Dutch government decides to reopen the discussion St. Maarten will be ready as they did send a number of changes to the law to ensure that this new entity does not trample on the autonomy of the countries Read more
Knops Asked Irion To Withdraw Bond-Issue
THE HAGUE--Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops last week asked St. Maarten Finance Minister Ardwell Irion to cease the procedure of floating a NAf. 75 million bond on the local capital market to raise funds to cover governments operational costs.
Knops made his request in a letter that he sent to Irion last week Read more
Irion Wants Suspension Of Naf. 75 Million Bond
Finance Minister Ardwell Irion
PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion announced on Monday that he has requested that the Central Bank of Curaao and St. Maarten (CBCS) suspend the local auction of a bond of NAf Read more
Minister Of Finance Suspends Bond, Blackmailed By State Secretary Knops.
PHILIPSBURG:---The Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion has requested the CBCS to suspend (cancel) the auction (bond). Sint Maarten is currently in discussions with the Netherlands regarding the refinancing of a loan, which is scheduled to mature on October 21st, 2020. Sint Maarten has opted to accept the proposal of the Netherlands as outlined in their letter of October 16th, 2020, which will result in the postponement of the maturity date and avoid a technical default Read more
Minister Of Finance Suspends Bond, Blackmailed By State Secretary Knops. (Updated)
Irion Says Floating Bond Not A Violation, Cft Asked To Clarify
Finance Minister Ardwell Irion.
PHILIPSBURG--One hundred per cent inaccurate, was the description used by Finance Minister Ardwell Irion on Wednesday, to describe statements made by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT regarding the floating of a NAf Read more