Articles

Our youth are crying for help and all their pleas are falling on deaf ears. A major crime is committed and unfortunately some youths are involved and the entire nation is in uproar. We must do something for your young people. They are going astray. Then the blame game starts, from the parents to the teachers and eventually the government. But at the end of the day nothing is done to help our young people. The 2015 budget was passed recently, what youth programs were presented to the public.

Dutch Quarter:--- Every year we have hundreds of young people completing our secondary schools and cannot find employment. Put an ad in the newspapers seeking an administrative clerk and you would be surprised how many young people would apply for that job. It is unbelievable and yet those in office would want you to believe that the unemployment amongst young people is not at an all-time high. If we should start an unemployment campaign registration at any given time in each district you would be surprised of the amount of young people that would register. This was done before but most of the young people are disenchanted because they were never placed and neither did they even have the luxury of an interview to say the least. But as a nation we can't give up. We must develop some type of plans or ideas to be able to put our young people to work. Dr. Rhoda Arrindell during her tenure as Minister of Education had introduced a program "Get of the block, get on the bus" to assist our youngsters who were unemployed. Unfortunately, it died a natural death and I believe it did because there was no money in this program to be divided amongst the members of the UP inner circle.
This brings me to a very important law that was passed many years ago in the parliament of the former Netherlands Antilles. In the late nineteen eighties a law was passed commonly referred to as the "Lei de Bion". This law was established to promote the employment of young people seeking employment. The employers who employed these young people would be exempted from paying some of the payroll taxes. And of course there were many other conditions attached to the law for the employers as well as the potential employees. If my memory serves me right, the law was never enforced but remains on the books.
As a young nation we don't have to re-invent the wheel. Let us pick up this law, dust it off and see how it can fit within our frame work of putting our young people to work. The OSPP is proposing that we establish the van Hugh Law, to be named after our former Minister of Labour, now Member of Parliament Mr. van Hugh Cornelius de Weever. The law will differ somewhat from the Lei di Bion in as much it would not exempt the employers from paying the payroll taxes for a period of time. The employer in essence would be granted a tax credit in the amount of Nafls 9000.00 (50% of Nafls 1500 x 12) per year; the employee must be employed uninterrupted for minimum one year on a full time basis; the employee must have been registered at the Labour Department for minimum six months as seeking employment; the job opportunity at the employer cannot be part of the core function to be carried out at the business; the van Hugh law will only be applicable to legal citizens of this country who have been residing on the island for one year or more and last but not the least, this tax credit is applicable for a maximum period of three years with the employee remaining employed.
The OSPP is of the belief and conviction that such a program would put many of our young people in jobs right away. Our government would have sufficient time to introduce the loan guarantee program; the conversion program from cruise passengers to stay over passengers; tap heavily into other markets such as South America and Europe and truly introduce agriculture to the nation, grow what you eat, eat what you grow. These programs would result in more tourists coming to St. Maarten that would create more real jobs for our people in the long run. On account of this our unemployment numbers will drop as well as the crime rate amongst our young people.
Our members of parliament should be open to ideas that are coming from the general public. We are in this together. Every young person that ends up in prison is one person to many. The OSPP has therefore forwarded a copy of the law that was enacted on December 14, 1989 to the Minister of Social Affairs, Health and Labour, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs and to all the members of parliaments, the SHTA, the Chamber of Commerce, the WICLU and the community councils. Let's roll up our sleeves and put this nation back to work in particular our youth.

Click here to view letter from OSPP on the Establishing of the Van Hugh Law.

The Daily Herald of February 24, 2015 reports that the HARBOUR Group of Companies intends to pay security company CHECKMATE US$ 2.2 million more in 2015 than they got for their services in 2014. Just around election time last year, CHECKMATE was sold and rumors of who was (were) the buyer(s) abounded. Some names thrown out as possible new shareholders were: Oneil Arrindell, Mark Mingo, Frans Richardson. Personally I do not think Mark Mingo, the CEO of the Harbour Group of companies, nor Member of Parliament Frans Richardson would be that naive to think that their financial involvement with a company that supplies services to the Government Owned Harbour Group of Companies would not raise all kinds of red flags. So I am discounting that, although for transparency sake, it behooves the Harbour Group of Companies to request Checkmate Security Company to disclose who the ultimate owners are (the humans, not the companies). And being that the Harbour Group of Companies is Government owned, when an existing contract has to change so much that the cost to the client (The Harbour Group) increases by 300%, should the Harbour Group not put the security contract out on bid again, thereby offering ALL security companies a chance to bid on what is obviously a very lucrative contract? I again quote Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs' words in his New Year message: "Good governance and integrity are priorities to ensure the needs of the community are met with the utmost of honesty and fairness, in order for St. Maarten to get where it needs to be". The Harbour Group of Companies being a Government owned group of companies should be held to the same standards the Prime Minister spoke about. Be transparent: tell us in detail why the cost goes UP by 300% and who the ultimate owners of the Checkmate Security Company are. And as CHECKMATE is also at the airport, will the contract there also increase as dramatically?

Michael J. Ferrier.

Dear Editor,

For years now Sint Maarten's residents and many visitor have been voicing their concerns about the lack of access to, parking areas at and space for simple recreation and relaxation on our beaches. This in itself is an unbelievable situation on an island which is widely advertised internationally as having some thirty-seven pristine beaches.

Over the past ten years my colleagues and I have repeatedly witnessed successive Commissioners and now (Prime) Ministers turn a blind eye and allow or worse yet assist developers in building directly on our beaches and restricting public access to and usage of what is actually public property. Time and again we advised against these activities, we met with decision makers, wrote objection letters, compiled petitions, collected signatures, held protest gatherings and each time, the needless to say wealthy, developers somehow managed to convince our decision makers not to heed the calls of the people.

If we wish to improve our overall Quality of Life and if we wish to maintain our tourism based economy, the destruction of and limitation of access to our heritage must come to an immediate end. As Sint Maarten's residents we can no longer expect others to fight our battles for us or just allow politicians to do as they please and continue to make decisions which only benefit them and the developers they appease. If we do not take a stand now, within short there will be nothing left on Sint Maarten for any of us.

Please allow me to remind your readership, including our Ministers, Members of Parliament, the Ministry of VROMI but more importantly the general public of the following:
According to Book 5 Article 26 of the Civil Code (Het Burgerlijk Wetboek), beaches are the property of the Country (Government). The Civil Code goes on to state that limitation of the public character of beaches can only be made by extraordinary permission/ exception granted by National Ordinance. (This leaves me to wonder if any of those developers, business owners and hoteliers claiming to own our beaches can produce a National Ordinance in support of their claims.)
St. Maarten's Beach Policy defines beaches as:
"the strip of sand with a width of at most 50 meters, of which the surface consists of natural seas-and situated along the sea, or, in absence of natural seas-and, the strip of land with a width of 25 meters from the high-waterline, situated along the public waters";
St. Maarten's Beach Policy states that:
"The beaches must be useable for everyone, both local residents and tourists alike, for recreative purposes";
• "Developments that, physically, have a negative influence on the recreative use of the beaches, will be opposed";
• "The beaches will be protected against the natural and human influences, that sever their recreational and nature function";
• "The consequences of this (beach) policy are that the Island Government will strive to ensure that:
 The beaches are openly accessible for the general public, which means that there must be a wide access that is free from physical and mental barriers (levers, hotels etc.)"
 "No construction works or activities, that occupy the space on the beach in a way that restricts normal use of the beach for others, will occur on the beach;
 The standpoint of the island Government is that, construction works on the beach are annoying and disfiguring to the surroundings. It is not desirable for dwellings, hotels, businesses, etc. to be built or situated on the beach"

Permit me to furthermore remind, particularly the Council of Ministers and the Members of Parliament of the following:
On April 17th, 2013 Parliament passed a motion resolving the following:
"To charge the Minister of VROMI with the task of strengthening legislation towards maintaining the recreational and ecological value of St. Maarten's beaches including improved control, enforcement and penalization."
"To Charge the Council of Ministers with the task of drafting and implementing a Beach Protection Ordinance within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the passing of this motion. This Beach Protection Ordinance should include the principals and regulations outlined in the Beach Policy and set additional regulations aimed at protecting the recreational, ecological and natural values of St. Maarten's beaches and securing unrestricted and unobstructed public access and ample parking spaces."
Close to two years have come and gone since the aforementioned motion was passed. It is high time for our Members of Parliament to demand action from the relevant Ministers or better yet, see to the drafting of the relevant legislation themselves.
In closing, Ministers, Members of Parliament in case you have not yet noticed allow me to inform you that Sint Maarten's residents are becoming increasingly frustrated by the embarrassingly low level of your (Budget) Debates, by the increasingly high cost of living, the deplorable state of the island's infrastructure, the sewage on our roads, the ever present garbage challenges, the traffic jams and the fact that the island has become an unsightly mess, just to name a few examples.
The situation we face on Sint Maarten reminds me of a Caribbean saying, made famous by Bob Marley: "if every day the bucket a-go a well, one day the bottom a-go drop out" which is synonymous in meaning to the Dutch "de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen". Perhaps the Members of Parliament and the relevant Ministers would do well to be mindful of the fact that many of Sint Maarten's residents have had enough of the status quo. The ongoing restriction of access to many of our beaches might very well be the drop which causes the bucket to overflow.
Rueben J. Thompson. Environmentalist.

Dear Editor,

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of the Healthfast breakfast program sponsored by the Princess Juliana International Airport. On behalf of all the students who received a warm breakfast throughout last year and who continue to look forward to a healthy breakfast every morning, I would like to say, thank you.
Thank you for embracing the Breakfast Program initiative that I presented in the form of a Motion in Parliament on April 17th , 2013 and running with it. Thank you for looking beyond politics and stepping up as one of St. Maarten's Corporate Citizens. A special thank you to the Managing director Ms. Regina LaBega, Ms. Suzy Katrokomo and her staff, Audrey Jack and last but certainly not least, thank you to Mr Peter Cox from Goddard Catering for ensuring breakfast is served every morning.
While most of us agree on the importance of a warm and healthy breakfast in the stomachs of every child, we still struggle as a community, to ensure that every child starts their day the right way. It is for this reason that I hope that the airport will continue with their Healthfast breakfast program. In addition, I urge other businesses that make their dollar on this beautiful and friendly island to step up and contribute to our youth.
Enclosing, while the governing program of the current coalition has not been established as yet, it appears a warm meal will be one of the priorities of this coalition. It is my sincerest hope, that these words will be put into action to the benefit of our youth.
For more information on the breakfast program, please see my facebook page Senator Romain J. Laville

Romain Laville

Le jeudi 22 janvier 2015 vers 14h30, la gendarmerie est avisée d'un vol à main armée venant d'être commis au préjudice d'un commerce de Quartier d'Orléans. L'employée de ce commerce informe les
gendarmes que deux individus munis d'armes à feu ont dérobé une forte somme d'argent qui se trouvait dans le coffre de l'établissement.
Les investigations réalisées par les enquêteurs de la brigades de recherches aboutissent à douter rapidement de la sincérité du témoignage de l'employée. Une perquisition a rlieu à son domicile,
permettant de retrouver une somme d'argent liquide provenant du commerce.
Des investigations complémentaires aboutissent à soupçonner deux autres individus qui ont pu aider l'employée à simuler la commission de ce « faux » vol à main armée. Ceux-ci sont interpellés à leurs
domiciles le 24 février. 97 pieds de cannabis, des pochons contenant de l'herbe et des graines de cannabis ainsi qu'un scooter de provenance manifestement frauduleuse sont découverts lors d'une des
perquisitions.
Le 25 février 2015, l'employée du commerce et un des individus interpellés le 24 février sont condamnés en comparution immédiate, respectivement pour abus de confiance et complicité d'abus de
confiance, à 18 mois de prison avec sursis.
Le détenteur des stupéfiants et du scooter volé, mis hors de cause dans le cadre de la procédure initiale, est convoqué devant le tribunal de St Martin pour le 16 avril 2015. Il devra répondre des infractions
d'offre, cession, détention et acquisition de stupéfiants ; ainsi que de recèle.

With over sixty burglaries recorded since the beginning of 2015, the territory of Saint-Martin is
currently recording a significant increase of this phenomenon compared to what is usually observed.
The residential burglaries are the most numerous, particularly in some residential neighborhoods. The
shops also are particularly affected.
To fight against this phenomenon, the gendarmerie is mobilizing a large workforce in surveillance and
investigation.
The gendarmerie also wants to remind people of Saint-Martin what to have good reflexes to prevent burglaries and fight against this phenomenon (basic measures to protect his home, arrangements in cases of lasting absence, rules to follow if you are the victim of a burglary).
Finally, in order to enhance the effectiveness of prevention of this phenomenon, the gendarmerie must rely on increased vigilance posture of populations against suspicious behavior and events, as well as the acquisition by residents and traders reporting reflex to the competent authorities of any fact abnormal (vehicles or individuals pretend to locating, damage ...) by dialing 17

Prevention against Burglary.

Avec plus d'une soixantaine de cambriolages constatés depuis le début de l'année 2015, le territoire de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Martin enregistre actuellement une hausse significative de ce phénomène, comparativement à ce qui est observé d'ordinaire.
Les cambriolages de locaux d'habitation principale sont les plus nombreux, notamment dans certains quartiers résidentiels. Les locaux industriels et commerciaux également sont particulièrement touchés.
Afin de lutter contre ce phénomène, la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, renforcée par l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile de Mayenne déployé dans les îles du Nord, mobilise actuellement d'importants effectifs et moyens de surveillance et d'investigation.
En parallèle, le commandement de la gendarmerie souhaite rappeler aux populations de l'île quels sont les bons réflexes à avoir pour prévenir les cambriolages et lutter contre ce phénomène (mesures élémentaires de protection de son domicile, dispositions à prendre en cas d'absence durable, règles à observer si vous êtes victime d'un cambriolage). Un « flyer » édité par le Ministère de l'Intérieur vient rappeler l'essentiel des mesures élémentaires qu'il convient d'appliquer.
Enfin, de manière à amplifier l'efficacité de la prévention de ce phénomène, la gendarmerie doit pouvoir compter sur une posture de vigilance accrue des populations, à l'égard des comportements et événements suspects, ainsi que l'acquisition par les résidents et les commerçants du réflexe de signalement aux autorités compétentes de tout fait anormal (véhicules ou individus semblant en repérage, dégradations...) en composant le 17.

Prevention contre le conbriolage

A l'occasion de cette semaine exceptionnelle, avec l'examen de deux projets d'avis consacrés aux Outre-mer, nous abordons aujourd'hui un sujet qui touche directement au modèle de développement de nos collectivités ultramarines et à l'inclusion sociale de leurs populations.

La microfinance permet aux personnes et aux entreprises, notamment celles exclues du système bancaire d'accéder à divers services financiers. Le projet d'avis met parfaitement en évidence les caractéristiques du tissu artisanal et entrepreneurial ultramarin fait de microentreprises. Il pointe les carences des systèmes bancaires avec, sur certains territoires, des taux de bancarisation très faibles. Le texte permet de rappeler la nécessité d'améliorer l'accès au crédit bancaire à des coûts raisonnables et il montre que la microfinance y est de ce fait particulièrement adaptée.

Cet outil est pourtant encore relativement peu développé sur nos territoires alors que les besoins sont toujours plus importants et que les difficultés d'accès aux financements et au cautionnement pour les artisans et les entrepreneurs restent difficile notamment en raison des lourdeurs administratives.

Le développement du microcrédit et de la microfinance passe par un préalable important : à savoir l'amélioration de la connaissance statistique afin d'obtenir un panorama complet du microcrédit personnel et professionnel dans les outre-mer. Là encore, le Groupe de l'Outre-mer ne peut que regrette l'absence de prise en compte des réalités ultramarines dans le travail statistique réalisé par nos institutions qui en ont la responsabilité.

Parmi les nombreuses préconisations formulées dans le projet d'avis, nous retenons avec intérêt celles qui inscrivent la microfinance dans la dynamique européenne et l'installent au service de la coopération régionale. Dans ces deux cas, l' AFD et l' ADIE notamment ont un rôle importants à jouer. En effet, l' AFD pourrait avoir la responsabilité d'un fonds de préfinancement des crédits européens en faveur des instituts de microfinance pour mener à bien leurs projets et sécuriser leurs activités. Nous souhaitons que L'AFD s'implique plus fortement dans les différents bassins d'activités. Nous soutenons aussi l'idée que l' AFD coordonne davantage ses interventions dans les pays tiers avec les acteurs de la microfinance de nos collectivités. Cela permettrait de favoriser un certain nombre de synergies et de développer des projets qui ne peuvent aujourd'hui être montés.

En conclusion, nous considérons que la microfinance est un formidable levier dans un contexte économique et social difficile. Tout doit être mis en œuvre pour en assurer la promotion et l'accompagnement. Le projet d'avis apporte, en ce sens, des propositions concrètes et pertinentes. Nous voterons l'avis.

Cet article fut écrit en grande partie pour un dossier intitulé "L'affaire de Sandy Ground" en mars 1980 dans la Revue bilingue COGITO de Saint Martin (1978-1980). Il s'agit de connaître l'histoire de cette île pour comprendre et finalement résoudre les problèmes qui empoisonnent notre vie quotidienne. Cela nécessite une prise de conscience de la population concernée et une volonté politique des élus.

La zone dite des "50 pas du Roy" fut instituée en 1704 par une ordonnance royale dans les Antilles françaises et autres colonies d'outre-mer pour des raisons de sécurité militaire et de défense côtière.

Que se passé-t-il à Saint-Martin à cette époque?

Saint-Martin subit ruines et désolation pendant toute la période des guerres maritimes et coloniales de la France (1672-1764, exactement 98 ans, ce qui a entravé considérablement son peuplement jusqu'en 1764.

• Pendant la guerre de Hollande (1672-1678), Saint Martin était occupée par les Anglais. Les Français reprirent l'île à la Paix de Nimègue en 1678, bien qu'ils n'eussent pas les moyens d'assurer sa défense
• C'est ainsi qu'au cours de la guerre de la Ligue d'Augsbourg (1687-1697), les Français et les Anglais s'affrontèrent aux Antilles et en 1689 les habitants de Saint-Martin furent évacués sur Saint-Christophe, à l'exception bien sûr des Noirs. En 1687, on comptait sur l'île 720 Blancs, 278 Noirs et 1 Caraïbe libre. Ils n'y restèrent pas longtemps, car les Anglais s'emparèrent de Saint-Christophe en 1690 et ils durent regagner leur île. Saint-Christophe fut restituée à la France à la Paix de Ryswick en 1697, mais fut reprise par les Anglais en 1702.
• En 1703, sous la guerre de Succession d'Espagne (1701-1713), le gouverneur hollandais de Saint-Eustache fit chasser les occupants français de Saint-Martin. L'île entière fut ainsi occupée par les Hollandais jusqu'en 1706, date à laquelle la partie nord de l'île fut reconquise par un corps expéditionnaire français.
• De 1706 à 1744, Saint-Martin traverse une période de stabilité provisoire, quoique la France dût céder Saint-Christophe aux Anglais en 1713, la sécurité de Saint-Martin étant, de ce fait, menacée.
• Mais en 1744, pendant la guerre de Succession d'Autriche (1740-1748), Saint-Martin fut repris par un petit détachement anglais venu d'Anguille. Les Français, réfugiés en partie hollandaise, furent livrés à l'ennemi et leurs bien pillés. Après chaque guerre les habitants colons de la partie hollandaise, ainsi que ceux de l'île anglaise d'Anguille, y construisirent des cabanes de paille pour leurs esclaves et y ouvrirent quelques défrichés. Les esclaves restaient l'élément humain permanent pendant ces périodes troubles. Saint-Christophe fut restituée à la France en 1748 au Traité d'Aix-la-Chapelle.
• Pendant la guerre de Sept ans (1756-1763), Saint-Martin est à nouveau occupée par les Anglais d'Anguille. Au Traité de Paris en 1763, ni Saint-Martin, ni Saint- Barthélémy ne furent mentionnés.

Depuis 1674, Saint-Martin était réuni au domaine royal et rattaché au gouvernement de la Guadeloupe, mais l'autorité de la Guadeloupe ne s'y faisait pas sentir. En raison des dévastations pendant les guerres, il n'y eut pas de garnison sur l'île, ni de commandant de 1713 à 1763, c'est-à-dire pendant 50 ans.

C'est en 1763 que le gouvernement hollandaise proposa à l'Intendant de la Martinique d'acheter la partie f française pour cent mille piastres pour son propre compte, mais le gouverneur de la Guadeloupe fit demander aux Anglais de remettre l'île, ce qu'ils firent sans difficulté. A partir de juillet 1764, un commandant très énergique, M. Descoudrelles, est nommé directement par la Cour pour Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.¹

Les 50 pas du Roy ont été transformés en 50 pas géométriques, à savoir 81.20 mètres de large à partir du ravage de la mer. Aucun acte de mutation de propriété n'a jamais mentionné l'existence des 5à pas du Roy. Par contre en Guadeloupe, une ordonnance royale du 9 février 1827 classe cette zone dans le « domaine public national » et la définit comme un bien national « inaliénable » et « imprescriptible », mais en 1827 Saint-Martin ne fait pas partie de la Guadeloupe, et cette ordonnance ne s'y applique pas. Même après l'intégration de D Saint-Martin au département de la Guadeloupe en 1946, l'Etat a toujours perçu sur cette zone les droits de cession, de succession et les autres taxes foncières de la art des propriétaires saint-Martinois.²

Le décret du 21 mars 1882 autorisait la délivrance aux occupants de terrains à bâtir de titres de propriétés « définitifs et incommutables » et l'octroi sur les terrains non bâtis de « concessions irrévocables », cette zone devenait ainsi « prescriptible » en Guadeloupe.²

Le décret n° 55-885 du 3à juin 1955 ne visait qu'à l'unification du statut de la zone des 50 pas dans les DOM, et n'étendait nullement l'existence de la zone à d'autres territoires, notamment pas à Saint-Martin.²

_______
¹ Revus COGITO, N° 4 Fév 1979, Histoire du Peuplement de Saint-Martin par Danilla JEFFRY
² Communique de Presse de l'Association de Saint Martin "Les 50 Pas", Janvier 1998.

Daniella JEFFRY
© 2015

Une opération de contrôle et de sécurisation des établissements scolaires du second degré, visant en particulier à prévenir l'introduction d'objets, armes ou substances illicites, était menée le mardi 10 février 2015 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par la gendarmerie (communauté de brigades, P.S.I.G de Saint-Martin et escadron de gendarmerie mobile 17/3 de Mayenne) et la police territoriale de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Martin, l'opération mobilisait au total dix- sept militaires de la gendarmerie et quatre policiers territoriaux, engagés à l'entrée et aux abords du lycée des Îles du Nord et du collège du Mont-des-Accords à Marigot, établissements publics accueillant respectivement 1.500 et 1.200 élèves.

L'opération a permis la découverte et la confiscation des objets suivants, dont l'introduction est interdite par les règlements intérieurs des deux établissements :
- 23 peignes à cheveux "afro" ;
- 01 paire de ciseaux à bouts pointus ;
- 01 cutter ;
- 01 pince coupante ;
- 01 carte de transports falsifiée

L'opération était réalisée sous réquisition du Procureur de la République ; l'ensemble des objets confisqués ont été remis aux chefs d'établissement.

L'opération s'est faite en présence de M. JESPERE, représentant le recteur de l'académie de la Guadeloupe dans les Îles du Nord, ainsi qu'en présence de Mesdames les Proviseures du lycée des Îles du Nord et du Collège du Mont-des-Accords, lesquels ont fait part de leur satisfaction et de celle des professeurs et équipes pédagogiques/enseignantes quant à la tenue de cette opération. Au total, près de 500 élèves ont été contrôlés.

Ils étaient 14 coureurs ou marcheurs, femmes et hommes du Club Sportif et de Loisirs de la Gendarmerie (C.S.L.G) de Saint-Martin, ce dimanche 08 février 2015 à 07h00, à prendre la départ du trail "Siapoc to Siapoc" sur les pentes du massif du Pic Paradis à Saint-Martin. Une nouvelle course organisée par la toute jeune et dynamique association « Dream of Trail », qui proposait deux parcours de 08 et 14 km, pour un dénivelé positif de 400 et 800 mètres, conduisant notamment les compétiteurs au sommet du Pic Paradis, point culminant de l'île.
Parmi les 61 partants sur le « petit » parcours, c'est l'adjudant Benoît PERRICHOT de la brigade de gendarmerie de Saint-Martin-Marigot, décidément très en forme, qui remporte l'épreuve, en 47'59'', suivi de près par le capitaine Émmanuel MAIGNAN, officier adjoint au commandant de compagnie, qui se classe second en 58'39''. 48 compétiteurs étaient par ailleurs alignés au départ du parcours « long » ; le chef d'escadron Paul BETAILLE, commandant la compagnie de gendarmerie de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, obtient la 4ème place du classement
général en bouclant le tracé en 1h13'26''.
Le C.S.L.G tient à remercier tous les participants, son sponsor l'enseigne « Super U », ainsi que l'association « Dream of Trail » organisatrice de ce nouvel événement sportif, où efforts et convivialité étaient indiscutablement au rendez-vous.

Parcours « long » (14km – 800 D+) Parcours « court » (08km – 400 D+)
rang Nom – Prénom Sexe Chrono rang Nom – Prénom Sexe Chrono
4 BETAILLE Paul M 01:13:26 1 PERRICHOT Benoit M
00:47:59
6 GUERRE Alexandre M 01:16:20 2 MAIGNAN Emmanuel M 00:58:39
5 GALL Philippe M 01:02:16
7 NADAUD Éric M 01:02:18
19 BEJAOUI Samir M 01:25:03
30 WINDERICKX Gwladys F 01:33:33
37 BEJAOUI Christelle F 01:41:35
40 LE DEUN Grégory M 01:42:11
41 PIERROIS Déborah F 01:42:11
49 PERRICHOT Christelle F 01:52:25
55 MARTIN Oriane F 02:18:24
56 CORBEILLE Gwenaelle F 02:18:25

Coureurs et coureuses de l'île, préparez-vous !
En février et en mars l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin vous donne rendez-vous pour deux événements sportifs. Tout d'abord « Les 15 km de Saint-Martin » : cette course se déroulera cette année le dimanche 22 février 2015 à 6h30, avec un départ de la Samanna pour une arrivée à Marigot. L'épreuve est ouverte à tous les coureurs âgés de plus de 16 ans, et des primes en espèces sont à gagner pour les 5 premiers au scratch catégorie hommes et femmes.
Le samedi 7 mars 2015 ce sont les femmes qui seront à l'honneur pour la troisième édition de « La Saint-Martinoise, course 100% féminine ». Comme les années précédentes, « La Saint-Martinoise, course 100% féminine » débutera à 16h00, sur le Front de mer de Marigot pour un circuit de 5km dans la ville. Trois épreuves seront proposées : 5km course individuelle, 5km course en duo Mère-Fille (à partir de 12 ans), 5km marche individuelle.
Pour ces deux courses, les inscriptions auront lieu au magasin SPORTECH de Bellevue à des dates et horaires qui seront précisées ultérieurement. Un certificat médical de non contre indication à la pratique de la course hors stade en compétition de moins de trois mois, ou une licence, sera demandé aux participants (photocopie à laisser aux organisateurs lors de l'inscription). Pour les non licenciés, le club insiste sur l'obligation de fournir ce certificat médical, seul document valable légalement lors de ces manifestations. Les décharges ne seront pas acceptées, même pour les marcheuses. L'Avenir Sportif Club attire l'attention de tout un chacun, sportifs aguerris ou non, occasionnels ou assidus, sur la nécessité d'effectuer une visite médicale avant de s'engager dans toute activité sportive, même de loisir.
Alors n'attendez plus, et dès maintenant chaussez vos baskets pour être de la partie pour « Les 15km de Saint-Martin » et pour « La Saint-Martinoise, course 100% féminine ».

Samedi 24 janvier 2015 le 2ème tour intermédiaire s'est déroulé au stade de Sainte-Rose. Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club a pris le départ du 200m juniors fille, et a remporté la course en 24"69.
Ce week end, c'est à Baie Mahault lors du championnat intermédiaire que la sprinteuse du club est montée à nouveau sur la première marche en terminant le 300m toutes catégories confondues en 38''92.
Une saison qui s'annonce prometteuse pour Sareena!

Speeding Driver Arrested.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Relatives of a 46 year old national of Dominica are now mourning his sudden death. The victim was killed around 6am on Saturday morning. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said police was called to the scene of the accident at Bishop Hill just after 6am where they found the lifeless body of the victim lying under an (excavator) backhoe with serious head and body injuries. Nearby residents identified victim as David Charles.
The police spokesman said that the victim had a habit of getting up early in the morning to dispose of his garbage in the garbage bins not far away from his home. Henson said the man was walking back to his house when a speeding X-Trail jeep bearing the number plate P 5324 hit a Hyundai Elantra that was parked on the side of the road. Henson said the accident occurred on the curb on Bishop Hill, the victim he said was on his way home when he was struck.
The victim who was not far away from the parked car was struck very hard by the car, due to the heavy impact the victim body went airborne and ended up under an excavator (backhoe) that was parked in the yard of a nearby property that has some apartment buildings. Henson said police arrested the driver of the jeep who hails from Suriname. He said police cannot say if the driver of the jeep fell asleep while driving or if he lost control of the vehicle since he was driving at very high speed. He said the traffic department is busy conducting the investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident that claimed the life of the 46 year old man.

St. Maarten wil UTS Eastern Caribbean kopen

Minister Richardson geeft, als vertegenwoordiging van de aandeelhouder St. Maarten in UTS aan dat de regering van St. Maarten de aandelen van UTS Eastern Caribbean wenst te kopen. Volgens de Minister is dit geen nieuw plan en heeft dit voornemen geen enkel verband met de recente mededelingen van UTS en de regering van Curacao om een strategisch partnership aan te gaan met regionale- of internationale spelers. Als St. Maarten vragen wij al vanaf 2012 om de complete operatie van UTS op en vanuit Sint Maarten over te dragen aan Sint Maarten onder gelijktijdige overdracht van de aandelen die St. Maarten heeft in UTS. Hierbij zal de waarde van de activiteiten van UTS Eastern Caribbean met behulp van onafhankelijke derden/deskundigen bepaald worden waarbij een eventuele verrekening zal plaatsvinden van het waardeverschil ten opzichte van de aandelen overdracht.
De laatste tijd, zo geeft Mr. Richardson aan, bestaat bij St. Maarten het gevoel dat in steeds toenemende mate er belangrijke verschillen van inzicht zijn met betrekking tot de ontwikkeling (groei en investeringen) van de UTS activiteiten op St. Maarten en de rest van East Caribbean. In de laatste jaren is er vooral geïnvesteerd in de infrastructuur op Curacao en dat terwijl een belangrijk deel van de cash flow uit St. Maarten komt. Hiermee wordt onvoldoende de belangen van de mensen en de bedrijven op St. Maarten behartigt en loopt St. Maarten dan ook aanzienlijk achter ten opzichte van Curacao en de regio waar het gaat om betrouwbare, betaalbare en innovatieve telecom diensten. Deze achterstand neemt dagelijks toe! Dat is niet fair voor de mensen en bedrijven op St. Maarten.
Na jaren van (vruchteloos) overleg is het nu tijd om de zaken kordaat aan te pakken en zal St. Maarten de zaken in eigen hand nemen. Richardson wil de activiteiten van UTS St. Maarten al dan niet in zijn geheel samenvoegen met Telem en waar wenselijk met GEBE. Dit is voor een klein land als St. Maarten veel verstandiger dan dat twee of drie overheidsondernemingen dezelfde investeringen doen. Je krijgt dan een interne competitie waarbij iedereen juist naar die gebieden wil gaan waar veel bedrijvigheid is maar juist niet naar die gebieden waar alleen huishoudens zijn. Dit leidt alleen maar tot verkeerde prioriteiten, kapitaalsvernietiging wat de toegankelijkheid en betaalbaarheid voor de gewone burger niet ten goede komt.
Met de combinatie van de St. Maarten activiteiten ontstaat er ook een betere onderhandelingspositie naar een toekomstige verdere samenwerking met een of meerdere regionale- of internationale speler(s). Wij realiseren ons dat de strategische samenwerking met regionale- of internationale speler(s) nodig is voor de verdere ontwikkeling van onze telecom diensten maar dat moeten we doen vanuit de belangen van St. Maarten. Belangen die niet noodzakelijkerwijs parallel lopen met de belangen die het land Curacao heeft met haar beoogde strategisch partnership. Beide landen hebben, mede vanwege de andere cultuur, de andere marktomstandigheden, andere geografische ligging en andere wensen nu eenmaal andere belangen met een regionale samenwerking. Laten we elkaar als landen de vrijheid geven om te doen wat het beste is voor het eigen land. St. Maarten moet haar eigen keuzes kunnen maken.
Overigens is het zeer wel mogelijk dat er ook na de verkoop aan St. Maarten er nog steeds een goede samenwerking met UTS Curacao blijft bestaan. Maar dan wel op basis van zakelijke afspraken en vanuit de behoefte van St. Maarten.
De gewenste verkoop aan St. Maarten hoeft geen slechte zaak voor het land Curacao te zijn. Zeker niet voegt Mr. Richardson toe, Curacao heeft juist na de verkoop de volledige vrijheid om te focussen wat goed is voor haar mensen en bedrijven op Curacao zonder rekening te houden met de belangen in St. Maarten en de rest van de Caribbean. Daarnaast krijgt ze volledige zeggenschap over de activiteiten van Curacao en indien de uitkomst van de waardering van de activiteiten van de Eastern Caribbean daar aanleiding toe geeft, ook nog een bedrag in contanten mee. Met deze fondsen kan Curacao zich een veel betere startpositie geven bij de gewenste samenwerking met internationale en regionale partijen alsmede beter inspelen op de steeds sterker wordende concurrentie die al een aantal jaren op Curacao aanwezig is. Of UTS Curacao kan deze fondsen gebruiken om de noodzakelijke herstructurering in Curacao versneld te voltooien waardoor wellicht minder mensen hoeven af te vloeien in Curacao.
Deze verkoop creëert een win-win situatie voor beide landen! Het is daarom jammer dat de besluitvorming hieromtrent op zich laat wachten. Richardson besluit zijn betoog om op de komende aandeelhoudersvergadering in maart, deze kwestie wederom aan te orde te stellen. St. Maarten komt op voor zijn rechten en vertrouwt er dan ook op dat het Land Curacao hier zijn medewerking zal geven zonder dat daarbij de belangen van Curacao geschaad zullen worden.

Quick Translation

Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, as representative of the shareholder in St. Maarten UTS said that the Government of St. Maarten wishes to purchase shares of UTS Eastern Caribbean. According to the Minister, this is not a new plan and intention no connection with the recent announcements of UTS and the Government of Curacao to enter into a strategic partnership with or Regional or international players. St. Maarten we ask all from 2012 to the complete operation of UTS and from St. Maarten to transfer to St. Maarten with simultaneous transfer of the shares to St. Maarten in UTS. Here, the value of the activities of UTS Eastern Caribbean will be using independent third parties / experts determined that any settlement will take place from the difference in value relative to the transfer of shares.
Lately, give Mr. Richardson, exists in St. Maarten feel increasingly involves significant differences of opinion with respect to the development (growth and investment) of the UTS activities on St. Martin and the rest of East Caribbean. In recent years there has been mainly invested in the infrastructure on the island and that while a significant portion of the cash flow is from St. Maarten. This is not enough, the interests of the people and the companies represents St. Maarten and St. Maarten is therefore considerably behind compared to Curacao and the region where it is reliable, affordable and innovative telecom services. This gap increases daily! That is not fair for the people and businesses in St. Maarten.
After years of (fruitless) consultation is now time to address the business and will firmly St. Martin take matters into their own hands. Richardson wants to merge the operations of UTS St. Maarten whether in whole with Telem and where appropriate with GEBE. This is for a small country like St. Maarten do much wiser than two or three public companies the same investments. You will receive an internal competition where everyone just wants to go to those areas where a lot of activity but not just to those areas where only households. This only leads to wrong priorities, destruction of capital in terms of accessibility and affordability for the average citizen does not benefit.
With the combination of the St. Maarten activity also creates a better negotiating position for a further future cooperation with one or more or Regional or international player (s). We realize that the strategic cooperation with international or Regional or player (s) is necessary for the further development of our telecom services but we have to do from the interests of St. Martin. Interests that are not necessarily parallel to the interests that the country Curacao has its intended strategic partnership. Both countries, partly because of the different culture, the other market conditions, different geographical location and other needs simply other interests with a regional cooperation. Let's give each other as countries the freedom to do what is best for their country. St. Maarten has to make her own choices.
Incidentally, it is quite possible that, even after the sale to St. Maarten still a good cooperation with UTS Curacao remains. But on the basis of commercial agreements and from the needs of St. Maarten.
The desired sales to St. Maarten is not necessarily a bad thing for the country Curacao. Certainly not adds Mr. Richardson far, Curacao has just after selling the complete freedom to focus what is good for its people and businesses in Curacao without taking account of the interests in St. Maarten and the rest of the Caribbean. In addition, they will have full control over the activities of Curacao and if the outcome of the evaluation of the activities of the Eastern Caribbean gives reason, also a cash note. These funds can Curacao give themselves a much better starting position at the desired cooperation with international and regional parties as well as more responsive to the increasing competition for several years on Curacao is present. Or UTS Curacao can use these funds to complete the necessary restructuring in Curacao accelerated so maybe fewer people have to run off in Curacao.
This sale creates a win-win situation for both countries! It is therefore unfortunate that the decision on this matter late in coming. Richardson concludes his argument to the next shareholders' meeting in March, this issue again to make to order. St. Maarten stands up for his rights and relies therefore on the Country Curacao here will give his cooperation without neglecting the interests of Curacao will be impaired.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (VROMI) conducted an island wide road assessment for scheduled patchworks, which will commence on Sunday in the Lowlands/Colebay area and continue throughout the other districts from 8PM to 5AM daily per assigned schedule.
The assessment was conducted specifically concentrating on potholes on main roads and secondary roads.
Tending roads in the Lowlands area include: Rhine Road, Jordan Road, Maho area: Beacon Hill Road, Simpsonbay: Airport Blvd, Sr. Patientia Road, Welfare Road, Cole Bay: Wellington Road, Well Road, Union Road, and ACJ Browers Road in the Cay Hill area.
Works will adapt schedules according to weather permitting conditions and communicated to the public accordingly.
Motorists and residents are requested to be vigilant and put keen attention while driving in the area, or use alternative routes if possible.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday February 25th at approximately 01.35 a.m. during a routine control by police of a SUV, which was parked on the beach close to La Bamba, one suspect was arrested for drugs possession. The police approached this vehicle in which two unknown men were sitting and as the police got closer these men they started behaving quite suspiciously. When one of the investigating officers looked in the car he saw a white substance resembling cocaine on the trousers of one of the occupants and noticed that he also had a rolled-up dollar in his hand. The officers immediately suspected that drugs were in the vehicle. The same suspect was asked to step out of the vehicle which is when the officer found a zip-lock bag containing and amount of the same white substance. The suspect was immediately arrested for cocaine possession. During a search of the suspect two other zip-lock bags containing an amount of cocaine also were found on the suspect. These zip-lock bags with cocaine were confiscated for further investigation. During the search of the other occupant of the vehicle nothing was found. He was immediately released. The suspect was brought to the Philipsburg Police Station for further investigation.
Attempted robbery suspect arrested
On Wednesday February 25th at approximately 10.10 p.m. a police patrol was directed by the Central dispatch to Rhine road, to investigate a case involving two men dressed in dark clothing and riding on a black scooter, who had tried to rob two tourist in the area of Sonesta Maho. In the vicinity of the Princess Juliana International airport the police saw two men riding on a black scooter, coming from the direction of Maho Reef and who fit the description of the robbery suspects. The investigating officers stopped the suspects and they were asked to identify themselves which they could not do. During a search of the suspects a silver colored pistol was found and confiscated. Both suspect were arrested on the spot and taken to the Philipsburg Police Station where they remain in custody for further investigation.
Road closure and traffic diversions
In connection with the upcoming cycling competition organized by the "Dutch Riders Cycling Club Mo Trouble" to be held on Sunday March 1st 2015, the police department is making the following public announcement. The race will start on Sunday at 09.00 a.m. until approximately 01.00 p.m. During this period races in different categories will take place, namely categories A-B-C and D. Noting the growing trend of these races, which will be held once a month, permission has been granted by the Ministry of Justice for these races to take place. This race will consist of 13 laps around the Great Salt Pond for senior riders (A, B, C,-classes) and 4 laps of the Walter Nisbeth road for the junior class. The race will start at the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten on the Walter Nisbeth road and head its way around the pond via A. Th. Illidge road, Cottage round about, Arch road, Sucker garden road, Freedom Fighter round about and back on Walter Nisbeth road.
As a safety measure for this race the following traffic measures have been taken. All connecting roads/alleys between the Walter Nisbeth road (Pondfill road) and the Cannegieter Street will be closed off with a metal barricade. All traffic coming and leaving the Philipsburg area will have to make use of the Cannegieter Street, Front Street and Back Street. Police officers will be stationed at major traffic points/crossings. Volunteers will also be standing along the route of the race to help regulate the traffic situation.
The entire community is asked to take very good note of the temporary traffic situation and give the volunteers and the police department all the necessary cooperation to make this race a very safe and successful one.

KPSM Police Report.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The Department of Economic Licenses announces that persons interested in vending food, beverages, helium balloons and other typical items associated with Carnival, can now apply for these licenses at the aforementioned department located on Zoutsteeg 3, Philipsburg.

The deadline for applications to be submitted is Friday April 10.

Due to safety concerns, the no-vending zones will be strictly applied for Carnival 2015.

As a result of this, lots will be given out to applicants on a first come, first serve basis as of March 2. Lots that were pre-selected by persons who picked up an application form prior to the aforementioned date will not be valid until the complete application with receipt of payment has been submitted to the department.

The department is therefore stressing that persons interested in street vending in the Philipsburg area submit their applications early as space is limited.

All persons interested in a street vending and vending within the Carnival Village (booth holders), must come to the department with the following documentation before Friday April 10: Application form; A copy of your passport or ID; From the Receiver's Office, a receipt of Fl. 95,00; From the Census Office, a registration form; One (1) Passport picture of Applicant; and a food handler's certificate (if not already in possession).

The information listed under 2, 4, 5 and 6 is also applicable to your helper.

The cost of the license for the entire Carnival season is ninety five guilders (Naf. 95,00).

PHILIPSBURG:---The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of Parliament will meet in session on March 2.

The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations meeting is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The two point agenda for the meeting is the decision list regarding committee parliamentary business for the 2014-2015 period no.6; formulation of questions to the Kingdom Council of State.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and parliament's website www.sxmparliament.org

CUL DE SAC:--- St. Maarten Academy on Friday celebrated Black History Month with an Art Exhibition as well as a cultural programme, the latter organized by the school's Student Government Association (SGA).
The Black History Month programme created a platform for an array of talent from the student population. Friday's cultural celebrations, which started at 11:30am and ended at 1:30pm, showcased exciting performances from girl band Supral JADS belting out Bruno Mars's "Today my Life Begins"; classical dancers Naomi Warsop and Zaquel Phipps; and poetry by Teen Talent Spoken Word second place winner Temaia Dennis, with her piece "Cage", to name a few.
But the surprise of the day came from fourth form student Lisha Maduro who brought the house down with Alicia Keys' "We Are Here", while her vocal coach La Vaune Henry looked on.
This year, as an extra incentive, the staff and student body got three opportunities to win a Samsung Galaxy ACE3 cell phone with a slim line "powerseed" charger, along with a sim card, and a $10 phone card, compliments of Telem Group of Companies.
Telem donated the prize to help raise funds for the school's CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) Science students who will travel to the Commonwealth of Dominica during the Carnival break in April to fulfill the practical requirements of the Biology and Physics curriculum.
The annual Art Exhibition also highlighted great pieces in drawing, paint and mixed media, and graphic design. All of the budding artists, guided by their teacher, Mr. Henry Thomas, had to explain their work's topic, medium, and message to the school's Principal, drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool. The art students use this annual exercise to get feedback on their pieces in preparation for their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Motivational and history presentations were done by a number of guest speakers, including Shujah Reiph, of Conscious Lyrics Foundation; and Dr. Vincent A. David, the Youth Director of the North Caribbean Conference of SDA in St. Croix who visited St. Maarten for a week of meetings.
Every year during February, students are encouraged to produce projects in film, music, and Art to highlight the struggles and accomplishments of black people in years past. One of the notable music videos produced this year came from second formers Nishan Rombley and Johnathan Hodge, who sang original lyrics that analysed a number of atrocities black people face today, but yet they persevere.
Mrs. Baly-Vanterpool told students that they must "recognize and honour the struggles of those who went before them, by embracing and maximizing their earned right to an education."

St. Eustatius:--- The Island Governor of St. Eustatius has been reported to the Public Prosecutor for his order to illegally demolish the first protected monument of the island. The legal offenses are now being investigated by the office of the Public Prosecutor of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba). The case was filed by the St. Eustatius Monuments Foundation.

The demolished building was one of the last of less than a handful of remaining large wooden residences of Oranjestad, the capital of St. Eustatius. The house stood on an eighteenth century, high, stone cellar that was bulldozed through. In the first half of the twentieth century it became the residence of the government doctor. Several different uses by the local government followed before between 1976 and 1985 it housed the island's historical museum that was regularly visited by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. When the Queen bought a new building for the museum, it was handed over the archaeologists. When they left the building, it was subsequently deliberately neglected by the government of the island, owner of the monument, until it fell into increasing disrepair.

"Of all people, the Island Governor should know better"

Demolishing a legally protected monument without a demolishing permit is an infringement of the Monuments Law for the Caribbean Netherlands and of the local Island Monuments Ordinance St. Eustatius. A demolishing permit was never given or even applied for. Moreover, the building stood within the Urban Conservation Area of Oranjestad. This also implies that demolishing the building without a written permit from the Executive Council is not allowed and that the law was broken.

St. Eustatius Monuments Director Walter Hellebrand reacts: "If something needs to be pulled down, there are procedures to be followed – and that is for good reasons. It is nothing new that successive local governments have done nothing to maintain the historical buildings they own and are lax with the enforcement of the regulations regarding the Urban Conservation Area. But the Island Governor of all people should know better. If there are no consequences for this gross violation of protection laws, it will be a free for all and St. Eustatius may well chuck its slogan "The Historical Gem of the Caribbean" right in the bin.

MARIGOT:---The month-long Black History Celebration (BHC) program reaches the highpoint with its 24th annual Lecture at Philipsburg Jubilee Library, on Saturday, February 28, at 8 PM, said organizer Shujah Reiph.
Addressing the lecture theme, "Resisting Against the System," will be keynote speaker Dorbrene O'Marde. The author, playwright and dynamic speaker, is also head of the Reparations Committee of Antigua and Barbuda. The 24th annual Black History Lecture is free to the general public.
Reiph has also been busy speaking throughout the island on Reparations, history, St. Martin's culture, historical personalities, and related current affairs. "This is the busiest I've seen Shujah over the years for the Black History Celebration," said Lasana M. Sekou of HNP, a BHC co-sponsoring organization, along with SOS Radio 95.9 FM.
"The way Shujah has pioneered this celebration of history on our island, means that he's busy to no end, with his own program of activities, daily radio readings, research to keep the material fresh and interesting, and planning the lecture."
"This year, in addition to his own packed program, Shujah had over 10 speaking engagements, all invitations to talk about history, from churches, schools, civic clubs, and community organizations in the North and South of St. Martin," said Sekou.
The Paradise Inn, Dormoy Trucking Service, Artsen Service Center, Philipsburg Jubilee Library, Angel Insurance, Carl & Son Unique Bakery, GCEE, Paradise Tourism Tours, and Lazy Bay Parking, are co-sponsors of the BHC 2015 and what has become the island's longest running lecture series.
Reiph is the president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation, organizer of the island-wide Black History Celebration program.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Monday the 2nd of March the Royal Netherlands navy ship Zeeland will shortly visit St. Maarten. The Governor of St. Maarten will welcome the ship from Fort Amsterdam.

Traditional salute
At 09:00 am the patrol vessel will perform a sailpast near Fort Amsterdam. The ship will fire the traditional salute to the Flag of The Kingdom of the Netherlands and to the Governor of Sint Maarten. The ship will not enter the port of Phillipsburg, but will return to sea to continue their deployment.

Guard Ship
HNLMS Zeeland is deployed as guard ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Caribean for a period of four months for counterdrugs operations and to assist the Dutch Caribean Coast Guard. The ship can also be used to provide assistance in case of humanitarian relief operations.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of St. Maarten regulates the prices of petroleu m products by imposing a max i mum price at which wholesalers and retailers can sel l these products on St. Maarten. Due to the ongoing developments on the i nternational level , the prices of crude oil have experienced adjustments. Given the aforementioned , the general public is hereby i nformed that as of Friday February 27, 2015, 6:00am the maximum consumer prices of the following petroleum
products have been adjusted as follows:

Unleaded Gasoline (ULG) Diesel

Current Price
1.742 Naf/liter
1.524 Naf/liter

New Price
1.831 Naf/liter
1.430 Naf/liter

Bel ow is the complete price buildup showing all components that resu l t i n the new prices. All numbers are rounded to th ree decima l places.
ULG Gasoil

Components Naf per
liter
Petrotio Posted Price 0.861
Freigh t 0.063
Insurance 0.000
Import Duty 0.290
Liquid throughput fee
(THRX)
0.080
Wholesaler margin 0.230
Max. wholesale price 1.524
Turnovertax (5%) 0.076
Max. wholesale price incl.
tax
1.600
Retailer margin 0.145
Consumer price 1.744
Turnovertax (5%) 0.087
Max. Consumer price incl.
tax
1.831
ULG Gasoil

PHILIPSBURG:---  United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake is preparing to send a letter through the Chairman of Parliament to the Minister of Finance about getting rid of the expat ruling which is costing Government more than half a million guilders.

"As a country, Government has to get serious with the expat agreement. I will address this law in the House of Parliament. As a representative of the people, we need to start making firm decisions in the best interest of cutting cost and implementing improved incentives for our young professionals in order to bring them back home to move this country forward.

"The Public and Private sectors are using this law right now. Companies are bringing in top level staff and they are allegedly hardly paying wage taxes. Law firms are also representing various clients, but there are Government Ministries also misusing this law. The law on this topic is incomplete, no limitations on how far back one can claim; persons were employed without this agreement are now requesting it retroactive in court. Government is spending millions annually in scholarships and we need to address this issue now. Applicants are from everywhere. Aren't our local young professionals not good enough to qualify?

"In the last Budget Debate, I asked the Minister of Finance how many persons are making use of it and what is it costing Government in terms of unpaid wages which at that time he was still researching from both the public and private sectors. We need to start restoring hope in our young local professionals and implement better improved incentives to encourage them to come back home to serve their country.

"Presently, Government has an "Instroom beleid" as an incentive policy to encourage our young professionals to return home in which covers a 15-25% toelage for a year, moving cost, belonging cost, and a one way ticket. Imagine, other outside skilled professionals get house rent and other incentives and hardly pay wage taxes from the same Government that supposed to be encouraging better incentives for our young local professionals who we send away to study on scholarships. That's why we have a lot of our local returned professionals having no other choice than to live back home with their parents.

"As a new MP, I would like to change that for our young local professionals which should be treated better and offer better incentives and affordable housing. Government need to set a different trend in this area and start leading by example by promoting and giving a better incentive package for our own skilled local young professionals.

"I will be working very close with Government to address this issue but also to work on improving our young professional's data base to meet the needs and demands of the public and private sector. I have a lot of data and I will present it to Government.

"During the campaign I have met a lot of our young local professionals who are home with Master's and other degrees, and they are jobless, and feeling demotivated. All they are looking for is an opportunity to put their skills into effect instead of being labelled over qualified in their own country that sent them away on a scholarship to study," MP Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament's permanent Committee for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) that will be held on Friday morning is open to the public, and is no longer a closed door session.

The meeting will be with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, and relevant department representatives, regarding the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA).

The committee will meet at 10.00am on Friday, in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting is the challenges experienced by students at NIPA with courses, instructors, and accreditation programs as well as the lack of communication.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

 Sucker Garden:--- From the beginning of the season, this is what everyone has been waiting on, the playoffs! It's either you win or you go home and everyone feels like they have something to prove. The Ladies Basketball Championship season consisted of 5 teams but only the top 4 teams have moved on to the playoffs. Top players and scorers of LBC such as Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls Claudia and Selah Fleming, Thunderz's Chantel Hodge and Joyette Lloyd, MGM Lightning's Jamaiah Newton-Herbert and Micaela Galva and Learning Unlimited's Jakisha Brooks and Daricia Arrindell will all look to carry their team to be the first ever Ladies Basketball Championship Champions.
The playoffs, dubbed March Madness will kick off on Friday February 27th at 7pm at the Melford Hazel Sports Complex in Sucker Garden where the #2 Seed Thunderz will take on the #3 Seed MGM Lightning followed at 8:30pm as the #1 Seed Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls take on #4 Seed Learning Unlimited in game 1 of the best of 3 series. Game 2 will take place on Sunday March 1st starting at 3pm where Thunderz will take on MGM Lightning and at 5pm the Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls will take on Seed Learning Unlimited.
During halftime of the games on Sunday March 1st, the official LBC song "It's Okay" featuring MC Carrell better known as Junior Lion, Iceboy Slim and Serenity will have its video premiere directed and edited by Sharif Elisa.
If a game 3 is needed then it will take place on Friday March 6th at the same times as game 1.
All teams are looking forward to seeing everyone come out with friends and family and to cheer on their favorite team to victory.
File name FI8A0019: L-R Jakisha Brooks, Claudia Fleming, Chantel Hodge and Jamaiah Newton-Herbert.

PHILIPSBURG:---The Commander of the Voluntary Corps of Sint Maarten (VKS) hereby announces that the VKS will be having a target practice on Saturday February 28, 2015, from 10 AM - 5 PM at the shooting range, located at Emilio Wilson's Estate.

The general public is requested to exercise caution when passing through this area.

The Commander regrets any inconvenience caused.

Willemstad:--- During the first two months of 2015 Curaçao has worked on reducing the deficits in the social funds and the governmental companies. "2014 is expected to close with a positive result. That is a nice performance. 2015 will have to be dedicated to the managing of the financial risks the social funds and the governmental companies impose," according to the Chairman of the Board Age Bakker.

During the last week of February the Board of financial supervision for Curaçao en Sint Maarten (Cft) visited Curaçao. There the Board spoke with the Governor, the Council of Ministers, the minister of Finance and the Financial commission of the Parliament. The Board also received a guided tour on the construction site of the new hospital HNO and discussed the progress with the executing organization Usona.

Results 2014
It is expected that Curaçao will close off 2014 with a positive result of ANG 37 million. This will be added to the swinging fund (schommelfonds) to partially balance the deficits at social funds, and is furthermore used to compensate the deficits from previous years. With this addition the deficits from the years 2010 up and till 2012 will almost completely be compensated. The taxes received are in line with the downwardly adjusted framework of receivable taxes.

Execution 2015
The budget for 2015 was adopted in a timely manner. In principle the budget is balanced, assuming that the proposed pension reform of the civil servants will indeed be realized in the short term. However the Board observed a number of risks for the budget. These concern the social funds (in particular the AOV-Fund) and a number of governmental companies. The government is preparing measures to curb these risks.

With regard to the AOV fund the deficits that resulted to be higher than initially expected, will be controlled by an increased compliance, because of which more premiums will be received. Additional actions are the freezing of management costs and the reduction of the payments to non-residents. Control measurements are being taken for the BVZ- fund as well, but the rising exploitation costs from the SEHOS causes concern.

Furthermore the Board advised Curaçao to elaborate on a concrete step plan including timeline to make the financial position of a number of governmental companies (CDM, Aqualectra, CPost and ADC) sound again. Curaçao has been working on that and the first measures are already in execution. In addition a national ordinance is currently in preparation, which will lay a legal foundation for all government entities to improve efficiency in the area of compensation, personnel expenses, procurement and dividends. The Board expects to receive shortly the complete review of the remaining measures. The Board again emphasizes the joint responsibility of the management, the council of commissioners and the government as shareholder. The identified measures, including the reduction of personnel costs, can only be executed successfully if all shareholders cooperate.

New Hospital in Otrobanda
Finally the Board visited the construction site of the new hospital. The second part of the loan for the new hospital has been requested at the end of 2014 and obtained at the beginning of against 1.25%. With this Curaçao now has the financial means to build the new hospital. A successful transition from Sehos to the new HNO however requires more than solely blocks, it also requires a new way of thinking and working. It requires decisiveness. A tight government control is necessary so the new hospital can offer qualitative and good health care in a businesswise responsible manner.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Secretary of the Windward Island Civil Servant and Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU William Reed confirmed to SMN News on Thursday that the President of the WICSU/PSU Derie Leonard did resigned. He said Leonard even made an announcement in the newspapers since she had intentions of taking up another position and did not want to create a conflict of interest by being the President of WICSU/PSU and mediator for the Department of Labor.
Reed said based on what SMN News published on Wednesday night he can only say that a general membership meeting has to be called and the board of the WICSU/PSU will decide between Friday and Monday when that meeting will be held. "As soon as a date is set for the general membership meeting a notification will be sent to the media and when that meeting is held the election committee will be established. A new date for the elections will also be established if the time is too short for candidates to postulate and campaign."
It should be noted that the current Labor mediator Raphael Boasman is expected to leave the position on June 5th 2015, therefore he is supposed to train the person that is appointed or selected to take his place when he leaves. Even though the time frame is short so far the Department of PNO did not publish the position as being vacant so that candidates could apply. SMN News further learnt that while Boasman is supposed to train the new person so far no one is being trained even though Leonard mentioned to several persons that she will become the next mediator. SMN News tried contacting Boasman for an official comment but he could not be reached.
It should be noted that Leonard who was an immigration officer is currently on paid leave to serve as the President of the WICSU/PSU. Now that she is resigned from the WICSU/PSU Leonard is supposed to return to the Ministry of Justice so that she can be placed in an available position at the Ministry of Justice. However, Leonard is looking at making a vertical jump by leaving the Ministry of Justice to now work at the Ministry of Labor, in a much higher rated position which she must apply for when it is published by the PNO. If this is not done and she is apponited through political preferrenced then it is a major breach of integrity.
SMN News further learnt that while Leonard is seeking to become the mediator at the labor department through a deal she struck with the former Minister of Labor she is also looking to see if she could obtain a top position at the Pointe Blanche prison where she worked prior to working at the Immigration Department.

Leonard was offered Mediator Position at Department of Labor therefore she resigned --- Unconstitutional Election Called.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several members of the WICSU/PSU union are now asking questions as to where the members of the board disappeared to. According to some of the members who spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity said that the President of WICSU/PSU Derie Leonard called an election for March 20th 2015, they said she sent out a notice to all members informing them that persons that are interested in postulating should do so before February 27th 2015. However, the members said that the election which was due to be held since last year was not held because Leonard did not call the election. They said that now she called an election it is unconstitutional because she did not even put an election committee in place. The WICSU/PSU members said that after Leonard called the election she resigned as President citing that she was given the position as mediator at the Department of Labor.
The members said the secretary and treasurer cannot be found while the Vice President Aurillo Baly was off island and just recently returned and he claimed that he simply does not know what has taken place during his absence.
The members said that last year Leonard left the island to Vienna to deal with some union matters and she met with the former Minister of Labor Cornelius de Weever who promised her that if she campaigned for him and write positive articles in the newspapers for him he will appoint her as labor mediator. They said when Leonard came back to St. Maarten she informed the union that she will become the mediator and that she will call election in November 2014 but that did not take place.
Boasman gave negative advice against Leonard --- PNO never published the position as being vacant.
The union members said that even though the former Minister of Labor promised the position of mediator to Leonard she cannot be appointed because the position was never published and since this particular position has to be done through a Landsbesluit they do not see how Leonard will get a position she made a deal to get with now Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever. "The position first has to be published so that persons could apply, then the selected candidate will be appointed through an LB which has to be signed off by the Governor."
Apart from the illegalities the union members said that when Rafael Boasman was informed that he had to train Leonard to take up the mediator position because he is supposed to leave office mid 2015 he gave the former Minister a negative advice. The civil servants said that Boasman made it clear that Leonard does not have the "qualities" and requirements needed to mediate between workers and employers and he does not feel he should waste his time training someone that is not fit for the position especially now that St. Maarten is under the microscope for integrity issues. SMN News tried to contact Leonard for a comment but she did not respond to the phone calls. Other board members including Aurelio Baly also could not be reached.

GREATBAY:--- A full scale investigation into the harbour's relationship with Checkmate Security Services and the newly updated contract between the two entities is being called for by leader of the One St. Maarten People's Party Lenny Priest, who said that such an investigation must be conducted by the RST Detectives with the assistance of a leading Accounting firm that is not established in St. Maarten.

The OSPP leader has taken issue with reports of a US$2.2 million increase in a contract between the harbour and Checkmate Security services for the latter to provide security services at the harbour. "In 1990 the people of St. Maarten kicked up about the Airportgate scandal that resulted in many business and government officials going to prison. Haven't they learnt anything from the past or has greed just become part of their daily lives with no concern for the laws of the land? There were calls made already to verify who the owners of Checkmate Security Services are and the OSPP seconds the motion," Priest said last night.

"We believed that with all the integrity issues that are affecting St. Maarten today that these types of deals would have been something of the past. Nobody can tell us that none of the political forces are not involved in this transaction. The old people have a saying that where ever there is smoke there must be fire."

He noted that the 2014 budget was referred to during the parliament debate as a skeleton budget with not much room for maneuvering to provide the people of the island with all the services that are required. "Yet, the council of ministers as the Harbour Shareholder Representative can accept these type of transactions without questioning them. Isn't the Council of Ministers supposed to be safeguarding the people patrimony, namely the government owned companies? Then how was this able to take place? I, like many other residents was under the impression that since the entire Council of Minister would be responsible collectively for the government owned companies that the head of corruption would not show its face, at least not so blatant without any regard for others. Long gone are those days," the OSPP leader said.

Priest stressed that there is "absolutely no type of justification" for this type of increase in the fees to Checkmate Security Services and the OSPP is calling "for a full scale investigation in this matter to be conducted by the RST Detectives with the assistance of a leading accounting firm that is not established in St. Maarten. They have been plundering the coffers of the harbour over the years by carrying out all types of projects under the disguise that it is for the people, enriching a few and impoverishing the entire nation. But this has been their way of avoiding projects being carried out under the auspices of the government of St. Maarten. The same rules that apply for the granting of projects under the government should be applicable to all the government owned companies."
He accuses the harbour of "denying our children a future" with this new multi-million dollar contract, noting that these funds could have been used to put solar panels on all the schools thereby reducing the energy cost and providing the many school boards a savings to invest in advanced technology. "Part of the savings could have also been used to reduce the high school fees that the parents are being charged now. After all, this was a promise made to the population during the last 2014 campaign. St. Maarten let's get serious we can't afford to let this be pushed under the carpet like so many other wrong doings in this young nation," Priest concluded.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Youth Parliament members will be addressing the subject pedophilia in a live session of the House on February 27.

The public meeting is set for Friday from 4.00pm to 6.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The House of Parliament's permanent Committee for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) will be meeting with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, and relevant department representatives, regarding the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) for a closed door session on February 27.

The committee will meet at 10.00am on Friday, in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting is the challenges experienced by students at NIPA with courses, instructors, and accreditation programs as well as the lack of communication.

This meeting is closed to the public.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday February 20th during a ceremony organized at the Police Head quarters several police officers received their long awaited promotions in the presence of other colleagues and family members. The promotions were handed out by the Acting Chief of Police Commissioner Carl John. Officers Rudolph Bloeiman and Delano Baptist were both promoted to Chief Inspector of Police, Officers Raichel Doran, Claudio Ellis, Sharlon Cathalina and Estario Petty were all promoted to Inspector of Police; Officer Igmar Woodley was promoted to Sergeant, officers Rexcarlos Courtar and Sidney van Bosse both received their certificates for an advanced training in the handling of traffic accidents. Several other officers received decrees placing them in their correct salary scale. During the ceremony Commissioner John congratulated the officers and encourages them to continue being dedicated and an example to the younger officers.
Two females robbed.
Two females filed official reports that they were robbed by two unknown men on Saturday February 21st at approximately 04.00 a.m. The victims stated that they were walking on the Welfare road, in the vicinity of the First Caribbean Bank, when they encountered a traffic accident and they went to the assistance of those involved in the accident. Shortly after two unknown men approached them, one of them was wore a helmet. These men robbed them of a gold chain and a wallet containing some cash and took off on a scooter. Both victims suffered minor injury when they tried to take their belonging back. The Special Robbery Unit is investigating this case.

Attempted robbery
Several police patrols and Detectives were sent to Little Europe on Front Street on Tuesday February 24th where three men, all wearing helmets and dark clothing, attempted to rob the establishment as it was about to open its door for business. When the culprits noticed that the police was alerted with what was going on they fled the scene on a scooter. A search by police to locate the possible suspects was done bye police however without any positive results. This case I under investigation by the Special Robbery Unit.
Police asks citizens to be alert
From the first week of January 2015 until today, 17 burglaries took place in the Ebenezer/St. Peters area. The members of the Sint Maarten Police Force are doing their very best to prevent these burglaries, so patrols are on the lookout for suspicious situations. But we would like to have the assistance of the public too, because together we can catch the thieves who are responsible for these burglaries much faster.
Most of these burglaries took place on Mondays and Tuesdays, during the day. Culprits came in the houses by opening or breaking a window or forcing the door and left the houses mostly with laptops, jewelry and in one case a television set.
If you see anyone acting suspicious around your house, or in your neighborhood, don't hesitate to call us.
The Sint Maarten Police Force hands you some tips to prevent a burglar from entering your own house:
Think like a burglar
First of all you have to start thinking like a burglar. What would you like most if you were one? The answer to that question would probably be: a quick entrance and exit, so you can easily take the stuff you want. We think you would also like it if no one notices you breaking in to a house, so you wouldn't like it if the environment was illuminated. Well, if you already are aware of these things, measures can be easily taken against them..
Do's and don'ts
Make sure burglars do not have quick access to your home. You can do this by properly locking all doors and windows. A burglar even can climb through the smallest window, so make sure those are closed too. After that, don't leave the key under the door mat or in a flower pot, because burglars know all the hiding places you can imagine too. Perhaps it's good to install an extra lock to your doors, so it would not be that easy to kick the door in. Don't leave valuables in sight, people with bad intentions only have to see through your window to spot a laptop, an iPad or a smart phone lying around, and they will try to get into your home. So check your house like you were a burglar every time you leave your premises. See if there's a ladder or a garbage container lying around which a burglar could use to climb on to get access to your house and store it away. Leave your premises tidy, so you will immediately notice when something is wrong.
Make sure the entrance to your house is visible from the street. Burglars don't like being seen by others. Cut all overgrown plants or bushes in front of your home for example, and leave lights on when dark, so an uninvited guest could not stay in the dark and doesn't be noticed. If you're not around, perhaps one of your neighbors are. Let them keep an eye out for you when they spot a stranger on your doorstep. They can call the police immediately. You would of course do the same for your neighbor.

See a burglary happen? Call 911!
If you see somebody that's trying to break into your neighbor's house, don't hesitate to call us on 911. Make sure you give a good description of the person to the central dispatch, so they can provide their colleagues on the street with that information. The chances of an arrest increases enormously when the patrol is provided with the right information.
What do the police do in case a burglary happened in your house?
When a burglary still takes place, in spite of all the precautions you took, you should call the police immediately after discovering the break in. Detectives come to your house to collect evidence, so it's best if you do not clean up broken glass or other things the burglar might have touched. Leave the situation "as is". Our Forensic Department collects evidence, like fingerprints or DNA, because we would really like to arrest the criminal that did this to you. When you tamper with the situation, the evidence is gone. So don't, we need the evidence. After all, catching thieves is what we're here for. Most burglars make small mistakes, and we profit from those small mistakes during our investigation. After the member of the Forensic Department has left your house, you're free to clean up the mess that was made.
A detective will make a report of the burglary. He or she will do this based on the information you give to them. So to make it easier for yourself and for us, it comes in handy when you have a good description of the items that were stolen. The best way to do this is to take pictures of all valuable items in your home. Write down all serial numbers and give them to the detective, to make the report complete. That way, if we do make an arrest or recover stolen goods, we can easily return them to their rightful owner.
More tips?
Perhaps you will find it interesting to read more prevention tips. Then it's good to know that the Community Police Officers made a flyer with prevention tips. You can get a copy of the flyer at all police (sub) stations on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, or you can make an appointment with one of the CPOs to check up on the safety measures you took in your house.

KPSM Police Report

Oranjestad:--- The Board of financial supervision Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Cft) met with the executive council and island council on Sint Eustatius. The Board expressed its concern about the fact that the 2014 fiscal year will likely end with a deficit. The Board also discussed the adequacy of procedures followed for hiring personnel in 2014, the importance of good financial management and on which insufficient progress has been made.
Execution of the budget for 2014
Even though the 2014 annual report is not yet ready, the most recent progress report for the last quarter of the past year shows that Sint Eustatius is heading towards a deficit up to USD 0,2 million. Throughout 2014 the public entity continuously felt the threat of a deficit. Even though a number of cost saving measures were introduced at the end of last year, Sint Eustatius unfortunately did not succeed in remaining within the budget framework. The government has been informed by the Board that the deficit that will result from the annual report will consequently have to be compensated in 2015. The executive council informed that it is aware of the need to compensate and will continue with the cost saving measures already introduced. These measures include a vacancy stop and holding on automatically prolonging certain contracts.

Financial management
The Cft discussed with the government the need to follow the correct procedure in case of staffing of personnel. Parties agreed on the premise that transparency around appointments is required and correct internal and external procedures must be followed at all times. To this end, and in consultation with the Kingdom Representative, a new action plan will be set up in which the reinforced procedures are reflected.

At the beginning of this year of evaluation, the Cft unfortunately had to ascertain that in 2014 no significant improvement with respect to several important points of financial management has been realized, points that were previously agreed upon. After significant steps forward in 2011, the process of improvement of the financial management seems stagnated. Neither the long awaited land policy, nor the maintenance plan for capital goods, nor the dividend policy or the norms and control framework, have been presented for ratification by the island council. Also in arrears is the new harbor ordinance. Finally, the Cft noted that the public entity often remains challenged to present reports in a complete and timely manner. The Cft and the executive council agreed to design an action plan in collaboration with the external accountant, to achieve the necessary improvements of the financial management as elaborated, in 2015. This action plan should function as guidance to realize the necessary improvements faster than has been the case up to now. The ultimate goal is to obtain an unqualified opinion from the external auditor on the financial statements of the public entity.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams who is representing the Democratic Party in Parliament dispatched a letter to griffier of Parliament and copied to MP Frans Richardson to request the representatives of the St. Maarten Harbor Group Companies (SMHGC) to submit to Parliament on Thursday the contract SMHGC has with Checkmate Security Company and all other relevant information regarding the contract the SMHGC has with Checkmate.
On Thursday the Minister of TEATT Claret Conner and representatives of the SMHGC will be attending the TEATT committee meeting.
The request came after two articles were printed in the media regarding the huge increase the SMHGC has in its 2015 budget for outside security with Checkmate.
On Tuesday the management of Checkmate Security reacted to the first article citing that the company owes SZV Naf.2.3M, they also outlined the services they are providing to the SMHGC which they said has to be in place to meet ISPS standards.
As soon as the response from Checkmate was published the former owner of Checkmate Michael Kuiperi reacted by stating that Checkmate has a contract with the SMHGC which is valid until December 2015 that include an increase. Kuiperi said when he was managing Checkmate he could hardly get a 10cents increase from the Harbor. He further stated that the statements made by the current management is incorrect since the company did get increases over the years from SMHGC.
However, it became clear since Kuiperi's reaction that the SMHGC has to give government and Parliament some sort of accountability as to why a huge increase has been mentioned in their 2015 budget when they have a valid contract until the end of 2015.
MP Christopher Emmanuel was on a radio program Tuesday night stating that he intends to ask the SMHGC to make known to the people of St. Maarten who are the shareholders of Checkmate Security because it has been rumored that politicians and the CEO of the SMHGC are shareholders of the company but to date none of the rumors can be substantiated.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Secretary Generals, National Development Plan team from the Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK), implementing agency for NDP project, representatives from all ministries involved with Millennium Development goals, the Inter-Ministerial work group and the Steering Committee for the project Building a Nation: St. Maarten National Development Plan and institutional Strengthening, on Tuesday attended a presentation about country Statistics at the University of St. Martin (USM).

Statistics ensures accessibility to reliable information that enables policy makers to make policies and (budgetary) plans and to actually monitor progress in human development.

To further consolidate Governments efforts in evidenced based sustainable development planning, the aforementioned will establish a national database, called DEV–Info that will enable Government to monitor the developmental progress of the country.

The DEV-Info database system is being used by numerous countries for this purpose. The Government of Sint Maarten, in particular the Department of Statistics within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic affairs Transport and Telecommunication and BAK, will oversee the implementation of the DEV–Info system in Sint Maarten.

The 2011 Millennium Development report for Sint Maarten indicated that the country was lagging behind on (Millennium Development Goals (MDG) MDG1 (Eradicating of Poverty and hunger) and MDG 7 (Ensure Environmental sustainability).

In order to address that, a country action plan was developed to accelerate progress in addressing poverty and environmental issues on Sint Maarten.

For the country action plan to work, as in deed implementing a national strategic plan, there is a need for reliable statistical data. At present much of the data is not in retrievable form or validated.

Only through a process of collecting, digitalizing and confirming data validity is government able to truly measure progress in achieving the policy results that are expected to be accomplished.

Data availability is an important aspect of governance as was recently also stipulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and different committees on integrity.

The presentation was given by Sameer Thapar who works for CSF, the company awarded the project to develop and implement the DEV-Info Database in Sint Maarten. Thapar is a Technical Manager and Senior trainer of the DEV-Info support group.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Rotary International celebrated its 110th birthday on February 23rd and as the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise continues to celebrate its 10th year President Virginia Asin found it fitting to donate to groups who have been in keeping with Rotary's motto "Service Above Self" .

Rotary Sunrise began its "Rotary has Heart" initiative by donating funds to three groups: I Too Can Learn Foundation, St. Maarten Generation New Status Drum Band and Sister Magda Parent Teacher Association were all recipients of this initiative. On hand to accept the donations were Beverley Gibbs of I Too Can Learn Foundation, Youmay Dormoy of Generation New Status Drum Band and Bregje Boetekees of Sister Magda Parent Teacher Association. All recipients thanked Rotary Sunrise and encourage them to continue supporting them and the community at large. I Too Can Learn Foundation will be using their funds to provide breakfast and lunch to its students. Sister Magda PTA plan to put their donation to use by providing breakfast to students in need. Generation New Status Drum Band will use their funds towards a trip to Howard University to learn about how a university band works in hopes of improving their already top notch skills.

Those in attendance learned new facts about Rotary's founder Paul P. Harris, such as his work for a newspaper as a salesman and a reporter, on fruit farms, as an actor and cowboy, and on cattle ships that traveled to Europe and also got kicked out a couple of schools, thanks to a synopsis of Rotary's origin by Assistant District Governor Rebecca Low. Ms. Low also pointed to how one person can in fact make a difference. 110 years later, with over 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries with over 1.2 million members, Mr Harris indeed showed the power of one can indeed lead to the power of many.

President Virginia Asin expounded on the power of one fitting into the Rotary International's year theme "Light Up Rotary", which was derived by a Chinese proverb "it is better to light a single candle than curse the darkness". She encouraged everyone to be a source of light in the world. President Asin was very ecstatic about the start of Rotary Sunrise "Rotary has Heart" initiative and looks forward to their next project of making a three course meal for kids at a children's home.

Rotary Sunrise will also be holding a food sale that will enable to continue the good works they have been doing for the past 10 years this Saturday, February 28, any Rotary Sunrise member can be contacted for tickets.

The club meets at Philipburg Jubilee Library Conference Room every Tuesday mornings at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise

A Consular Officer from the U.S. Embassy in Barbados will visit St. Martin, March 9 -10, and Anguilla March 11 – 13, 2015, to provide U.S. Citizens Services and to accept applications for U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA). Visa cases will not be discussed.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: We no longer accept handwritten passport application forms. You must fill out all passport application forms online at https://pptform.state.gov/ and then print them. Please have all forms completed prior to your appointment and bring originals and copies of all supporting documents.

Appointments for St. Martin will be held at the CCI (Chambre de Commerce et Industrie),
Rue Jean Jacques Fayel, Concordia, Marigot:

• Monday, March 9: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 10: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
• Appointments in Anguilla will be held at Caribbean Juris Chambers, Hannah-Waver House,
• The Valley:
• Wednesday March 11: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday, March 12: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 13: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

You must arrange an appointment online to meet with the Consular Officer. Please note that the calendar for making appointments will not be ready until February 25, 2015. Please follow instructions on the U.S. Embassy's website at http://barbados.usembassy.gov/acs_consularvisits.html.

Fees must be paid by international money order or bank draft made out to "U.S. Embassy." PLEASE NOTE: The money order or bank draft must have the correct and exact amount. We will not issue any refunds. Fees are:

• Child's passport (under age 16): US$105 First adult passport: US$135
• CRBA: US$100
• Notarials: US$50 per signature

If you are renewing a ten-year passport issued less than 15 years ago, and can present your expired passport, you may apply by mail directly to the Embassy; the fee is US$110. If you cannot present a previous ten-year passport issued less than fifteen years ago, you must appear in person for an interview with the consular officer; fee is US$135.

All applicants must provide: completed passport application; two passport-size photos (2" x 2"); proof of U.S. citizenship such as previous U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, U.S. consular report of birth abroad, or U.S. naturalization certificate; and social security card. Please bring originals AND photocopies of all documents. You must also provide a prepaid air waybill (FedEx, DHL, LIAT QuikPak, etc.) in order to have the new passport mailed back to you.

For a child under age 16, if both parents are listed on the birth certificate, both parents must appear in person with the child OR a signed, notarized Form DS-3053: Statement of Consent from the non-applying parent/guardian must be submitted. Please bring the documents listed above PLUS the child's birth certificate and both parents' passports or other identification. Please bring originals AND photocopies of all documents including copies of the parents' identification. For more information, visit: http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html.

Additional information on U.S. citizen services and links to application forms are available on the U.S. Department of State's website at http://travel.state.gov.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Port St. Maarten officials will be making a presentation on February 26 to the Permanent Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication of the House.

The Permanent Committee meeting is set for Thursday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is a presentation from the management of Port St. Maarten about the future development plans for the harbour.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

SZV owed Naf. 2.3M which was not paid from 2002 -2014

PHILIPSBURG:---  Management of Checkmate Security in a press release said that want to set the record straight regarding the increase they got from the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies (SMHGC) for outsode security. The company's management said that a local newspaper published an article on the increase, but did not contact the company for a reaction. They further stated that while Checkmate have been in existence for a number of years on St. Maarten the new owners are faced with a Naf.2.3M debt they inherited when they purchased the company in 2014.  The former owner of Checkmate Security did not pay his SZV premiums from 2002 to 2014.

"We would like to offer a rebuttal with regards to the article posted February 24, 2015 in the Daily Herald that attempted to frivolously fact find information; but only seemed to provide erroneous disinformation and sensationalism with respect to Checkmate Security and the Harbor's agreement for 2015. For the record No one has attempted to contact the Owners, Managing Director, or any Management of Checkmate Security Services pertaining to security services in the port of St. Maarten."

Since 9-11 the need to prevent terrorism, enhance safety and security, as well as reduce the vulnerability of critical areas within St. Maartens' porting infrastructure was made the highest priority, it has become paramount within the international tourism industry.
An industry that is 85% of the labor force in St. Maarten and with more than one million tourists arriving annually, tourism is by far the most important sector of the economy.
That being said logic dictates that the focus and responsibilities of the Harbor are to improve and enhance its security measures as well as its facilities becoming compliant with International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), which is a wide-ranging compulsory security regime for international ports.
These measures come with an expense, i.e. the compensation of employees, operating costs, taxes, cost of living adjustments and minimum wage increases. For the record the cost of living has increased by 4.7% during the period of August 2011 to August 2012 and 5.4% over 2012 and since 2010, minimum wage has gradually increased approximately 14% up until December 2012. As per January 2014, the minimum wage was indexed by 2.8 percent. It should be understood that these are statutory based adjustments for which Checkmate Security Services nor the St. Maarten Harbor have control over, and that based on these increases Checkmate Security has no alternative but to adjust its rates to reflect these changes; something that was NOT done by the previous management and owners of Checkmate Security services, which basically absorbed these increases with no modifications.
But lets look at the numbers. The "average" security personal/unit (not including supervisory or administrative staff) makes USD $5 per hour ($4.76 is minimum wage), because of the shift scheduling and number of personal on site 24hrs they make an additional $2.50 in overtime (by law) which brings them to $7.50 per hour. Add in SZV,ABZ,AWB and all applicable taxes for another $1.10 and we are at a cost of $8.60 per unit per hour. A difference of $1.90 versus the $10.50 mentioned in the article; and we still haven't calculated operating costs on a monthly basis i.e. trainings, radios (Zenitel), uniforms & equipment, daily consumables. All of this at roughly 22000 to 25000 man hours overall monthly with the possibility of $42k to $47.5k in revenue.
We include all this information to be above board, to prove a point, and to ask a few questions.
Why is it that foreign businesses can establish themselves in St. Maarten with less inspection and inquiry? Why is it that when a local man/owner tries to run a local business correctly and successfully he is dragged through the proverbial mud? And who in their right mind tries to run a business at a loss or to fail? The article suggests that $7.07 an hour is a feasible number, based on what, an old agreement and bad business decision that was signed below practicable operating margins by the previous owners? Checkmate Security has been providing security to the harbor from 2002 -2015, 13 years with out an increase. We are here to use good business sense and a 5% increase is to assist in correcting some of these previous bad business decisions! Is that not the objective of good business?
To date the new management of Checkmate Security has had to pay nafl. 2.3 million in back taxes to SZV, all in an effort to succeed and be viable as a local business.
So should Checkmate Security continue to throw good money after bad?
Currently Checkmate Security Services employs 350 plus personal 190 of which are locals, 89 of which were hired by the new management within the last year.
Based on our calculations regarding the aforementioned economic conditions and adhering to the basic civil rights of our workers we are striving to be sustainable within the letter of the law and provide quality security services at standard and conventional rates.

Former Owner of Checkmate Reacts to Statements made by Current Management.

Former owner of Checkmate Security Michael Kuiperi reacted to the press statement by stating that he wishes to state first and foremost  that he has zero contact with Checkmate therefore he cannot comment on
the rate increase that the General Manager is mentioned in his press statement.
"What I can state is that throughout the years that Checkmate has been providing security services to the harbor we had numerous price increases. In 2010 we signed a five years contract that will end December 31, 2015 and once more a price increase was successfully negotiated, so the statement of the General Manager that Checkmate never increased their price to the Harbor Holding is incorrect. If I was the General Manager I will peruse the files in the office before making unfounded statements. He will also see how difficult the Harbor Holding was doing for a ten cents increase in those days. Perhaps the Harbor Holding has a new policy in investing in external security by accepting the additional price increase. I wish the new management and shareholders the best and hope that they are able to move forward another 23 years of business."

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson will be present for a Permanent Committee of Justice meeting of the House on February 26.

The Permanent Committee of Justice meeting is set for Thursday at 9.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is a presentation on the camera system that would be used to combat crime in general on Sint Maarten.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG:---- St. Dominic High School has embarked on a school wide science fair to begin Thursday February 26 and ending Friday February 27. All students from Forms 1 to 4 and IB yr 1 will be participating in the school science fair.
On Thursday, February 26 at 11:00 a.m., the students will set up their presentations to prepare for the stand alone assessments. On Thursday from 5:00-7:00 p.m., during the school's report card evening parents can view the exposition. Round 2 of the judging will take place on Friday February 27, between 8:00 and 11:00 am. The exposition will be open to students, teachers, parents and the general public form 12.30- 2.00pm in rooms 12 and 13.
This year's science fair focuses on self-directed learning as students demonstrate their skills in collaborating with others, practicing scientific investigations and problem-solving. They will be challenged to improvise when a procedure doesn't work out as predicted, present science findings to others, and constructively critique each other's work. While students learn the numerous theories and fundamentals of science in the classroom, the science concepts become valid as students attempt to apply the theories they have learned to prove a hypothesis or even to create or invent solutions to real world problems.

HILIPSBURG:--- The January 31 deadline for adopting the 2015 budget was met by Sint Maarten. The Cft concludes, however, that not all recommendations on the draft budget have been taken into account. The budgeted income ceiling is, at ANG 445 million, higher than the recommended level of ANG 426 million, the long-pending payment arrears to SZV and APS are not yet settled and the deficits of past years have not been compensated for. The Cft has held constructive discussions with the government how to resolve these remaining issues.

The Board of Financial Supervision (Cft) visited Sint Maarten from February 23rd to February 24th, which was its first visit to the Gumbs administration. Meetings were held with the Governor, the vice Prime Minister, the minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers and the Financial Committee of Parliament. Main topics of discussion were the outcome of the 2014 budget and the follow up of the recommendations of the Cft on the draft 2015 budget. The Sint Maarten Government has up to March 2nd to demonstrate to the Cft that the remaining issues in the 2015 budget will be dealt with in a timely and orderly manner and that the budget is in line with the stipulations of the Kingdom Law of Financial Supervision.

2014 budget
The government has informed the Cft that according to preliminary data government revenues in 2014 amounted to ANG 430 million. The budget will show a moderate deficit in the order of ANG 8 million. The Cft is awaiting the final figures for further analysis.

2015 budget
The 2015 budget was adopted by Parliament and signed off by the Governor late January, in time for the postponed deadline of January 31. The Cft has raised three issues concerning the budget. First, the income ceiling is set at a level of ANG 445 million, which is higher than the results of prior years. Second, payment arrears of approximately ANG 200 million to mainly SZV and APS have not been settled yet contrary to earlier commitments. The chairman of the Cft reiterated his concern about this unresolved issue. Third, deficits since 10-10-10 have accumulated to a total of approximately ANG 55 million which need to be compensated. The Cft has sent its advice on the adopted budget 2015 to the minister of Finance who now has up to March 2nd to respond to the recommendations of the Cft.

Possible solutions were discussed during the meetings with Government. Supporting documentation on the expected increase in revenues of ANG 15 million will be provided by the Government. The Cft will monitor the revenue realization over the first four months of 2015 to determine whether this increase is justified. As to the payment arrears with SZV and APS, it was agreed that these will be settled before the end of May. The Cft will in its next visit in June review the outcomes and discuss the compensation of the prior year deficits.

Multi annual approach
Sint Maarten is preparing a multi annual vision document to stimulate the economy, which would enable Sint Maarten to increase revenues and realize a budget surplus as of 2016 to compensate for the prior year deficits. This document consists of four pillars, i.e. an economic development program, reorganization of the tax authority, redesigning the tax legislation and intensifying the current program of increasing income and decreasing expenditures. The Cft applauds this multi annual approach. It has advised Government to involve an external independent authority to review the plans and provide an expert seal of approval. This would also increase public confidence and should attract private investors, since Government cannot execute this plan on its own.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on February 25.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Wednesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point for the House session is the provision for the President of Parliament to attend a Board of Directors meeting of Parlatino in Panama City on March 16.

The second agenda point is a discussion with the Saint Martin Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Federation regarding bottlenecks and hindrances that the NGO sector encounters.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) would like to warn beachgoers that recent water testing at Little Bay Pond Beach in Belair indicates that bacterial levels have exceeded safe levels for swimming. Samples thus far show that contamination is concentrated at the outfall of Little Bay Pond. Fecal E. coli, Enterococcus, and total coliform were measured.
Water samples have been analyzed at this location twice a month since January of 2010 in cooperation with the American University of the Caribbean, which contributes staff and lab time. The recent upsurge in bacterial levels coincides with the dredging of a new channel out of the pond and into the sea. In the past, contaminants filtered through the soil and sand. However, it appears these contaminants are now flowing freely into the ocean.
Further study is needed to determine the factors causing this rise in ocean bacterial levels; factors may include rainfall, tides and currents, and the amount of pollution in Little Bay Pond.
The public is advised to avoid swimming at the outfall of Little Bay Pond until the situation is resolved. Water samples at locations further east along the bay have thus far shown acceptable bacterial levels.
EPIC strongly urges government to address this public and environmental health issue immediately by closing off the channel which now flows into Little Bay from the pond. Mangrove trees destroyed during excavation should also be replaced as they serve a vital function in filtering contaminants from the water.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In light of the upcoming Kooyman Home Improvement Fair, Kooyman and Laser 101 have teamed up to bring you MAKITA Week. Laser 101 will give away a number of MAKITA branded prizes all week long.
Tune into to laser 101 for your opportunity to WIN and be sure to check out Kooyman on Saturday February 28th for their Home Improvement Fair, where you will get a chance to experience professional grade products such as MAKITA, MAPEI, GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL PAINT, AIR MASTER & CASTELL. As well quality products and services by local companies such as RollFix, GreenFingers, Paradise Pools, Ayman Mattress Factory, ICE/Valley Estates, WIB, City Funiture, FunMiles and more.
"MAKITA is the leading manufacturer of Industrial Power Tools with 100 years of service to the industry," said Kooyman Commercial Officer, Evencia Carty-Seabrookes "We are very proud retailer of MAKITA and are even more honored to have company spokes model, Miss MAKITA Maria Alejandra Montoya, join us for the first time on the island."
The event is a free event to the public of St. Maarten, Kooyman and Laser 101 encourages all home renovation enthusiasts and DIY'ers to check out this major event. That also has a variety of music, food and entertainment to keep you busy all day long. For more information of the Kooyman Home Improvement Fair, visit www.Kooymanbv.com or check out the Kooyman St. Maarten Facebook page.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of our commitment to give back to the community, through our NAGICO Lend a Hand program; a group of staff from NAGICO Insurances visited the Sister Basillia Center in St. Johns Estate on Saturday morning, where they created a vegetable garden for the residents and staff of the center, to aid in their healthy eating food program.
More than a dozen staff of NAGICO arrived at the Center's head Quarters in St. Johns early Saturday morning; equipped with gardening tools, seeds, manure, soil, paint and customized wooden plant boxes which they used to get to work immediately to create a beautiful garden which was requested by the Center's Activities Coordinator; Mireya Torrenga - Maria.
"At NAGICO we are known to sponsor and donate to a number of community events and projects on a daily basis, but for this year we wanted to do more by taking a more hands on approach," Executive Marketing Manager Paul Dijkhoffz said. "We began in December with the NAGICO Food Drive which was very successful after that we had internal discussions as to how much we could impact the lives of people more in our community and be more involved in the process."
According to Dijkhoffz, NAGICO's Marketing and HR department have been carrying out an internal campaign which influenced their staff to volunteer for community service. The NAGICO Lend a Hand Community program will consist of approximately 7 community projects per year, which are submitted by non-profit organizations, schools and other groups which are in need of help.
"This was a successful project for us, we had a good turnout, with a mix of staff and management coming out to help" he said. "Every staff that signed up showed up on time and excited, some even brought their children to assist and interact with the residents and staff of the Sister Basillia Center. I am very proud of the NAGICO staff; they really embrace the company's philosophy that our clients are our neighbors and have adopted the kind compassionate culture; which is The NAGICO Way of doing things."
Some of the vegetables planted were; lettuce, spinach, green peas, carrots, cucumber among others.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Chinese Consul General Chen Qiman (second from left) paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister the Hon. Marcel Gumbs on Sunday, February 22, 2015. The Consul General was joined by St. Maarten Chinese Association President Steven Huang and Head of the Department of Foreign Relations Khalilah Peters. General topics of cooperation and other issues were discussed during the visit.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Claret Connor (first on the right), met with the Policy Department of the Ministry – Economy, Transport and Telecommunication February 18th,2015. The Minister met with the general staff, followed by a meeting with the Secretary General, Miguel de Weever, department head, Lucy Richardson along with members of his Kabinet. The discussion centered around ongoing projects, policies, legislative changes and amendments and establishing priorities for 2015. Topics include but not limited to, the Price Ordinance, Gaming Control Board and Commission, Timeshare, Consumer Protection, Business Licenses (Vending, Transportation, School Bus, Operational), New Taxi Fares, Beach and Vending Policy, SME development, Investment Guide & investment promotion website, and Economic Foreign Affairs Issues.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With a government in office for just over 60 days, a feeling of discontentment with government is discernible. While part of this can be attributed to a feeling of ever-present political apathy, the fact cannot be denied that a government formed without even an indirect approval by the electorate; an uneasy composition of coalition "partners" with very diverse manifestos and philosophies, and the absence of a governing accord contribute in no small measure to the feeling of dissatisfaction or inquietude one can sense daily in the community.
The Democratic Party is also of the belief that the talk of transparency, but in reality the often times disregard for such, only exacerbates the situation outlined above.
Partial information is even more damaging, as then all sorts of stories are conjured up.
There are many small steps that government can take as measures to promote transparency as part of the bigger objective of promoting integrity. And again, this situation is not unique to St. Maarten and we do not have to reinvent the wheel.
Integrity and Transparency are 2 items that the Democratic Party campaigned heavily on. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) was endorsed by all candidates on the 2014 Democratic Party slate and formalized in the Party's manifesto.
In addition, many of these criteria have been outlined in the most recent integrity reports in some form or fashion. The Party hereby calls on government to take concrete steps in this regard.
One place to start is the permit system of government departments. The criteria and policies, based on relevant laws, must be public knowledge; the holders of permits must be public knowledge. There is nothing that withholds government from providing and updated lists of taxi, bus and tour-bus licenses, car rentals and also other permits. Technology provides an easy means to do so. Factual information also challenges existing perceptions.
It is a general sentiment that many license holders do not meet the criteria established by law, while others are denied who claim to fit the criteria. How will government curb and or address this situation?
Again we re-iterate, more openness is a sure way to encourage a knowledgeable community and again we call on government to also take those steps that do not require much, but contribute in a huge way to a feeling of fairness.

DP Press Release.

Sponsored by SMGA and Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort

MULLET BAY:---- The St. Maarten Golf Association SMGA is pleased to announce the 21st annual Club Championship Match Play competition. This tournament, better known as the 'Thomas R. Smith Challenge Cup' is named after one of its founders and honorable member Tom Smith.

The tournament that is open for all members of the SMGA will commence on March 1st and run over the course of some three months, culminating with the crowning of the Association's 2015 Champion Golfer who'll follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Ricardo Perez.

The Championship is sponsored by Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort who will sponsor the first round green fees of all participating members. The SMGA will contribute towards the cart fees of the first round. Next to that both Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort and the SMGA will sponsor the rounds for the players who reach the semi-finals and finals.

The Tournament Committee urges all (new) members to sign up before February 26th and participate in a great tournament where everyone has an equal shot to advance through the field and emerge as our Association's Champion Golfer for 2015. If you like to join please sign up at the Pro Shop at Mullet Bay Golf Course or email the SMGA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To participate in the Challenge Cup tournament and enjoy the first round of golf for free, you have to be an SMGA member and have paid your annual membership dues of USD 75. If you're not a member as yet but like to become one, please contact the Pro Shop at Mullet Bay Golf Course or send an email to the SMGA.

For more information like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.MaartenGolfAssociation

WILLEMSTAD/ST. MAARTEN:--- It is the desire of the Attorney-General that the prosecution policy in and between the Prosecutor's Offices of Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are, as far as possible, unambiguous.
Within each of the Prosecutor's Offices similar punishments should be exacted for similar offenses and circumstances; this regardless the assessor, time and place it has taken place . The Attorney- General seeks ambiguity between the criminal policies of the various Prosecutor's Offices with obviously room for the local situation and problems of each country or region.
Furthermore, the Office of the Attorney-General from today, in the context of transparency, provide insight into the principles that apply to Public Prosecutors in the formulation of the sentencing guidelines by publishing these.

New directive "illegal firearms and ammunition possession"

The illegal possession of firearms in St. Maarten, Curaçao and the BES-islands is cause for concern.
This is clearly shown, for example after the actions "Ta Basta Awor" on Curaçao and "Stop, Drop & Go" in Sint Maarten where large number of firearms have been surrendered and were seized. During the action it was announced that more severe penalties for possession of firearms would be introduced.
To emphasize the policy of the Public Prosecutor's Office, reducing violence and to improve the security of citizens, the directive for possession of firearms is published today.
The Primary Prosecution Offices of Sint Maarten, Curaçao and the BES-islands will use the new directive effective March 1st 2015 taking particular account of recidivism as a major aggravating circumstance.
The Public Prosecutor's will not only look into recidivism for illegal possession of firearms, but also look into recidivism for violent offenses. The reason for this lies in the fact that a weapon in the hands of a person with a violent past yields a (still) greater danger to the community.
Also will be taken into account if the illegal possession of firearms has taken place on the streets, used in the nighttime or in and around entertainment or during events or public celebrations.
The number of firearms will also be a aggravating fact. The principle is that the above punishments exacted by how many firearms are found on a suspect. For example, if someone has been arrested with two firearms, the Prosecution will call for twice the punishment that is required for one firearm. The publication and use of guidelines will promote transparency and ensure that similar cases should be assessed equally on Sint Maarten, Curaçao and the BES-islands.
For further information on the new directive please visit to the Facebook of Public Prosecutions Curaçao, the
Facebook of Public Prosecutions Sint Maarten or the website http://www.openbaarministerie.org Click on the
country and then publications.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen in a ceremony on February 11 at the Sint Maarten House in The Hague, thanked the first Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges (2010-2014) for his service to country Sint Maarten.

Voges has had a distinguished record having served as: Acting Lt. Governor; a Member of the Council of Advice of the former Netherlands Antilles as well as Sint Maarten; Member and President of the Board of the University of St. Martin; President of Stichting Samenwerkende Fondsen; President Sint Maarten Monument Preservation Foundation; President Foundation Traffic Safety; Secretary Emilio Wilson Historical & Cultural Foundation; and President of the Boekenfonds Catholic Education.

Voges received a Royal Decoration in the Order van Nassau; he also received a decoration from the Pope entitled 'Pro Ecclessia et Pontice; and is the author of several books.

During his tenure as Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague, Voges assisted several organizations: Soualiga Foundation; the United St. Maarten Connection; the Oualich Faces; and supported the efforts of St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4).

"Minister Voges laid the foundation of the Cabinet Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague after our country gained its autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in October 2010. Today, proceeding ministers will continue to build upon that foundation.

"I would like to thank Minister Voges on behalf of the people and Government of Sint Maarten, for service to country, for his tireless support, his involvement and commitment, to helping the various organizations that he has been associated with," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Sunday.

PHILIPSBURG:---  A Plenary Session of the House of Parliament will take place in public on February 24. The Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson will be present for the sitting of the House.

The Plenary Session is set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting are incoming documents; a draft National Ordinance to change the State Regulation and other national ordinances with respect to the implementation of the Penal Code based on the ruling of the Constitutional Court.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Permanent Committee Finance of Parliament will meet in a closed door session on February 24 with the College of Financial Supervision Cft.

The permanent committee meeting is set for Tuesday at 11.15am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting is a discussion about the country's finances.

This meeting is not open to the general public.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday February 21st at approximately 02.55 a.m. several police patrols were directed to the Tattoo Parlor on Back Street where a possible break-in was taking place. Officers immediately went to the area to investigate what was going on. On the scene the investigating officers could hear unknown persons running through that section of the building which is under construction. When the suspects noticed that the police were on the scene one of the suspects jumped from the third floor to the ground. The suspect seemed not to have suffered any injuries, stood up and took off running along with the other suspect. The suspects were chased on foot through the streets at which time one warning shot was fired by one of the officers. The suspect that jumped from the building decided to surrender while the other continued fleeing. The 23 year old suspect was arrested on the spot and taken to the police station for further investigation. The suspect was complaining of internal pain and was treated at the police station by paramedics who decided that he suspect should be taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center. At the medical center the suspect refused medical treatment and was returned to the detention center. Later that day the paramedics were called again to attend to the suspect and who was taken to the hospital for further treatment. The investigation is ongoing and the second suspect is yet to be arrested.

Scooter rider seriously injured during accident.

On Saturday February 21st at approximately 04.55 p.m. police patrols and Police traffic department were sent to Oyster pond road to a traffic accident involving a scooter rider who was seriously injured. On the scene the investigating officers encountered the 37 year old victim. The victim who was suffering from possible fractures to his shoulders, left leg and spine was treated on the scene by paramedics and then transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. According to the investigating traffic officer the victim for unknown reasons lost control of his vehicle and collided with the rock wall on the side of the road. The victim after being treated at the hospital was admitted in serious condition. The investigation is still ongoing.

KPSM Police Report.

People of St. Maarten should take the time to read the document Issued by the Dutch Regarding Integrity on St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ethelwoldus Josepha, President of the NAPB Police union has issued a strong call on the people of St. Maarten, mainly civil servants and politicians to take their time and read the document sent to St. Maarten Government regarding the higher supervision placed on St. Maarten due to the lack of an integrity chamber. Josepha told SMN News on Sunday that he has a few issues with the RST and the Marechaussee.
As for the RST he said they are of the opinion that St. Maarten does not have enough manpower, knowledge, and expertise to conduct certain investigations. Josepha  said he agrees with the RST to a certain extent with their analysis however, he disagrees with the fact that the RST wants to single-handedly decide what they would investigate. "The RST wants to decide whom, when and how they will conduct the investigations they choose to conduct without any influence from the local Police Force (KPSM). They already formed an opinion that the detectives working at KPSM cannot handle any of these investigations therefore they will be the ones doing it for KPSM and St. Maarten."
Asked how long now he realizes the motives of the RST and what they want to do on St. Maarten? Josepha said it's been about one year he has been following the trend and this he believes has to do with the evaluation of the RST performance on St. Maarten. "An evaluation had to take place from 2014 to 2015. That evaluation will determine if the RST has the right to remain on St. Maarten to work. "I have no problem with the RST helping St. Maarten because the island do need extra assistance, however, I am concerned as to how the RST will assist KPSM and under whose leadership. It is still amazing that the RST works with the police but they are semi-independent from the Chief of Police (KPSM). I am not discussing their presence on St. Maarten but what I want to know how the working relationship would be between KPSM and the RST henceforth. "Right now the relationship is not as bad, but if the people of St. Maarten read the draft document that was sent to the government of St. Maarten they will see that the Dutch Government will be sending in 50 to 55 workers (detectives) who will be coming to work with KPSM but they will not be working under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Police and that in itself creates a confusion."
Regarding the Marechausee he said that they are of the opinion that they should not have to work the same amount of hours like the local detectives because they believe that is beneath their standards. "While the Royal Marechaussee has different rules I do believe that if you are in Rome then you have to do what the Romans does. We are here for the same reason which is to fight crime and provide security for the country, but when a they will decide where, when and how they work then that will make the situation more complicated. "Right now the discussions that are taking place is that the Marechaussee wants to hold on to their core task which is immigration, border control at the main ports of entries which is the airport and the harbor and human smuggling. Since St. Maarten does not have an department that handles these tasks the Marechaussee thinks they are the ones that should take over immigration, border control and human smuggling, my concern in all of this is the word "take over" I want to know when would Government formulate a protocol that will clearly outline that when these persons are coming to St. Maarten to help then that is exactly what they will do 'help" and not take over and they are not the ones that has to decide on what they will investigate or where they will work. It is the local Minister of Justice that has to take these decisions with KPSM and the other justice partners when it comes to Justice. Josepha said this discussion should not even take place because St. Maarten has everything outlined in its year plan that outlines the country's vision and direction and it is the union belief that this year plan should be upheld since St. Maarten is their main core and they know to a certain extent what takes place on the island.
When it comes to the Integrity that is a whole different story Josepha said because when anyone reads the document sent to St. Maarten they will realize that the Parliament and Government of St. Maarten were placed on the sidelines; while three persons coming from the Netherland will take decisions for St. Maarten. These three persons will not be working for St. Maarten they will be working for the Netherlands and they will be the judge, jury and executioner who will be reporting to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Netherlands.
"I do not support or agree with politicians but one thing that must be clear is that the people of St. Maarten voted for those that are in government and it is only fitting that the government of St. Maarten be given a fair chance to clean up their own house. I do blame the politicians for what has transpired but it must be made abundantly clear that the politicians holding office now were elected to office by the people of St. Maarten and not by those in Den Haag and Amsterdam."
"The reason I chose to speak out is because I want to educate and enlighten the people of St. Maarten who voted for the politicians that are currently in office. When you read the document you will realize that everyone on St. Maarten is open to an investigation because the Dutch will choose who and how they investigate people without anyone's permission. I am saying again that everyone on St. Maarten should get their hands on that document have it translated and understand that we are all victims of the Dutch. As bad as our politicians are I do not think we as a people should give our patrimony away because when someone give up their patronage they ended up giving up their identity." Josepha said that the people of St. Maarten should start share the blame and hold the politicians they elected to office accountable by giving them a chance to regulate and clean up their house. When it comes to integrity there is a process that has to be followed; that process was not followed by the Dutch, they decided to kill an ant with a hammer without following proper procedures. Therefore I am calling on my colleagues in the Police Force and civil servants to read the letter that was sent to the Government of St. Maarten regarding the higher supervision that was imposed on the island. St. Maarten does have an integrity problem, but how big is the problem compared to Holland.
Josepha said the next step for the NAPB is that they will try to meet with the Minister of Justice to discuss the issue of higher supervision that was imposed on St. Maarten.

Click here to view letter sent to the Government of St. Maarten regarding higher supervision.

Civil Servants disgusted and ready to take action.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several civil servants working at the Government Administration Building are disgusted and are ready to take action if Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs continues with what they consider as 'dictatorship" attitude. The civil servants who prefer to remain anonymous said that if they are seen in the corridor talking to a colleague or going to the kitchen the Prime Minister will come up to them and say "get back to work, it's not yet happy hour." Those who spoke to SMN News said that the Prime Minister would go as far as checking to see if civil servants are at their desk working. "We want to know if we are in Cuba or are we in St. Maarten?
The workers told SMN News that the Prime Minister's secretary even threatened to resign because she cannot deal with Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. SMN news tried reaching Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs for a comment on the allegations but he could not be reached by telephone.

Granger's Resignation --- Conflict of Interest and Integrity.

The government workers said that the Press Secretary Michael Granger was overheard saying that he cannot stand how the Prime Minister speaks to people and that is also one of the reasons he resigned. They also said when Granger checked with the Department of Finance and saw what he will be receiving as a monthly salary and found out that the deal he had with government for his company M&M PR Consultancy did not go through he felt the salary he was getting is not enough and he tendered his resignation. The workers said while the Prime Minister fought with Granger to choose between St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) and his cabinet because of integrity issues and conflict of interest, they said the real issue the Prime Minister did not address with Granger while the Kingdom is looking down on St. Maarten. The workers said that Granger is the President of St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) and his company M&M PR Consultancy is the one marketing and promoting carnival. The workers said troupe leaders and many other persons including video productions, Gordon Yee and others were not paid for 2014 carnival. "Where did the money go and what did Granger do with the government subsidies should be the real question coming from the Prime Minister if he is so concerned about integrity on St. Maarten." On Friday Granger told SMN News that sponsorship for 2014 carnival was a real challenge for SCDF and that was one of the reasons the troupes were not paid. He assured that this year all outstanding debts will be paid since SCDF got more funds for the 20i5 carnival.

Alleged Victimization in Process --- Reliable Sources.

While the civil servants poured out their anger on how they are being treated they also stated that it is highly rumored that the current coalition plans to replace the director of the St. Maarten House in the Netherlands Perry Geerlings. The workers said what they have been hearing is that Geerlings a civil servant will have to return to St. Maarten and Veronica Janson Webster will be taking up his position.
"We believe that this government is not working for the people of St. Maarten they are busy victimizing workers while neglecting to address the real issues affecting the country.

PHILIPSBURG:---  United People's (UP) Party Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake and Hon. Johan Leonard, attended a birthday thanksgiving service organized by Home Away from Home Taking Care of the Golden Age Foundation of Patsy Flanders.

The service was for seniors 80 years and older with the eldest celebrating her 96th birthday on Saturday.

The service was held in the John Larmonie Center and was conducted by Brother Nathaniel Richardson.

"It is always a blessing to be invited by the seniors of our country. We prayed, sang hymns and birthday songs to all those who celebrated their birthday.

"Once again, congratulations to all seniors and their families. They are the pioneers and backbone of country Sint Maarten. Thank God for them," MP Hon. Maurice Lake said on Friday.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen presented to the Chairman of the OcaN Glenn Helberg (59), a token of appreciation for his efforts and hard work over the years defending the interests of Antilleans and Arubans residing in the Netherlands.

Helberg has been at the helm of OcaN, (Overlegorgaan Caribische Nederlanders) since 2008 and plans to turn over the reins of the body to another person. The organization itself has been in existence for more than 30-years.

Helberg received a Royal decoration in January 2013, Ridder in de Order van Oranje Nassau. He has been involved in theatre, the 'Geniale Anarchie van Boelie van Leeuwen'.

Helberg as part of OcaN brought forward a number of issues such as 'absent fathers'; he also took the initiative to organize a national march and manifestation in the Netherlands which protested violence against homosexuals.

He was also initiator of the first Antillean boat to participate in the Gay Pride Parade in the Netherlands in order to give a face to sexual diversity in the Dutch Caribbean community in the Netherlands.

Glenn Helberg has been advisor since 2002 to the Foundation Social Care Antilleans Arubans; currently he is a member of the Council of Advice of the College of Human Rights; and a member of the Zevenmanschap of the College of B&W of the City of Amsterdam.

"On behalf of the people and Government of Sint Maarten, I thanked Glenn Helberg for all he has done for the Antillean and Aruban communities residing in the Netherlands, and for Sint Maarteners in particular. I concluded by wishing him much success in his future endeavours," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Friday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On February 13th 2015, Custom Officers at Princess Juliana International Airport found more than $80.000 during a routine control at the outgoing flight to Curacao. The money was placed in a suitcase which belongs to a male passenger with the initials R.D.

An investigation is   currently taking place to verify where the money comes from. SMN News learnt that the passenger came in from Curacao in Friday and was leaving on Saturday and that caught the eyes of the Customs officers at PJIAE. The suspect that is currently in custody was born in Curacao.

Also on February 19th 2015, Customs Officers at Princess Juliana International Airport found almost 6 kilo of cocaine packed in 2 suitcases hidden in false compartments, after a routine control of the incoming flight from Curacao.

Both suitcases belonged to a male passenger with initials R.S. and a female passenger with the initials S.R. Both were coming from Suriname.

Due to the ongoing investigations, further information cannot be released at this moment.

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten Foundation for Psychologists and "Orthopeadagogen"(SFPO) is proud to announce that after much effort and consideration, a foundation which caters to the professional needs of mental health professionals, such as psychologists, orthopedagogen, counselors on St. Maarten, has been established.

The foundation consists of President drs. E.V.John-Roberts, Secretary drs. J.J.Kolfin-Baly, Treasurer drs. X.S.C.Balentina.

The objectives of SFPO are:
a. to support continuing, culture sensitive education, and research in the field of
pedagogy and psychology through seminars, publications, workshops and other
related activities;
b. to promote responsible and ethical practice in the areas of psychology and pedagogy
c. to build professional relationships with professionals within the field in the region in
order to develop psychological practices relevant to the Caribbean region;
d. to promote the increase of knowledge and efficiency among Psychologists,
Educationalist and Counselors.;
e. to seek, establish, and maintain affiliations with other Psychological Organizations
within the region.

SFPO is committed to execute the objectives and is looking forward to establishing a positive relationships with sponsors, community, press, and professionals in the field.

SFPO shall pursue its objectives by disseminating information of common interest to the general public
through discussion groups, seminars, lectures, workshops, bulletins, journals, newsletters , conferences, and other media.

For more information, please send your e-mails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):---  The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) Collective Prevention Services (CPS), would like to inform the community that the Mobile Health Clinic Bus, will be at the Walter J. Nisbeth road on the Pondfill across from Blue Point on Wednesday afternoon, February 25 to carry out screening to persons who are interested.

Residents of the Philipsburg area and surrounding environs are invited to come out between 4.00pm to 7.00pm to this community outreach activity.

Screenings for glucose, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight and BMI, hip and waist ratio, will be carried out on the spot.

The visit to the various districts is to raise individual awareness on healthy lifestyles, health determinants and health disparities, and to raise individual awareness on healthy lifestyles.

The primary mission is to deliver prevention services to the people of the nation. The first district mobile clinic took place on January 28 at the Jose Lake Ball Park in Cul de Sac.

The mobile health bus will be visiting a district each month or according to health calendar observances of the department.

If any Non-Governmental Organization's would like to collaborate activities with CPS, please feel free to contact Collective Prevention Services 542-2078 / 3003, Coordinators; Nirmala Vlaun, Public Health Nurse This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Swinda Richardson, Public Health Dietician/Nutritionist This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- Saturday, 21 February marks International Mother Language Day. The day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999.

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, on Thursday said 2015 marks the 15th anniversary of International Mother Language Day.

The theme for the international day is: 'Inclusion in and through education: Language counts.'

"Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will not only serve to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education, but would also develop more awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions," Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs said on the eve of the international day.

On 16 May, 2007, the UN General Assembly called upon member States to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world, and to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

International Mother Language day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of Parliament will meet in session on February 23rd.

The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations meeting is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The three point agenda for the meeting is the decision list regarding committee parliamentary business for the 2014-2015 period; incoming documents for the committee over the same period as noted above; and preparations for the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation that is scheduled between May 25-29 in the Netherlands.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Reliable sources within the Prime Minister's cabinet disclosed that the owner of M&M PR and Marketing Consultancy Michael Granger has submitted a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Friday. According to information SMN News gathered is that Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told Granger that he had to choose between working for his cabinet and being the President of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF). Prime Gumbs it is understood made it abundantly clear to Granger that he could not hold both positions.
The source said that Prime Minister Gumbs felt that having someone in his cabinet that is heading a foundation that receives subsidy from government would not give a good image to the country especially knowing the Kingdom is bearing down its eyes on St. Maarten with integrity issues, this of course would have created a conflict of interest. SMN News further learnt that this issue between the Prime Minister and Granger has been un-going for quite a few weeks now.  SMN News further learnt that Prime Minister Gumbs did not appreciate the way Granger was speaking to people and they were also getting concerned as to the amount of monies government was paying M&M for its services. While it was rumored and debated that Granger and his company was receiving over NAF. 80,000. 00 a month for his service. The latter was debated on Facebook which Granger refuted.
It should be noted that Granger uses his company M&M PR Marketing to market SCDF and other functions for government.
In an invited comment Michael Granger confirmed that he submitted his letter of resignation last week which will become effective as of March 31st 2015. Granger said he felt that his company has completed its tasks which is to set up the "Press Secretariat." Granger said that he already submitted his initial report to the Prime Minister informing him that the Press Secretariat is set up and fully operational. "I did not take that job to stay in the Prime Minister's cabinet my focus was to create the press secretariat and then go back to doing the things I love which is Teen Times and manage SCDF."
Asked if he eliminated the first prize from for carnival troupes for 2015 Granger denied that saying all prizes for carnival remains the same. Also when asked if the troupe leaders from 2014 received their prizes for 2014 carnival knowing that carnival on St. Maarten is just about two months away. Granger said he was in contact with everyone that was not paid in 2014 and he assured them that they will all be paid what is due to them this year. "2014 was very challenging for SCDF when it comes to getting sponsors, but this year things look much brighter because government will contribute to 2015 carnival and with that the troupes that were not paid in 2014 will be paid this year."

PHILIPSBURG:-- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen recently met with Dutch Second Chamber Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Ronald van Raak where they exchanged views about developments on Sint Maarten.

MP Ronald van Raak has been very outspoken with respect to developments in other parts of the Kingdom, in Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.

"MP Van Raak during our meeting was very clear in his belief that Sint Maarten was not ready to get autonomy in 2010 and his reactions come from this perspective.

"The MP is concerned about white collar crime and the casino sector, and he feels that not enough is being done, however, he supports the efforts of the Dutch Government regarding Integrity, but feels that another approach should have been taken.

"Regarding the Integrity Chamber, the Dutch MP feels that the course taken by the Kingdom Council of Ministers regarding the chamber does not leave much room for dialogue between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten.

"In our discussions, we also spoke about the social issues, and I informed him that social issues should be tackled simultaneously, and he agreed, and also declared his willingness to look at ways to help empower the social structures of country Sint Maarten.

"The MP and I also discussed where he gets his information about Sint Maarten, since this shapes his opinions and reactions on issues. I informed him some serious allegations have been made over the years pertaining to integrity issues, but without proof to substantiate these allegations, they tend to live a life of their own, and this has been creating a certain perception in the Netherlands and putting the relationship between our two countries sometimes unnecessarily under pressure.

"The meeting with Dutch MP Van Raak gave us both the opportunity to discuss the issues in an amicable manner. It was an open minded pleasant discussion. We both recognized the need for continued dialogue and communication.

"I also pointed out that whatever perceived problems may exist, a discussion was needed and a solution found in a mutual manner using the articles of the Kingdom Charter rather than initiative laws that will only further raise tensions unnecessarily between the two countries," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen concluded.

The meeting took place at the Sint Maarten House in The Hague. The invitation to meet came from MP Van Raak when the Minister briefly met him at the Ambassador's Conference back in January.
Dutch MP Van Raak is a member of the Socialist Party (SP).

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation entertained, educated and spread loving cheer to more than 120 of its members, volunteers, their family members and other guests at its Lunar New Year's and Valentine's Day event on Sunday, February 15.

The event was held in an effort to thank the Foundation's angels on earth (volunteers) for their volunteerism over the past calendar year and to pay homage to members, whose contributions help fuel the activities of the Foundation. Since it was held the day after Valentine's Day, the Foundation also wanted to show the importance of love in the family unit and in the world.

The event opened with Tzu Chi volunteers and pupils from the All Children's Education Foundation (ACE) delivering a lion dance performance for guests. This Lunar New Year is the year of the Sheep.

Volunteers also performed the "One Family" sign language song. The work of the Foundation over the past calendar year was also highlighted via a video presentation and elaboration from hosts. Tzu Chi was involved in numerous activities last year including helping several victims of devastating fires that occurred last year; assisting victims and a school following the passage of Hurricane Gonzalo and the devastating floods that followed days after and its regular contributions of monthly food supplies to underprivileged persons in the community.
Tzu Chi also held several fundraising activities and vegetarian food sales to raise funds for its Hope education mission to assist the ACE school; collaborated with several foundations such as the Diabetes Foundation and American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine for several projects and engaged in other activities of benefit to the community.

The Valentine's aspect of the programme featured a "gratitude presentation" with husbands/partners presenting tokens of floral appreciation to their wives and sons to their mothers, on stage. Some partners also took the time to say why their spouses were special to them.

Attendees also enjoyed some fun "unity games" with the winners receiving prizes.

The highlight of the programme was the performance of "The Man with Four Wives" skit in which volunteers depicted through their performance, the importance of good karma and living one's life in gratitude and with a giving heart.

A total of US $791.82 was collected in the bamboo bank return ceremony, in which volunteers and members returned their filled recycled bottle bamboo bank (donations bottles).

Volunteers, members and guests were also presented with a special Red Pocket gift from Tzu Chi Founder Master Cheng Yen and a gift from Tzu Chi. Each Red Pocket contained 50NT cents; three grains of rice, which were planted, cultivated an prepared from start to finish by Tzu Chi volunteers who are medical doctors and three vows: purified mind; harmonious society and free of disaster.

The curtains closed on the event with the 121 guests and 45 volunteers enjoying a vegetarian dinner prepared by the loving hands of volunteers and Cake House Supermarket.

At the end of the programme, many guests said they enjoyed the programme and were particularly enthused by the skit and the positive message it imparted on them.

MULLET BAY"--- Howard Hobgood showed his supremacy again to win the February Medal Play Golf Tournament organized by the St. Maarten Golf Association SMGA over the weekend. A nice group of 30 golfers joined him to fight for second place. Gitte Poulsen won Overall Low Net with a score of 69 after deduction of her 23 handicap.

Hobgood, who finished the par 70 Mullet Bay Golf Course with a score of 75 strokes, was the only player in the field to break 80 and as a result he won both the Overall Low Gross for the tournament, as the 1st Low Gross prize in the Men's category.

In the same category Jesus Riviera won 1st Low Net with a score of 71 strokes after deduction of his 10 handicap. In the Men's category was also the player with the fewest putts. Robert van der Heuvel needed only 28 putts over 18 holes.

The Ladies Category had a big amount of participants again this time. In total 8 ladies battled it out amongst each other. At the end Marie Gibbons won 1st Low Gross with a score of 92 strokes, 1st Low Net was won by Gitte Poulsen with a Low Net score of 69 strokes.

In the category Senior's for players between 50 and 60 years old, Philippe Thevenet won the prize for 1st Low Gross with a score of 83 strokes, 1st Low Net was won by Jean Marc Greaux with a Net score of 70.

In the Super Seniors Category for players over 60 years old, 1st Low Gross was won by Keith Graham with a score of 91 and 1st Low Net was won by Richard Gibson with a score of 90.

The February Medal Play tournament was the 4th round qualification for the 2015 St. Maarten Golf Team that will compete in the Eastern Caribbean Golf Championship that will take place in October in St. Maarten at the Mullet Bay Golf Course. For more information on tournaments or membership please contact the Golf Shop at the Mullet Bay Golf Course or like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.MaartenGolfAssociation

 Golden Rock- St. Eustatius:--- Sean Richardson who is a Progressive Labor Party (PLP) candidate in the upcoming Island Council elections has hit out at parts of the local political establishment for what he describes as "creating a closed shop and a coalition of cows when it comes to the mismanagement of the local slaughterhouse." Of the twenty or so owners of livestock on the island, preference for slaughter is given to supporters of certain parties. Other herd owners have to wait weeks before their cows appear on the butchers' slab."
The result is that this expensive government-owned facility that is open once every two weeks is not only losing vast sums of money but also offering lousy service."
"Statia beef is arguably the best product in the Caribbean if not the Americas," Richardson explains. "But their plan is to privatize the slaughterhouse into the hands of party members to enrich themselves. This conflict or 'cowflict' of interest will leave the island dependent on imported beef from the US that is full of chemicals and does little to improve reliance on local husbandry."
Richardson also asserts "Last year, training was given to the staff of the abattoir on how to slaughter and cut cuts. The aim was to butcher choice cuts to earn higher prices such as for T-bone steaks as well as improve presentation. Good plan! But no sooner had the famous Dutch trainer returned to The Netherlands, then the old habits quickly returned. T-bone steaks became L-bone steaks as the best parts of the steak were cut out and mixed in with ground beef!"
Where's the beef?
"You could not make this up!" says Richardson. "In the eighteenth century and with a population of ten thousand people, the island was self-sufficient. Today, the meat counter that is supposed to open at 8 o'clock never does and the counter shelves are empty. Why? Because they slaughter the day before and the rest of the work is left undone."
"Instead of opening twice a month, they should be open twice or three times a week. They should let the meat hang for 48 hours before sale and they should not keep meat and fish in the same counter as they were trained not to do by the Dutch trainer. This is illegal everywhere on the planet except on Statia."
"Customers may wait one hour to buy ground beef while it is made. This is nonsense."
While Richardson, now 40, realizes that his cow-pokes are inviting reaction, he remains adamant. "They have produced a glossy program of what they will do when they come to office. Voters should know that they have not explained how they will do any of it. Turkeys in the US do not vote for Thanksgiving and voters on Statia should not vote for turkeys!"
"They want to milk the community of its hard-earned tax payer's money – most of which will disappear in their own pockets. The cows are now coming home but not to them!"
"All the bad things that happen on Statia are a result of the same old people doing the same old thing for many years: looking after themselves."
If elected, Sean Richardson and his party aim to transform the slaughter house facility into a profit center, "Why sell meat to Nevis at a price less than cost? Where is the beef? Money is disappearing out the back door to whomever and wherever. The Government and people of St Eustatius are left to pick up the bill."
Romantic absence
"And when the PLP returns to office we shall be demanding not only correct veterinary inspection of animals for slaughter but also correct inspection of expenses claimed by all public servants. By all accounts, these declarations are currently based more on romantic absence than on financial attachment. Absence during office hours being the second most prevalent attribute."
"We expect decent cuts from our slaughterhouse. We expect fair play and no closed shop. The abattoir slab may well have been designed for four legged domestic animals but there are various two-legged animals on St Eustatius that require further inspection! "
Sean Richardson is number seven on the PLP list of candidates. He believes that the age of old style politics is over. "People want participation not empty promises. The web will help us to provide a new kind of future that is about more involvement – but that is just a communication tool. The human web is the most powerful driver and that is about listening and sharing – not waving red flags. When 'they' are in office, there are enough red flags raised over their whole style of government."
"Over the next few weeks, my party will campaign for more openness in local government. It will also project a more exciting PLP future that embraces respect for island culture and a better way forward for ALL who have worked so hard to make this rock their home, my fellow Statia-People."

In the past month, Police and The Public Prosecutor's Office investigated two serious violent crimes on Saba. In the last case, concerning a serious violent act in The Bottom on January 31st, the suspects are still in preventive custody. Last Friday they were transferred to the house of detention on Bonaire. It regards M.G.H and L.H.
In the first case, concerning a case of domestic violence on January 19th, the suspect was released by the examining judge (rechtercommissaris). This was subject to conditions. The initials of this suspect are P.H-N.
There are differences between these investigations of violence. In the case of P.H-N. The Public Prosecutor's Office did request that the suspect be held in custody longer, however this was not allowed by the court appointed examining judge (rechtercommissaris). However, so long the investigation was still ongoing, his passport was withheld.
The suspect had to remain on Saba during the investigation. Particular in this case is that the suspect as well as his victim did not want to remain on Saba but return to Canada. The victim left the island shortly after the violence and with that the chance for recurrence was small. Meanwhile, the investigation has been completed and the suspect has left the island. There are indications that the authorities in Canada are now also actively involved with the matter. There, the most focused efforts can be made to prevent repetition and for any assistance. Moreover, the suspect has been indicted to appear before a judge on Saba on 16 June upcoming.
In the case of M.G.H. and L.H., the excessive violence has taken place on the public road. As a result, the impact on the feeling of security is far greater. In legal terms, there is a greater infringement of the rule of law than with violence in a relationship. That infringement may be a major reason for remand. The police investigation also learnt that there has been a long-running conflict. That makes the chance of repetition or continuation of the violence much greater. That too is a reason to detain the suspects. One of the suspects was already convicted for assault.
Finally, the violence used was of such that, a prison sentence longer than the time that the men are in custody is obvious. And the effect of punishment is the largest if that penalty immediately follows the violence. In the past month it pertained violent cases, but these differ so much that they actually are not comparable.

Verloop van geweldszaken op Saba

In de afgelopen maand hebben politie en Openbaar Ministerie twee ernstige geweldsdelicten op Saba onderzocht.
In de laatste zaak, betreffende een ernstige geweldpleging in The Bottom op 31 januari, verblijven de verdachten nog steeds in voorlopige hechtenis. Zij zijn afgelopen vrijdag overgebracht naar het Huis van bewaring op Bonaire. Het gaat om M.G.H. en L.H.
In de eerste zaak, betreffende een geval van relationeel geweld rond 19 januari, is de verdachte door de rechter-commissaris op vrije voeten gesteld. Zij het onder voorwaarden. De intitalen van deze verdachte zijn P.H-N.)
Er zijn verschillen tussen deze geweldsonderzoeken.
In de zaak van P.H-N. is door het Openbaar Ministerie wel gevraagd om de verdachte langer in hechtenis te mogen houden, maar dat is door de rechter-commissaris niet toegestaan. Wel is, zo lang het onderzoek nog liep zijn paspoort ingenomen. De verdachte moest tijdens het onderzoek op Saba blijven. Het bijzondere is ook dat zowel de verdachte als zijn slachtoffer niet op Saba wilden verblijven maar naar Canada wilden terugkeren. Het slachtoffer heeft kort na het geweld het eiland al verlaten en daarmee was de kans op herhaling klein.
Inmiddels is het onderzoek afgerond en de verdachte heeft het eiland verlaten.
Er zijn aanwijzingen dat de autoriteiten in Canada zich ook actief met de kwestie bezig houden. Daar kan ook het meest gericht worden gewerkt aan voorkoming van herhaling en eventuele hulpverlening. Overigens is de verdachte gedagvaard voor de rechter op Saba op 16 juni aanstaande.
In de zaak van M.G.H. en L.H. heeft het buitensporige geweld plaatsgevonden op de openbare weg. Daardoor is de impact op het veiligheidsgevoel veel groter. In juridische termen is er sprake van een grotere inbreuk op de rechtsorde dan bij geweld in een relatie. Die inbreuk kan een belangrijke reden zijn voor voorlopige hechtenis. Ook leert het politie-onderzoek dat er sprake is van een langlopend conflict. Dat maakt de kans op herhaling of voortzetting van het geweld veel groter. Ook dat is een reden om de verdachten vast te houden. Een van de verdachten is al eerder veroordeeld wegens geweldpleging.
Tenslotte is het gebruikte geweld zodanig geweest dat een gevangenisstraf die langer is dan de tijd dat de mannen in hechtenis zitten, voor de hand ligt. En het effect van straf is het grootst als die straf meteen volgt op het geweld.

Het ging in de afgelopen maand dus over geweldszaken, maar deze zaken verschillen zozeer dat zij eigenlijk niet met elkaar te vergelijken zijn.

CUL DE SAC:--- St. Maarten Academy recorded a successful Open House on Thursday, February 12, 2015, where it provided information to parents of students who are preparing to write the upcoming Foundation Based Education (FBE) Exit Examinations.
Amid a packed courtyard at the school's academic campus, Principal drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool presented a visual to parents and students of Grade 6 of several elementary schools of what the Academy has to offer. The meeting ran from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.
"We strive to make all our students feel comfortable so that they can perform optimally," Mrs. Baly-Vanterpool stressed, underscoring the school's motto of caring, learning, achieving and excelling.
Students were encouraged to do their best at the FBE Exit Examinations as they need a combined average score of 70 percent or higher to gain admission to Form 1 at the Academy.
"Once you get here, you will be exposed to 14 subjects – Art, Care, Civics, Dutch, English Language and Literature, French, Guidance & Mentoring, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Social Studies, and Spanish," the principal stated. She emphasized that once at the school, students can earn rewards for exceptional academic and extracurricular performances.
"We have an excellent rewards system. Each term, the top performing student of each class gets a gift and, at the end of the school year, the Parents Teacher Foundation (PTF) also rewards all the top performing students."
Aside from that, Baly-Vanterpool stressed, teachers at the Academy work beyond the call of duty – after school and on weekends – to ensure that students perform optimally. She boasts that for more than a decade, the Academy has been recording 100 percent passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. That evening, Baly-Vanterpool took the opportunity to introduce the full complement of her teaching and support staff in attendance. She maintained that it takes a team to achieve success and she had more than 90 percent of her team behind her that night.
"Then last September, we went a step further by introducing Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), where your child can spend an extra year or two right here at home, thereby shaving off some time and money from their university/college studies."
St. Maarten Academy partners with all – Management, teachers, parents and the community at large – so that students develop character, intellect, moral values, and social and civic responsibility to become effective and productive members locally, and in a global society.
That evening, parents and prospective students enjoyed a tour of the campus and there were presentations by several teachers and students of the school. The school has a diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and national population of an average of 500 students. It is fully accredited.

CUL DE SAC:--- St. Maarten Academy CAPE students travelled to the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School in Anguilla on Monday, February 16, 2015 as part of a one day workshop to allow students to attend classes and interact with students who are doing the CAPE programme in Anguilla.
Nine students and four teachers participated in this initiative where students actually sat and worked in a CAPE class and also got to speak to the other CAPE students so that they were able to hear from their peers at that level what is required of them. The CAPE students pursued Pure Mathematics, Accounting, Communication Studies, and Information Technology units and were fully immersed and engaged in these classes
"The St. Maarten Academy is mindful of the fact that these are the first set of students doing this programme so they do not have anyone to turn to who may tell them what to expect and how to go about navigating the waters and we felt that if they heard from other students and attended CAPE classes they may be better able to understand what is required of them," said CAPE Coordinator, Ms. Roxanne Bloomfield.
The Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School in Anguilla, led by Principal, Ms. Ingrid Lake was receptive to the idea of having this interaction and so a CAPE trip to the high school was organized. Principal Lake and her team of CAPE teachers were invaluable in this process. The teachers were wonderful to work with as they ensured that the students from St. Maarten Academy were fully engaged in the learning process.
St. Maarten Academy, under the guidance of the Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE) emerged in 1974 as the first secondary school with English as the language of instruction. The St. Maarten Academy is the first school on the island to introduce CAPE programme of study.
"We believe that it would be a great offering to the population of St. Maarten as the programme seeks to offer a Caribbean Associate Degree in three areas: Natural Sciences, Business Studies and General Studies," Bloomfield stated.
"We take advantage of every opportunity we have to expose students to what is expected at CAPE," said Academy Principal, drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool. "In April, we are planning a similar trip for the CAPE Science students, this time to the Commonwealth of Dominica," said Baly-Vanterpool.
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) is one of the programmes offered by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC). It is a post-secondary degree programme that has been in existence for over 16 years. For more information about the CAPE programme or The St. Maarten Academy, interested persons can contact Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool 721-548-3780, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (VROMI) Department of Infrastructure Management hosted a meeting with the St. Peters Community Council and CPO last night, inaugurating the long-term collaboration of the council in assisting both the ministry and the KPSM in effectively executing responsibilities and enhancing the quality of life for the residents of St. Peters.
The St. Peters Community Council is the second assisting group to join the effort which was initiated with the South Reward Community Council last week. Ministry VROMI is experiencing positive growth to the tri-party assembly.
Attendees acknowledged a joint responsibility in the activities going forward to assure a fruitful collaboration that would generate the desired results. Next steps discussed includes an inventory of critical issues and concerns that require immediate attention, follow-up meetings with the council and relevant stakeholders to establish and execute a plan of approach, and measurement tools to identify best practices and overall progress.
St. Peters Community Council President, Natasha Manuela confirmed that the initiative is a well needed assistance in the area of St. Peters and "We will do our part," she said, to create the environment her council desires for the entire community of St. Peters.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen met with Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament Chairman of the Kingdom Relations Committee Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Jeroen Recourt as part of her orientation visit to different government entities in The Hague since becoming minister.

The purpose of the visit was to gather information with respect to the next Kingdom Conference which has been rescheduled to be held on Curacao.

"It is important that as a representative of the Government of Sint Maarten here in the Netherlands, that you have a good relationship with the different players.

"It helps to build relations and for the other party to have a better understanding about developments within the country. MP Recourt when he was appointed to chair the committee stated that he will contribute to the strengthening of the relations between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten, Curacao and Aruba.

"The inter-parliamentary discussions within the Kingdom provide a very good platform for the building and strengthening of relations. MP Recourt has a positive outlook on building relations with Sint Maarten," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said.

MP Recourt is a member of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA).

PHILIPSBURG:--- Recently Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen paid a courtesy visit to the Dutch First Chamber of Parliament Chairlady Hon. Anke Broekers-Knol at the First Chamber in The Hague.

"We had a very fruitful discussion and the Chairlady shared common and respectful understanding for Sint Maarten in which she also showed great interests," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On February 16th 2015 Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP-SXM) hosted a seminar on Next Generation Mobile Spectrum Management at Divi Little Bay Beach resort, to educate St. Maarten Telecom providers on several topics that are important to effectively manage a mobile telecom network.

Chief Operating Officer of BTP-SXM, Mr. Giovanni King, gave a presentation on the role of the regulator, the future of telecom and the importance of embracing latest technology standards for the betterment of telecommunication services on the island. Mr. King stated: "mobile broadband is key for socio-economic development of a country, and managing & harmonizing mobile spectrum is required for sustainable development of mobile broadband.

Key note address came from Dutch Telecom Expert Mr. Jan van Rees. During an in-depth presentation, Mr. van Rees discussed several global case studies and shared his thoughts on the future of technology. "Nowadays, mobile users are consuming ten times more mobile data than in the recent past, and usage will only go up as people are using their mobile devices for video calls, TV, social media, online shopping, banking, health, education and much more. In addition to that, "machine to machine communication" is becoming more popular globally. Just think of all the cars, copy machines, alarm systems and electronic meters that are equipped with mobile chips and directly communicating with other devices. These developments are all very positive but it requires an enormous amount of mobile bandwidth, and mobile operators can only facilitate this data growth if they upgrade to latest mobile technology standards such as LTE".

Amongst the people present where local telecom providers, Telem, UTS, Scarlet, Zenitel and the new concession holders Corporate Innovations and Beach Mart Television. Mr. King is extending his gratitude to all the providers for their active participation in this session.

In closing Mr. King stated: "I realize that the mountainous landscape of St. Maarten and the small economy of scale often makes it more challenging for local telecom providers to provide state of the art telecom services. But despite these disadvantages, I'm pleased to see that all the providers are making great efforts to bring in new technologies to offer good, reliable telecom services on our island".

Presentations will be availible on the BTP-SXM website: www.sxmregulator.sx

Sir Richard Branson Commends Islands on Shark and Ocean Conservation Efforts

Bimini- Political Leaders, Government Representatives and Conservationists from the Dutch Caribbean attended a high-level Caribbean Shark Conservation Leadership Retreat in Bimini, Bahamas last week, where significant discussions were held regarding the conservation of Sharks and Rays and the protection of the Ocean Environment in the wider-Caribbean Region. The Retreat, hosted by the PEW Charitable Trust; former President of Costa Rica and co-chair of the Global Ocean's Commission Jose-Maria Figures; and well-known businessman and environmental steward Sir Richard Branson, brought together conservation and political leaders, filmmakers and scientists from around the wider Caribbean region in order to discuss the protection and conservation of sharks and the Marine Environment.

During the event the delegates from the Dutch Caribbean; Commissioner Chris Johnson of Saba, Commissioner Carlisle Tearr from St. Eustatius, Mr. Frank van Slobbe of Bonaire, Saba Conservation Foundation Manager Kai Wulf and St. Maarten Nature Foundation Manager Tadzio Bervoets discussed, deliberated and brainstormed on topics centred on the current status of shark conservation on the Dutch islands, current research and challenges and a push for a shark sanctuary for the region.

Significant emphasis was placed on public support being critical for the successful protection of sharks. Commissioner Chris Johnson, during a breakfast session held by Sir Richard Branson, led the debate centred on education being a critical component of shark and marine conservation and screened the "Sharks Demystified" documentary, initiated by Kai Wulf of the Saba Conservation Foundation. The documentary was filmed on Saba, Statia and St. Maarten and features scientists, conservationists, fishermen and divers who discuss the importance of sharks to the marine environment. Commissioner Carlisle Tearr presented Sir Richard with information on efforts on Statia and Tadzio Bervoets of Sint Maarten explained shark conservation efforts on Sint Maarten and will provide a detailed report to Prime Minister the Honourable Marcel Gumbs who has asked for a full briefing on the meeting. Both Johnson and Tearr pledged to bring the issue of creating a shark sanctuary of their EEZ to the local governments of Saba and Statia, a process already started this week with the assistance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands. Sir Richard complimented the islands for the work they have been doing in protecting sharks and conserving the ocean environment.

Delegates also visited the Bimini Biological Research Station and received information on shark research efforts from renowned shark biologist Dr Samuel Gruber. There were also several in-water interactions with Caribbean Reef and Hammerhead Sharks.

As recently as ten years ago, sharks, the apex predator of marine ecosystems, where abundant in Caribbean coastal waters. Over the past several years however it has been estimated that 100 million sharks are killed annually and many species are now faced with extinction.
Sharks are seen globally as a charismatic species and their plight has garnered much global attention. The Dutch Caribbean, through the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, has been awarded 1.8 million Euros in Dutch Lottery Project funding to expand shark conservation efforts in the region. Travel cost and participation at the meeting was completely covered by the PEW Charitable Trust.

WILLEMSTAD – Last week was another milestone for the soon to be local aviation company AVA Airways. The representatives of the company had the opportunity to meet with the leader of the coalition party PNP and also Member of Parliament, Humphrey Davelaar. Davelaar is the leader of the party that has appointed Earl Balborda as Minister of Transport, Traffic and Urban Planning. Balborda's Ministry is responsible for the aviation sector of the island.

AVA Airways, represented by its President Giovanni Atalita and co-founder Olivier Arrindell, gave an extensive explanation about the progress of the aviation company. They also spoke about the added value the airline will have for the economy of the island.

In 2014, Arrindel presented his plans to the Minister of Economic Development, Stanley Palm. "One of our main objectives is to learn from the past and to propose a bold new direction for commercial aviation in Curacao. Curacao's economic situation needs this at the moment," Arrindell stated.

"AVA Airways will be a pioneer in the Caribbean. From the way we sell our tickets to the services we offer on our aircrafts, to even which type of aircraft we will use, will be completely innovative, especially for an island like Curacao," said the airline co-founder.

AVA Airways meets with Airbus regional representatives

WILLEMSTAD:--- The new aviation company AVA Airways again takes another step in the right direction. The President of the company, Giovanni Atalita and the Chairman of the Board, Olivier Arrindell met with Airbus' regional representatives here on Curaçao.

Representing Airbus were Mr. Gonzalo Ramos Garzón who is the sales director for Latin America and the Caribbean and Mr. Ismael Gomez-Martin who works in the marketing division of the aircraft manufacturer.

The main point of the meeting was the pending AVA's economic permit, which is still being processed by the Curaçao Civil Aviation Company. Once the permit has been granted, the airline can then proceed with its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). The negotiations between the two parties can then continue with the acquisition of the needed aircrafts.

AVA Airways will start its operations with the A319/A320 aircraft types. The Airbus representatives also explained about the Airbus A320neo.

The Airbus A320neo family is a family of aircraft under development by Airbus replacing the predecessor A320 family (now A320ceo (current engine option).The letters "neo" stand for "New Engine Option" and are the last step of the modernization program A320 Enhanced (or "A320E") which was started in 2006.

According to Mr. Arrindell this type of aircraft fits perfect into AVA's operations.

Both AVA's representatives were very satisfied with the meeting and are looking forward to the cooperation with one of the world's leading aircraft manufacturer.

Curacao Chronicle

PHILIPSBURG:--- After several months of preparation and contacts between the two foundations, Cooperating Foundations was happy to present a check to Helping Hands Foundation. The grant of US$ 60,000 will go towards the purchase of a new wheel chair bus.
Mrs. Elvia Guy, President of the Helping Hands Foundation showed her gratitude to Samenwerkende Fondsen and expressed how grateful the board and their clients are. She thanked all who were instrumental in getting the bus organized. A special thank you went to Mr. Eric Vlaun for the generous deduction in the full cost price of the bus. "This was definitely a great help in getting the project approved", Jose Sommers, Project Advisor of Samenwerkende Fondsen stated.
Mr. Vlaun showed his appreciation and was happy to see Helping Hands return to his garage after they purchased a bus for their organization a number of years ago. He explained the importance of helping people in the community and was happy to give his support.
On an annual basis Helping Hands Foundation makes more than ten thousand trips to transport the elderly and disabled to medical facilities, recreational activities and other places where they cannot get themselves with private or public transportation. Over the years Helping Hands has seen a significant increase in requests for assistance in transportation. The newly ordered bus, which is currently manufactured in Japan, will definitely help the organization to meet the growing needs of the community.

Pond Island:---  Winners of the 2014 TelCell Breakthrough talent search are bringing home some positive messages to St. Maarten's youth, which they hope will inspire them to excell in school, at work and also at play.

Winners, Arias, Tristan, Serenity and Generation New Status drum band
are now busy promoting new billboard messages outside, schools, sports centers and other establishments where young people gather, in which they are featured.

One of the messages is clearly featured at the entrance of the Philipsburg Jubillee Library, where the yougsters gathered Tuesday for a photo shoot.

"The new posters, featuring the new winners of TelCell Breakthrough 2014 are now in place around St. Maarten, so we can say we are really cranking up the work that these talented youngsters will be doing in the coming weeks," said show promoter in collaboration with mobile provider TelCell, Berteaux "Mr. Rude" Fleming of Xtratight Entertainment.

He said that work will include individual promotional spots for all the artistes as well as group promotions including collaboration on a Mix tape and a music video in a professionally equipped studio.

"We are very excited about helping our winners to realize their dreams by giving them a feel of what it is like to be in the spotlight like many of the music and TV stars they look up to," said Mr. Rude.

He thanked the TelEm Group/TelCell team of Angel Richardson, David Evans and Suraj Ramdas for their continued enthusiasm in the popular Breakthrough event and for once again making the latest show winners feel special.

Show Coordinator, Angel Richardson says the 2014 winning team have already established themselves as role models for the youth with a number of public appearances and now with the promotion of their posters.

"We are very proud to foster their talent to the benefit of all youth," said Angel.

The winners themselves said they are very happy with how they have been received by their peers and members of the public so far.

"The great thing about TelCell Breakthrough is that it didn't stop with the finals. It is a great year round program where we can perform, produce, work on our respective talents and be an example to other young people," said the Breakthrough winners following Tuesday's shoot.

They revealed that they are now busy in the studio with Mr. Rude, working on their collaboration single and video clip which will be released soon under the Rock N' Vibes label.

The show organizers have meantime informed that they are also busy preparing for the upcoming Breakthrough 2015 talent search – already gearing up to be the biggest and best with a record number of performers expected to register in the preliminary knockout rounds.

Stay tuned for more information.

Harbour View:---  On Monday, February 16, 2015,His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday administered the oath to Mr. Hubert Lopez and Mr. Thomas Kok as the new members of the Supervisory Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten at the Governor's Cabinet. The Minister of Finance Mr. Martin Hassink and Supervisory Director Ms. Marcia Illidge attended the oath taking ceremony. Governor Holiday wished both new Supervisory Directors wisdom and success in the execution of this important function.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday, February 17th, between 03.10 p.m. and 03.20 p.m. an unknown man with his face covered and brandishing a firearm first robbed "Sheik Supermarket" and shortly after robbed the "Sint Peters Corner Supermarket." During these robberies the suspect threatened to use his firearm and succeeded in taking an unknown amount of cash. After committing these acts the suspect took off running. Several patrols were sent to the area to search for the suspect. During this search a suspicious vehicle was located on the Marigot hill road. In the vehicle several items were found which indicated that this vehicle was possibly used as a "get away vehicle." These items along with the vehicle were confiscated for further investigation buy the Special Robbery Unit. No suspect in this case has been arrested far.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) awarded Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Condo Hotel with the first and only Green Key Eco-label certification in St. Maarten, solidifying St. Maarten's reputation as a destination that is serious about the environment.
"Here at Princess Heights, we've been using Green Key guidelines as a model for best practices for many years," said Emil Lee, General Manager of Princess Heights. "If 'being green' translated to higher prices, it would not be sustainable for businesses to make green choices. We believe that the Green Key model is straightforward, good for the environment, good for the island and good for tourism," Lee continued.
International Green Key Director Finn Thomsen of the non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which owns and runs the program, was on hand to mark the hotel's Green Key inauguration. This was the first inauguration he has attended in the Caribbean. Thomsen said he was "pleased that everything he had hoped for was in compliance" during a mock audit of the hotel earlier that day.
In order for Princess Heights to qualify for Green Key Eco-label certification, the hotel had to meet the following assessment criteria: environmental management; staff involvement; water; washing and cleaning; waste; energy; food and beverage; indoor environment; parking areas; green activities; and administration.
Green Key is currently the largest global eco-label for accommodations recognized and supported by the World Tourism Organization and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). More than 2,300 hotels and other sites in 46 countries have been awarded with the Green Key Eco-label. Establishments are certified after fulfilling a host of requirements and are expected to adhere to more guidelines as time goes on. Princess Heights became certified through Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), the program's national operator. EPIC became a FEE associate member in 2008, with the help of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, and is set to become a full-fledged member in the coming months.
St. Maarten is the third Caribbean country to implement the Green Key program, after Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic however the island is currently the only country in the Dutch Caribbean to have a Green Key location. The Green Key Eco-label has become an international symbol of quality recognized by governments, non-governmental organizations and tour operators and is used for the promotion of the awarded property.
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) at the end of January to recognize FEE's Green Key program in the Caribbean as well as CHTA's sustainability initiatives.
For more information on St. Maarten, visit the official site of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau at www.VacationStMaarten.com.
St. Maarten
St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France, creating a European-influenced vibe with a Caribbean flair. As "the culinary capital of the Caribbean," St. Maarten offers an eclectic array of cuisine fusion for food lovers with more than 365 restaurants, one for each day of the year to satisfy the tastes of every palate and pocketbook.
Accommodations are varied and include elegant private villas, family oriented resorts, quaint cottages and luxury spa resorts. Air service is available to Princess Juliana International Airport from numerous U.S. and Canadian cities as well as from Europe, South America and the Caribbean.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of the St. Maarten Zoological & Botanical Garden Foundation would like to extend a warm felt thank you to the St. Dominic High School's Interact Club who raised over $1000.00 over the Christmas vacation with their gift wrapping fundraiser event.
The St. Dominic High School Interact Club decided to choose the St. Maarten Zoo as their beneficiary organization, donating two vouchers from local hardware supply stores totaling a sum of $1000.00 to purchase the materials necessary to continue upgrading the St. Maarten Zoo in Madame Estate.
"It has come to our attention that the St. Maarten Zoo required some sort of attention and therefore, we decided to assist them since we believe it is essential to have a healthy and functional zoo in the community," stated President of the Interact Club of St. Dominic High, Ajay Dayalani.
Over a period of five days members of the Interact Club wrapped potential presents at two different locations on St. Maarten in order to raise funds for a local organization in need, such as the St. Maarten Zoo Foundation.

PHILIPSBURG – The St. Maarten Zoo sure is starting off 2015 on the right hoof! The Board of the Foundation would like to extend their gratitude to Halley Dental Clinic in Simpson Bay for sponsoring two enclosures for the Zoo's guinea pigs and rabbits. The new enclosures provide better coverage from the elements as well as more exercise and entertainment for the guinea pigs. Currently, the Zoo is using only one enclosure for the guinea pigs and the other is to be used for the rabbits once
the new petting zoo is completed later on this year.
Alongside the new coats of paint and repaired benches, the Zoo is inviting the general public to come on down to Madame Estate and see our renovations' progress.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Kooyman is pleased to announce a special guest for their upcoming Home Improvement Fair. Miss MAKITA - Maria Alejandra Montoya, spokes model of MAKITA brand Industrial power tools and Accessories will be live at the Kooyman Home Improvement Fair on Saturday February 28th.
The Kooyman team will welcome vendors and other top suppliers such as AIR MASTER Windows & Doors, MAPEI Adhesives, Sealants and Building Products, GLOBAL Professional High End paint manufacturer, and MAKITA Power Tools as well as local suppliers such as, Rollfix, SBS, City Furniture, Paradise Pools, WIB and more.
The event will feature a series of live product demonstrations, expert advice and estimates. There will also be music entertainment, a food sale, lots of free giveaways and exclusive product discounts. Where by MAKITA brand products will be offering exclusive specials throughout the day on February 28th.
In addition Miss MAKITA will also be available for a meet & greet and sign autographs. Lucky Kooyman customers in attendance will also get the opportunity to take a keepsake picture of Miss MAKITA in the signature MAKITA Photo booth.
For more information on the Kooyman Home Improvement Fair, visit www.kooymanbv.com or like us on facebook.com/Kooyman.StMaarten for live updates.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotary has heart is a project that was initiated by 2013-2014 Rotary International Vice President Dr. Anne L. Matthews. The purpose of this project was to bring awareness to one of the main focuses of Rotary, addressing hunger and hunger related issues during the week of Valentine's Day. Last year Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise partnered with Mary Brison of Meals on Wheels Foundation to feed 120 children and elderly.

This year Rotary has heart will not only be celebrated on Valentine's Day, but encompasses the whole 3rd quarter of Rotary year (January-March). Also, the community service project has been expanded to include anything that showcases our love for our community, be it hunger awareness as was the case last year or donating to a worthy cause.

Rotary Sunrise has decided that this year members will be cooking a three course meal for children at a foster home. In addition on February 24, 2015 we will be awarding the schools, foundations or associations that have been approved for sponsorship by our board. We are proud to be celebrating our 10th year of contributing to our community and even prouder to be part of 110 year tradition of being of service to the world.

The club meets at Philipsburg Jubilee Library Conference Room every Tuesday mornings at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise

Cycle One class assisted with establishing in-school recycling program

PHILIPSBURG:--- In its efforts to continue to bring environmental and conservation awareness into schools the Nature Foundation recently gave a presentation to the cycle one class of the Asha Stevens Christian Hillside School focused on the importance of Recycling. Nature Foundation Office Manager Marisa Dyer-Brandy explained the young students the importance of recycling and the dangers of especially plastic to the terrestrial and ocean environments of Sint Maarten and what can be done to recycle used products.

The Foundation also assisted the school with establishing a recycle program where plastic, glass and cardboard will be separated by the young students. A follow-up presentation will also be given to the cycle two class.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Last week Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen received a visit from Dr. M.W.C. Feteris who was recently appointed to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Netherlands.

Dr. Feteris was making his orientation rounds in The Hague last week which also included a visit to the Sint Maarten to meet Sint Maarten's Minister Plenipotentiary.

"It was an honour to receive Dr. Feteris at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary. At the end of his visit I presented him with a book about the political history of the country," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said.

The meeting took place at the Sint Maarten House in The Hague.

POINT BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten – In 2013, King Ocean Services, a family of companies that specializes in cargo transportation throughout the Western Hemisphere, officially launched their services in St. Maarten at a launch party held at Divi Little Bay Resort.

Last week King Ocean management officials Franco Da Costa Gomez and Charles Gittens, met with Port St. Maarten management to discuss future strategic developments in cargo movements and trade. At the same time, the representatives from King Ocean recommitted themselves in a firm manner to increasing business ties and partnership with the port.

Port St. Maarten has seen King Ocean local imports of goods and cargo increase by 34 per cent in 2014; and their transshipment cargo has increased by a whopping 187 per cent in 2014 over 2013.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo said on Monday that the figures speak for themselves. "Investments in the port over the years, in cargo infrastructure and operations, have resulted in positive results. By increasing efficiency in cargo port operations, we are able to handle more vessels and keep pace with economic growth of our country and that of the surrounding islands. The figures tell of the importance of our hub function in the north eastern Caribbean.

"The strategic location of the country allows us to service the four neighboring islands of Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba and St. Eustatius. Our recent meetings with government officials in Saba and St. Eustatius demonstrate Port St. Maarten's commitment to the islands.

"King Ocean has successfully increased their local and transshipment volume immensely since joining the cargo operations section of Port St. Maarten and becoming one of the major stakeholders in the country and the neighboring islands.

"King Ocean, just like the other cargo lines that service the country and the north eastern Caribbean, recognize the strategic proximity and connectivity that our country has to offer. King Ocean has shown true commitment in developing their market share and have successfully done so based on the investments that Port St. Maarten has made in cargo infrastructure and capabilities along with a highly trained and efficient staff," CEO Mark Mingo pointed out on Monday.

King Ocean Services offers an array of maritime transport services between ports in Florida, U.S.A. and more than a dozen of ports throughout South, Central America and the Caribbean.

The company has more than 30-years of experience with specialty in various types of cargo containerized and general including, but not limited to raw materials, food (dry goods), refrigerated cargo, vehicles and parts, construction machinery, building materials, jewelry, and clothing accessories.

King Ocean vessels make weekly connections from the Port of Jacksonville, Miami and Port Everglades in the South of Florida, with Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, and with the Eastern Caribbean. Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador in Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, are all part of the companies weekly callings.

The company has a network of 20 offices that it has opened over the 30-year period in business and is a proud participant in the CTPAT program with the United States Customs and Border Protection.

King Ocean Services was founded in 1982 by the Da Costa Gomez family.

PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R, Charles Gittens (King Ocean), Franco Da Costa Gomez (King Ocean), Humphrey Mezas (Chairman of Port St. Maarten Supervisory Board), Mark Mingo (CEO), Ton van Kooten (Port St. Maarten Chief Financial Officer), Roger Lawrence (Port St. Maarten Manager Cargo and Terminal Operations), and Hector Peters (Port St. Maarten General and Governmental Affairs).

GREAT BAY:---  Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, says the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an epidemiological alert regarding a measles outbreak and implications for the Americas, and has called for strengthened surveillance activities by Member States and to take appropriate measures to protect residents against measles and rubella.

PAHO advises that all travelers over the age of six months (with the exceptions noted below) going to areas with documented measles virus circulation, to be fully vaccinated against measles and rubella, preferably with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. Ideally, the vaccine should be administered at least two weeks before departure.

Infants who receive the MMR vaccine before their first birthday must be revaccinated according to their country's vaccination schedule.

Travelers who are not up to date on their vaccinations are at higher risk of contracting either disease when in close contact with travelers from countries where the viruses still circulate.

Exceptions to this recommendation include persons with medical contraindications to the measles and rubella vaccine. Additionally, infants under the age of six months should not be vaccinated.

Persons considered immune to measles and rubella, which are those who can present: written documentation of having received measles and rubella vaccination; or laboratory confirmation of rubella and measles immunity (a positive serological test for the measles and rubella-specific IgG antibodies).

The total count across the Americas of imported cases from 2003 to 2014 reached 5,077 cases, most of which have occurred in 2011 and 2014.

In 2015, a total of 147 cases have been reported as of epidemiological week 5 of 2015, ending on February 7, most of which were related to a large multi-state outbreak in the United States.

In Brazil between 2013 and 2015, a total of 971 confirmed measles cases were reported in the Federal District and nine states. Canada is currently investigating two separate measles outbreaks.

A total of 121 measles cases have been reported in the United States of America from 1 January to 6 February 2015 in 17 states and Washington, DC.

Family physicians were alerted last month by CPS with respect to being observant regarding measles.

The Caribbean sub-region has been successful in maintaining a measles-free status since 1991. In light of the strong travel ties between the Caribbean and the USA, and given that we are in the midst of the tourism high-season, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has advised enhanced vigilance for fever-rash syndromes among members of the local and visitor populations.

CPS advises guardians and parents to check their children's vaccination status to see whether they are up to date. If persons decide to travel, they should also check their vaccination status and to make use of every opportunity to get vaccinated according to the schedule. If you need additional information call CPS at 542-3003 or 2078.

The majority of people who get measles are unvaccinated.

Other individuals who should get their vaccination status checked are, health care workers, pregnant women, pre-and exam class students, as well as groups at risks such as waste/garbage handlers, the Police, hotel and restaurant workers, and others to verify and update their vaccination status, particularly on Hepatitis B and Tetanus.

Immunization averts an estimated two-three million deaths every year, protecting children from diphtheria, measles, pertussis (better known as whooping cough), pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhea, rubella, tetanus and others.

Government and Supervisory Boards must respect Parliament and provide the answers necessary.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament and Leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams along with the President of the Democratic Party Board Emil Lee high-lighted several issues that they felt needs to be clarified.
Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said on Monday during a press conference that the "Counterpart Policy" used by MP Cornelius de Weever was not the reason why the number two candidate of the DP Faction broke the first coalition. She said there was a disagreement but refused to elaborate when asked by SMN News what was the real reason why MP Cornelius de Weever abandoned the first coalition on September 24th 2014.
MP Wescot Williams said that during the budget debate Parliament was told that the Counterpart policy will be introduced during the third quarter of 2015, but when she met with the Minister she was told that consultations have to take place. Wescot Williams said she want to know if the advice given by the SER will be considered and if main stakeholders such as the tripartite committee and other stakeholders will be consulted for their input during the consultations. President of the DP board Emil Lee said he wants to know if based on the advice of the SER and stakeholders if government will revamp the policy prior to introducing it while his party leader and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams questioned when exactly this policy will be introduced.
MP Sarah Wescot Williams also expressed concerns about the way Ministers and members of the supervisory boards respond to questions posed by Members of Parliament. Wescot Williams said that Parliament primary role is to question government and while Members of Parliament and Ministers have immunity while on the floor of Parliament she felt that those that are called to Parliament needs to provide the information Parliament is asking for. MP Wescot Williams gave an example that took place last week when GEBE was called to Parliament. She said Member of Parliament William Marlin asked about an MOU GEBE signed with someone unknown to Parliament for renewable energy. Wescot Williams said while she did not pose the question the response given by the management and supervisory board of GEBE is not at all acceptable. She said another MP intervened and asked GEBE to provide the information in writing which they quickly agreed to, however she made clear that whatever is sent to Parliament is public. When asked by SMN News if the way Ministers and members of the various supervisory board reacts to Parliament is something Members of Parliament created because most of the time MPs do not show up for work while they are receiving a full salary and in many cases when they do they are ill-prepared. MP Wescot Williams said that is an image that has to be changed because it's the role of Parliament to watch over government and its dealings.
President of the DP Board Emil Lee also stated that the Democratic Party was contacted by two key persons from the USA regarding the situation of timeshare on St. Maarten. He said the DP intend to meet with these people by the end of February because tourism is the country's main pillar. He shared the same sentiments with the Tourism Authority which is now dysfunctional. Lee said that St. Maarten do not have any representative in Europe to market the island and the contract for the USA will soon expire. He further stated that while government has asked the contractors to continue their jobs most of these persons were not paid for 2014 and none of that is reflected in the 2015 budget. Lee said one would expect that government would have listed its debts in the budget, but that was not done in this case. Lee said when the first coalition government was putting its governing accord together they did it with the budget they had in order to execute what is in the governing accord that is now on the shelves.
Other issues the DP faction raised was the development of the greater Simpson Bay area and Simpson Bay lagoon which government denied but Parliament discovered in the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies financials of 2013. Wescot Williams said that Parliament needs to be fully informed on the developments that the SMHGC intends to do in the Simpson Bay area. She also said that the DP faction need more information on the Doc Martin issue which is now in court. This company she said has a building permit that was issued by government yet there are court cases. President of the DP Board Emil Lee said while there is a financial statement for SMHGC which is a consolidated financial statement and he is of the opinion that the SMHGC should have separate financial statements for each of their companies. Lee also said he wants to know exactly what is the role of the SMHGC on the developments mentioned in their financial statement of 2013.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday, February 14, 2015 the Xtreme Team of X104 spent the entire day delivering Valentine's Day gift baskets all across the island, as part of their Let X104.3 be your Xtreme Valentine promo.
The 14 Xtreme Valentine's Day Delivery Winners were Ruth & Roger Richardson, Nalisa Appadoo, Mimi Landry, Maddie Odono, Esther Smoorenburg, Lucrecia Lake, Jessie Harry, Charles Smith, Brigitte Bosch, Mariska Weerman & Boyfriend, Rochelle Hodge, Natalie Barret & Husband, Sophie & Kevin Halassy, and grand prize winners Bill & Denise Stuart.

Grand prize winner Bill & Denise Stuart, a couple who has gone through many hardships last couple month were nominated by over 20 different people. So, we decided to make one exception andlet their friends who nominated them, give them their award. Other winners were randomly selected and received their baskets personally in hand on Valentine's Day. Gift baskets included a personalized teddy bear, a box of chocolates, red rose, red wine, perfume and a discreet adult items. The grand prize included all the above mentioned items and an all-inclusive weekend stay at Sonesta Maho Hotel which included a spa treatment for 2, 1 hour photo shoot and a makeover.
Contestants were asked to send in their entries which included their name, the person they nominate to receive the basket name and the reason why that person deserved the basket to X104.3 via website or by calling the X-line.

Additionally X104 switched things up this year by going all love and playing requested song dedications on air all day long. To top it all off, we also handed out 80 roses to random people on the streets as part of Port of St. Maarten, Show Love incentive to bring back the love on the island.

The Xtreme Valentine's Day deliveries were made possible through the generous support of Prime Distributors, Frolic, Evolution Hair Salon & Spa, Lydia's Flower Shop, Belgian Chocolate Box and Casino Royale.
To see all the pictures and videos of the Valentine's Day Deliveries and for all upcoming events listen to X104 live at 104.3 fm or online at www.x1043.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In reaction to the statement made by Mr. Russell Simmons in the Opinion section of the Daily Herald Newspaper on Monday February 16th 2015 entitled "Traffic Rules" as follows: First of all the Police Department wants to commend and thank Mr. Simmons, who is a retired police officer with many years of experience, for expressing his views and his opinion about this topic and also for giving an explanation of these infractions. Mr. Simmons is definitely correct in his statements.
Article 73 of the Traffic Ordinance gives among other regulations a complete explanation of the amount, the type and color lights which are allowed at the front and rear of your motor vehicle.
Article 78 of the Traffic Ordinance gives among other regulations a complete explanation of what is called "blinding lights" (bright lights) on motor vehicles driving through urban areas, standing still or when there is oncoming traffic.
The police department has also been receiving complaints of this sort and is aware of the situation. The Police Department will definitely be looking into the matter and deal with the situation
The police department is taking this opportunity to inform all motor vehicle owners that when operating their vehicle at night, to make sure the vehicle is equipped with lights that are in accordance with the local "Traffic Ordinance". This information is to avoid having any vehicle operators suffer any delays or inconvenience.

Three arrested at the Princess Juliana International Airport
Three persons were arrested on Sunday February 15th by police at the Princess Juliana International Airport after two of them tried to enter the island illegally using false travel documents. The other claimed to have missed his connecting flight. All three were taken to the Philipsburg for further investigation. The investigation is being done by officers working at the "Back Office" which is a department specialized in human trafficking and human smuggling.

KPSM Police Report.

Sucker Garden:---  The Walichi Basketball Association (WBA) & Motorworld and Jeep Presents Ladies Basketball Championship games continued last weekend and started off with a Saturday game between Thunderz and and MGM Lightning.

MGM Lightning started of the game strong and lead 10-0 and never lost the lead throughout the game. They lead 28-16 at the half, their lead grew to 17 and ended up winning the game 43-30. MGM Lightning was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game Jamaiah Newton-Herbert who had 25 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 blocks and 1 assist. She was supported by Micaela Galva who had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. Thunderz was lead by Joyette Lloyd who had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists and Yolanda Jeffers with 6 points and 9 rebounds.

Sunday's match-up was between Thunderz and Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls. It was very close game throughout the first half and Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls lead 19-17 at halftime. The Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls got a little breathing space in the second half and lead 33-25 after the third quarter. They kept the lead in the fourth quarter and won the game 42-33. Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game Claudia Fleming who had 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. She was supported by Selah Fleming who had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. The Thunderz was lead by Joyette Lloyd who had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals and Salammbo Guibert - Soutade with 5 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

The Leonard Enterprises Player Of The Week goes to Jamaiah Newton-Herbert for standing out above the rest in week 14 of this competition.

Next week Sunday will have the last two regular season games before the playoffs start on Friday February 27 at 7pm. At 3pm the Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls will go up against Learning Unlimited and at 5pm the Bush Tea Remedy play the MGM Lightning team.

Standings after week 14 are Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls at 13-2, Thunderz at 11-5, MGM Lightning at 10-5, Learning Unlimited at 3-12, Bush Tea Remedy at 1-14.

Game Highlights, pictures, game scores and schedule can be viewed on the Facebook page 'Ladies Basketball Championship'. Highlights and full games can be seen on the Youtube page www.youtube.com/walichibasketball and short highlights can be seen on the instagram page www.instagram.com/ladiesbasketballchampionship

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Sunday February 15, 2015 the Dutch Secretary of State of the Safety and Justice Department from the Netherlands Fred Teeven paid a visit to the Miss Lalie Center (MLC), the new closed youth facility of Sint Maarten. Teeven was making a short stop on his way from the Netherlands to Sint Eustatius. The MLC team offered a guided tour to Teeven. The tour was led by Natasha Carty and Inge ter Huurne and
the Projectteam consisting of Richelda Emmanuel, Cynthia van Samson and youth prosecutor Karola van Nie. Among others also the Secretary of State Udo Aron, chief prosecutor Ton Maan and the Dutch Representative Gert Versluis were present.
Teeven was very impressed with the modern facilities and the treatment setting for the criminal and civil placed boys in the age of 12 to 18 years. Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson signed an (cooperation) agreement a few months ago with Stichting Horizon in the Netherlands, a Foundation with a lot of experience in closed youth facilities in the Netherlands, to work together with the Miss Lalie Center. Teeven stated that he supports this way of cooperation, for which local employees are being twinned with Dutch professionals. "Why invent the wheel if a foundation like Horizon is willing to share so much of its knowledge and experience and is open for cooperation. It is clear that with mutual respect beautiful things can be achieved" according to Teeven.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism Claret Connor on Monday congratulated Anenda Zaandam on her appointment as Executive Director of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA).
The SHTA announced Zaandam's appointment to the post last week.

Minister Connor congratulated the SHTA on its selection of a young professional to the post. It is a position also previously held by Valya-Lake Pantophlet who is currently the Department Head of Economic Licenses under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

He praised Zaandam as an example and role model for others to follow and said he is looking forward to her being an asset to the SHTA as Director.

Zaandam is a Certified Hospitality Educator of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Institute, will be bringing her extensive knowledge of the Hospitality & Service Industry to the SHTA.

She started her career in the hospitality industry in 2002 as an Assistant Banqueting & Convention Manager at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino. Since then her career has steadily taken off to new horizons.

Adding to her expertise, Zaandam has not only been a student of a hospitality classroom, but a teacher as well at the Mondriaan College voor Horeca en Toerisme in the Netherlands andthe Sundial School in St. Maarten. A change in career in 2012, led Ms. Zaandam to the Government of St. Maarten as the Executive Assistant to the former Minister of Education Culture Youth and Sports – Ms. Silveria Jacobs.

Considered one of four experts on St. Martin literature

GREAT BAY:--- Emilio Jorge Rodríguez, a leading independent Cuban essayist and literary critic recently won the "Este Caribe Nuestro" Award 2014, at the University of Havana.
The "Este Caribe Nuestro" (This is Our Caribbean), is a lifetime achievement award given annually by the Chair of Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana. Dr. Antonio Romero, president of the Chair of Caribbean Studies, presented the award to Rodríguez on January 26, 2015.
"Rodríguez is a proficient trans-Caribbean literary expert. His studies and comparisons of authors and literary cultures from all of the region's major language zones, including the Kweyol languages, are essential to our understanding of what he has called, 'the expansion of cultures beyond national administrative boundaries'," said HNP publisher Lasana M. Sekou.
The "Este Caribe Nuestro" is awarded to personalities such as scholars and artists or institutions, such as cultural organizations, that have made outstanding contributions to the Caribbean region during their lifetime. Rodríguez is 67.
House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) has published three books by Rodríguez on Haitian and St. Martin literatures. He's one of four scholars who can be called experts on the growing literature of St. Martin, said Sekou. Major publishers such as Editorial Arte y Literatura have published Rodríguez in Cuba. He is a University of Havana graduate with degrees in Spanish and Latin American Literature.
"Rodríguez is not so much a literary critic as a literary historian," wrote New York University professor Michael Dash in a critical review of Rodríguez's Haiti and Trans-Caribbean Literary Identity / Haiti y la transcaribenidad literaria (2011). The review appeared in the New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids (2013).
What is generally well agreed on is the essential skills of Rodríguez as a meticulous researcher. In fact, Rodríguez holds the prestigious Researcher degree from the Cuban Academy of Sciences. He has lectured at universities, research institutes, and conferences in Cuba, the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Barbados, and Germany, said Sekou.
Rodriguez was a researcher at Casa de las Américas' Literary Research Center and the Center of Caribbean Studies, from 1972 to 2000. He directed the Center of Caribbean Studies from 1994 to 1998, where he founded and edited the journal Anales del Caribe between 1981 and 2000.
Rodriguez, who the author Fabian Adekunle Badejo once called an "erudite scholar," has written articles and essays that have appeared in Casa de las Américas, Bim, Caribbean Quarterly, Cuadernos Americanos, Revue Internationale de Litterature Comparé, Del Caribe, Gaceta de Cuba, Temas, and Universidad de La Habana.
Awards and honors include the "Razón de Ser" from the Centro Alejo Carpentier, a CUNY Caribbean Fellowship, a Fundación Nicolás Guillén Fellowship, and the Latin American and Caribbean Third Millennium Essay Award. He was selected for the Visiting Scholars' Program of the Africana Studies and Research Center of Cornell University, according to his HNP profile.
Rodriguez has served as a member of the board of examiners for Scientific Degrees at the Cuban Literature and Linguistic Institute and was an awards juror for Casa de las Américas, the National Culture Award COLCULTURA, the International Orality Contest ORCALC-UNESCO, and the Grand Prix Littéraire Caribéen. He's a member of the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC).
His memberships to organizations extend outside of Cuba, to the editorial board of Revista Mexicana del Caribe, and the Academic Committee of the Biblioteca del Caribe Series of Puerto Rico.
Books authored by Rodríguez include Literatura caribeña; bojeo y cuaderno de bitácora (1989); Religiones afroamericanas (coordinator, 1996); Acriollamiento y discurso escrit/oral caribeño (2001), and the anthologies of Efraín Huerta, Pedro Juan Soto, Cuentos para ahuyentar el turismo: 16 autores puertorriqueños, and the bilingual volume Pelican Heart: An Anthology of Poems by Lasana M. Sekou (2010). His El Caribe literario, Trazados de convivencia was published in Havana in 2011 and Haïti et l'identité littéraire trans-caribéenne was published in St. Martin in 2013.
Rodríguez has also contributed to the following books: Panorama histórico-literario de nuestra América (1982), América Latina: Palavra, Literatura e Cultura (1995), Diccionario Enciclopédico de las Letras de América Latina (1996), Defining New Idioms and Alternative Forms of Expression (1996), A History of Literature in the Caribbean (1997), Spain's 1898 Crisis (2000), A Pepper-Pot of Cultures; Aspects of Creolization in the Caribbean (2003), La oralidad: ¿ciencia o sabiduría popular? (2004), and the Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature (2006).
Books authored by Emilio Jorge Rodríguez and published in St. Martin by HNP are available at Van Dorp, Arnia's, and Jasor's bookstores, Amazon.com, bookishplaza.com, and SPDbooks.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo has sent a request on Friday February 13th to the Chairman of the Committee Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport &Telecommuncation Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Frans Richardson for a meeting to be held on the current Beach policy of Sint Maarten, and having public access to the beaches.

"The growing disputes between hotel owners and beach vendors, and citizen's frustration to access the beaches on Sint Maarten have my attention. Beaches on the island are public domain and should not be considered as private property. Whatever obstacles that are giving the impression that the beaches are private should be addressed immediately by Parliament in order to bring a proper balance to the situation," MP Marlin-Romeo stated on Sunday.

The MP Marlin-Romeo will be advocating for an immediate change to the current policy and for the policy to include and clearly stipulate the following:

1. That the beaches of Sint Maarten are all public domain, whether man made or natural.
2.  The beaches of Sint Maarten are not owned by any establishment or vendor and will remain public domains at all times.
3. Having road access to all of the beaches of Sint Maarten in order to allow full driving accessibility for the ambulance, fire truck and police in cases of emergency, regardless of the beaches being bordered by private property.
4. Space should always be available for everyone, this includes guests, non-guests, to access and make use of the beach at any given time.
5.  All persons vending or establishments who are giving an added service to their guests should:

• stack both beach chairs and umbrellas and provide them only on a needed basis.
• both beach chairs and umbrellas are available for guests and non-guests.
• both beach chairs and umbrellas to be picked up by employees after usage of guest or non-guest.
•  a fee to be charge for the usage of both chairs and umbrellas by non-guests

     6. The amount of chairs indicated on the business license does not signify that all of the chairs should be placed on the beach at any given time. Chairs should be placed on the beach only upon being used this will ensure that sufficient space is there for everyone.

The Inspector of Taxes hereby makes the following known:

Based on article 29 of the General ordinance on National Taxes a taxpayer can object to:
- a tax assessment imposed on him
- a decision, subject to objection, based on this ordinance, taken by the Inspector of Taxes.
The letter of objection has to be substantiated by arguments and must be submitted to the Inspector of Taxes within two months of the date of the assessment notice.

A letter which is submitted to the Inspector of Taxes against an assessment outside of the
aforementioned legal period, can not be deemed a letter of objection, but merely a request
to the Inspector of Taxes to reduce the assessment by virtue of the Inspector of Taxes,
based on reasons given.

Article 12 of the General ordinance on Federal Taxes states that a tax assessment which
is considered incorrect by the taxpayer can be reduced by virtue of the Inspector of Taxes
within five years after the origination of the tax debt.

Based on the abovementioned, a request for the reduction of an assessment by virtue of
the Inspector of Taxes for the various taxes and premiums: Income tax ; Wage Tax and
Premium AOV/AWW, AVBZ ; Turnover Tax ; Profit Tax ; Room Tax ; Car Rental
Tax ; Time Share Tax and any other, for the year 2008 and prior years will no longer
be accepted nor processed by the Inspector of Taxes.

With regard to assessments for the year 2009 a grace period will be granted until
June 30, 2015 in which said request can be submitted. For the sake of clarity, a letter of
objection against an assessment for the year 2009 can still be submitted, providing said letter is submitted to the Inspector of Taxes within two months of the date of the assessment notice.

PLEASE TAKE GOOD NOTICE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED!

Philipsburg, February 13th, 2015
The Inspector of Taxes

Visiting address : Vineyardbuilding, Buncamper road 33, Philipsburg
Postal address : P.O. Box 1026 Philipsburg
Openinghours : 8.00 – 15.00
Telephone : 5422143/ 5425301/ 5425304/5423839
Fax : 5422918

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Government has launched its Official Facebook page, entitled: "Government of Sint Maarten" to the public and the rest of the world.

The goal of the Government's Facebook page is to gain wider exposure to a new demographic in the world of social media with information such as press releases, public notices, pictures and or videos of government related events. This social media tool will make it easier for persons to have access to updated information from the Government of Sint Maarten which includes highlights of specific departments and their services

Through the Department of Communication (DCOMM) in its capacity as Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF 8) the Government aims to expand its reach to the public during times of emergencies and in preparation of any possible disasters. Reaching the general public in a timely fashion as part of the emergency communication response is critical to avoid the possible loss of lives or unnecessary damage to property throughout the island.

"Having an official social media source for the country is important in this day and age. We have seen several instances where international news outlets have taken items pertaining to the country off of unofficial Facebook pages and run these items as fact when they are not," Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs said.

"The government of St. Maarten wants to be able to communicate with the people of St. Maarten using every means possible. While several government departments have their own Facebook page, the entire organization itself needed one to make official announcements, an additional outlet in times of emergencies and to share factual information.

"The Department of Communications will be maintaining the Facebook page as part of several new initiatives they will be coming up with in the weeks and months ahead. I would like to encourage everyone to like and share the new 'Government of Sint Maarten' Facebook page."

Another feature of the Facebook page, is a direct link to the official Government Website – www.sintmaartengov.org where the visitor can access information on the entire apparatus of Government.

Television programming produced by the Department of Communication (DCOMM) is also available on its YouTube channel which is featured prominently throughout the Facebook Page. DCOMM's YouTube Video archive includes programs such as 30 Minutes with Government, Special Events and Inside Government.

Prior to this official public launch, the Facebook Page has already accumulated 165 likes, The Government of Sint Maarten is optimistic that it will achieve its goal of not only informing and updating persons on St. Maarten but across the Caribbean, the Dutch Kingdom, and rest of the Globe.

POINT BLANCHE:---  Port St. Maarten – Management of Port St. Maarten on February 11 met with RBC Merchant Bank Caribbean who was represented by Mitchell De Silva, Regional Vice President Corporate Banking, regarding investments in entrepreneurship ventures that would further enhance the tourism experience that the destination has to offer its visitors.

The discussions are part and parcel of St. Maarten reinventing itself as a mature cruise destination, and being able to continue to progress despite regional competition and emerging cruise markets.

Port St. Maarten has had a longstanding relationship with RBTT Merchant Bank, now known as RBC, where the financial institution financed phase 2 of the harbour development plan by providing an US$86 million loan.

Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, said he told the bankers that RBC Merchant Bank needed to focus on small entrepreneurs who are innovative, willing and ready to offer new tours, and that this was very important in reinventing the cruise sector for the country in terms of quality and growth.

"Clearly, RBC Merchant Bank Caribbean looks at the market from a different perspective which in my opinion is not in alignment with both the port and the business sector. I pleaded to De Silva to start looking at the smaller entrepreneurs. The harbour too was once a small player, but with the right vision and partners, we grew with a clear plan in mind.

"Marquee Tours are needed to keep this business here which can handle larger volumes of visitors at a time, however you also have many cruise passengers and crew who are looking for smaller attractions which showcase real heritage and culture for both stay-over and cruise. This is what reinventing cruise is all about, and at the same time, it also serves the stay-over visitor market.

"It is very important that we remain innovative in our thinking and planning in order to retain the business that we have achieved. This will be important as competition increases, and that also includes the Cuban factor which we see as an extra driver to increase our product quality," Mark Mingo pointed out.

The port CEO also met with Relationship Manager RBC Business Banking Peter Beishuizen and Corporate Banking Unit Dutch Caribbean and Suriname Marc Jardine, where the discussion was about the financial institutions offering more loans for cruise product enhancements.

Mingo explained that too often banks go into the fine print and ask for documents which the average "sole proprietorship" company cannot even understand the first page of such a loan agreement.

"Yes, we can train all what we want but the Harbour has made several investments to test to see if this will work, such as the Walter Plantz Cruise Heritage & Cultural Development project. If a loan can be given to purchase a car which only is a cost centre, and depreciates, then a well thought out small business plan revenue driven is even less risky if such a plan is recognized by the Harbour or supported by industry partners. At the end of the day, it's a circle. If the economy suffers people will not be able to pay any of the loans anyway," Mingo pointed out.

Mingo challenged the bankers, in order to regain confidence and relationships which once existed, financial institutions needed to show that this can work by giving several loans to bring that confidence that is missing right now. The harbour and government cannot do it by themselves, he said.

"As Port St. Maarten we have had many requests for support to start a business, but the harbour is not in the business of giving out loans. That is the role of the banking sector. However, any project which enhances the overall cruise product of destination St. Maarten, we will seriously look at it, and support, and if that means the harbour needs to give an advice to the bank, it will do so," Mingo said.

Mingo added that Port St. Maarten fully recognizes the significant role that the bank played in phase 2 of the harbour project, therefore making Port St. Maarten a success story when looking at the various milestones that have been achieved within the past seven years.

"A lot of key investments have been made in making our port the number 1 cruise and cargo facility in this part of the Caribbean. RBTT Merchant Bank then, had confidence in us as a port, and based on the discussion with the bankers on Wednesday, that confidence is still there today, because Port St. Maarten has only continuously moved forward.

"Our national port is a corner stone of the country's economy, contributing one third of Gross Domestic Product. The people of St. Maarten can be proud of what has been accomplished within the past 14-years. Without a modern port facility, economic growth would have stagnated, and the business activity would go elsewhere.

"Ports are designed to be economic gateways, and to facilitate the value added partners in the private sector. Everything is linked together, and here in St. Maarten, the shareholder representative, the supervisory board, staff and management have realized this, which has made the Port St. Maarten success story," CEO Mark Mingo pointed out on Sunday.

Investments in the past have been made in additional piers/docking facilities, land reclamation, additional operational equipment eg. pilot boat.

The bankers were given a tour of the port facilities after the meeting on February 11 including the Walter Plantz Cruise Heritage & Cultural Development at Down Street.

PHILIPSBURG: —The Social & Health Insurances, SZV would like to inform the general public that several departments will be closed at 12pm on Wednesday, February 18.
The closure will affect the Registration, Customer Care and Medical Departments. The departments will be closed in connection with staff sessions being held for members of their staff.
Regular business hours will resume on Thursday, February 19. SZV apologizes for any inconvenience their closure may cause.

Our youth are crying for help and all their pleas are falling on deaf ears. A major crime is committed and unfortunately some youths are involved and the entire nation is in uproar. We must do something for your young people. They are going astray. Then the blame game starts, from the parents to the teachers and eventually the government. But at the end of the day nothing is done to help our young people. The 2015 budget was passed recently, what youth programs were presented to the public.

Dutch Quarter – Every year we have hundreds of young people completing our secondary schools and cannot find employment. Put an ad in the newspapers seeking an administrative clerk and you would be surprised how many young people would apply for that job. It is unbelievable and yet those in office would want you to believe that the unemployment amongst young people is not at an all-time high. If we should start an unemployment campaign registration at any given time in each district you would be surprised of the amount of young people that would register. This was done before but most of the young people are disenchanted because they were never placed and neither did they even have the luxury of an interview to say the least. But as a nation we can't give up. We must develop some type of plans or ideas to be able to put our young people to work. Dr. Rhoda Arrindell during her tenure as Minister of Education had introduced a program "Get of the block, get on the bus" to assist our youngsters who were unemployed. Unfortunately, it died a natural death and I believe it did because there was no money in this program to be divided amongst the members of the UP inner circle.
This brings me to a very important law that was passed many years ago in the parliament of the former Netherlands Antilles. In the late nineteen eighties a law was passed commonly referred to as the "Lei de Bion". This law was established to promote the employment of young people seeking employment. The employers who employed these young people would be exempted from paying some of the payroll taxes. And of course there were many other conditions attached to the law for the employers as well as the potential employees. If my memory serves me right, the law was never enforced but remains on the books.
As a young nation we don't have to re-invent the wheel. Let us pick up this law, dust it off and see how it can fit within our frame work of putting our young people to work. The OSPP is proposing that we establish the van Hugh Law, to be named after our former Minister of Labour, now Member of Parliament Mr. van Hugh Cornelius de Weever. The law will differ somewhat from the Lei di Bion in as much it would not exempt the employers from paying the payroll taxes for a period of time. The employer in essence would be granted a tax credit in the amount of Nafls 9000.00 (50% of Nafls 1500 x 12) per year; the employee must be employed uninterrupted for minimum one year on a full time basis; the employee must have been registered at the Labour Department for minimum six months as seeking employment; the job opportunity at the employer cannot be part of the core function to be carried out at the business; the van Hugh law will only be applicable to legal citizens of this country who have been residing on the island for one year or more and last but not the least, this tax credit is applicable for a maximum period of three years with the employee remaining employed.
The OSPP is of the belief and conviction that such a program would put many of our young people in jobs right away. Our government would have sufficient time to introduce the loan guarantee program; the conversion program from cruise passengers to stay over passengers; tap heavily into other markets such as South America and Europe and truly introduce agriculture to the nation, grow what you eat, eat what you grow. These programs would result in more tourists coming to St. Maarten that would create more real jobs for our people in the long run. On account of this our unemployment numbers will drop as well as the crime rate amongst our young people.
Our members of parliament should be open to ideas that are coming from the general public. We are in this together. Every young person that ends up in prison is one person to many. The OSPP has therefore forwarded a copy of the law that was enacted on December 14, 1989 to the Minister of Social Affairs, Health and Labour, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs and to all the members of parliaments, the SHTA, the Chamber of Commerce, the WICLU and the community councils. Let's roll up our sleeves and put this nation back to work in particular our youth.

Click here to view OSPP letter on Establishing Van Hugh Law

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday February 13th two Chinese supermarkets located in the Cole Bay area were robbed in the space 40 minutes. Police patrols were sent to the scene to investigate and learnt that at both establishments a man dressed completely in dark clothing and armed with a handgun came into the establishments threatening to use his weapon if no cooperation was given. He then went on to take the money from the cash register. After committing these acts the suspect fled the scenes possibly in an awaiting get-away vehicle. Both cases are being investigated by the Special Robbery Unit.

Heavy vehicle falls into ditch
On Sunday February 15th at approximately 11.50 a.m. Police traffic Department and Paramedics were sent to the crossing of Oyster pond road and Coralita road, in the vicinity of Casa Blanch where a heavily load dump truck had fallen into a ditch. On the scene the investigating officers encountered the drive of the vehicle that did not suffer any injuries but, was still checked out by paramedics. The driver stated that while driving up the hill he encountered mechanical problems with the vehicle causing the vehicle to roll back, destroying the railing and fall into the ditch.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- The new year has gotten off to a good start for the VooDoo Dancers. Since the beginning of January they have been doing dance shows on a number of cruise ships while the ships were docked at the Sint Maarten Harbour.
It all started in October of last year when representatives of a Cruise line contacted Mrs Paula Daal-Dono, troupe leader of the VooDoo dancers, to create a dance show for their cruise ships.
This is a dream come true for Mrs Daal-Dono and in the months November and December she got hard at work designing a show as per the requests of the cruise line . This included new dance routines, music editing and costume design changes.
The cruise representatives initially wasn't sure about the amount of dancers they will be needing during the season. Finally late in December they indicated that they wanted just three dancers for the first three shows and they'll make a decision from there.
"We really wanted to get the job for the season for at least five dancers, we made sure that the costumes and dancers were ready on time in case it happened. You have to imagine that many dancers rehearsed hard for the positions, the more that got the job, the better. " Mrs. Daal-Dono explained.
"After the first show it was clear which parts of the show worked and which didn't. Even thou the show was made to the cruises lines specifications, I believed we can do better. I Felt that proactive changes were needed if we wanted to keep the job and convince the cruise representatives that we can get the job done." Mrs. Daal-Dono stated.
The group worked hard to get everything perfected for the third show. The funny thing was, the day before the third show the cruise representatives sent a request to make some changes to the show. Those changes were exactly the same changes that the group was busy implementing. On the third show everything went perfectly. The cruise director congratulated Paula and said ; "This is what we wanted, thank you!".
"Then came the waiting. I was told that every show that was done was taped and sent to be watched by the "higher ups". A few days later we were finally informed that the company had decided to hire the group for the rest of the season and with five dancers instead of three. "
"This is truly a dream come through, the whole group worked hard to achieve this by sacrificing their holidays to rehearse. I really hope this opens the doors for other performers on the island. It's important that the cruise ships realize that Sint Maarten has entertainers that have the level they require. I must add that none of this would have been possible without NIA. Clara and Arlene are great motivators." Mrs. Daal-Dono added.
If anyone is interested in performing or needs a dance show, you can contact the Paula at e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 5877319.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club has taken their Youth Alcohol Use Awareness Campaign to the next level. On Sunday February 15th 2015, the club launched its online petition to get the government to amend the law by raising the legal drinking age. The legal drinking age is now 16. This means that children aged 16 can legally walk into a store to buy a bottle of any kind of alcoholic substance and it is legal. The contradiction in the law lies in the fact that a 16-year-old may not legally enter a night-club or bar as the law says "18 and up". The St. Maarten Lions Club's awareness campaign focuses on the young brain which is only fully developed at age 25. The club also links youth crime and low high-school performance to alcohol use at an early age. In December the club took its campaign to the schools and club members heard from the horse's mouth how many of our local youngsters between ages 14–18 are regular alcohol users, where regular means once and (usually) more than once weekly. The club wants to see the legal drinking age raised to 21 and will accept an amendment of the law to at least 18 years. "We sent a letter to both the Minister of Justice and the minister of TEATT, as our appeal includes both amendment of the law (TEATT) as well as upholding of the law (Justice), but we have received no response from government as yet. Our next step is to take our petition to the decision-makers of our country and plead our case in person", says club President Sunny Khatnani.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Committee for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) of Parliament met on Friday, February 13, 2015 at 9.30 am to elect a new chair and vice chair on the request of a majority of members.

The committee increased by an additional three members and now consists of eight Members of Parliament (MPs) namely, MP Hon. Silveria Jacobs, MP Hon. Sarah Wescott Williams, MP Hon. Tamara Leonard, MP Hon. Christopher Emmanuel, MP Hon. Maurice Lake, MP Hon. Leona Marlin-Romeo, MP Hon. Johan Leonard and MP Hon. Van Hugh de Weever.

As a result of this request the Chairperson MP Silveria Jacobs as well the Vice Chair MP Sarah Wescott Williams both tendered their resignations.

MP Silveria Jacobs was re-elected as Chair, and MP Tamara Leonard was elected as Vice Chair both by unanimous vote by all seven members present.

MP Sarah Wescott Williams was not present for the permanent committee session.

The committee pledged to continue to work in the interest of finding solutions and making proposals to Parliament in the field of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports.

Based on the aforementioned, a planning and preparatory meeting of the CECYSA has been scheduled for Thursday February 19, 2015 at 3.30 pm.

French Quarter:--- The Gendarmes are busy investigating a shooting incident which took place late Friday night in French Quarter in the vicinity of a Chinese Supermarket on Coralita Road.
According to information reaching SMN News one person identified as Jeremy Glascow (26) died from a fatal shot he received in the chest area. Two other persons are said to be injured they are Charles Barry who received two shots, one in his arm and another in the leg area, while the third victim who also received gunshot wounds has been identified by residents of French Quarter as Jipson of Haitian decent.
Efforts made to reach Prosecutor Flavien Noailles proved futile as he could not be reached by telephone. SMN News also could not reach the commandant or captain of the gendarmerie on Saturday for confirmation on the fatal shooting. The receptionist at the La Savanne center said its weekend and those in charge cannot be reached on weekends.
SMN News will bring you more information when the Gendarmes or Prosecutor could be reached.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Areas 26 and 27 of Territory St. Maarten held their first combined Club Officers Training on Saturday February 7th, 2015, at the Government Administration Building. This training concluded the second half of the requirement by Toastmasters International, where all its Club Officers must be trained twice in the year, to be better equipped to lead their clubs. This training completes one of ten major goals on their Distinguished Club Program for 2014-2015 tenure. Clubs desirous of obtaining the President Distinguished status must fulfill a minimum of 9 out of 10 goals on the program by 30 June 2015.
The clubs trained were The Disciples Toastmasters Club, Philipsburg Toastmasters Club, St. Martin Evolution Club, St. Maarten Achievers Club and Soualiga Corporate Toastmasters Club. The facilitators were Advance Communicator Silver Donna Morrison-Wilson (Area 26 Governor), Advance Communicator Bronze Linette Gibs and Advance Communicator Silver Elroy Hughes.
The training was well attended by most of the Club's executive members, who were inspired, edified and equipped on the topics of "How to build a healthy team", "Building on achievements for continued success" and "How to enhance evaluations".
The Toastmaster of the training was Area 27 Governor Arliene Chittick , who also gave the Vote of thanks and Closing remarks.
St. Maarten/St. Martin consist of 5 Clubs, 4 on the southern side and one on the north, Anguilla has one club which makes a total of 6 clubs under Area 26 and 27.
Toastmaster International sets aside the months of February and March for its Talk Up Toastmasters Membership Drive. This is an opportunity for persons to join the organization by becoming a member of either of the Club, mentioned above.
Toastmasters International is the world leader in communication and leadership development. For more information feel free to visit www.caribbeantoastmasters.com or www.toastmasters.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--– The Committee for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (CECYSA) of Parliament met on Thursday, February 12, 2015 with students of the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) as well as the NIPAs Board and its Managing Director.

These meetings had been called in response to the reports reaching parliament pertaining to the challenges being faced by students of the NIPA, as well as a letter from the Presidium of Parliament requesting the attention of the committee to meet with the various stakeholders.

As a result the meetings were scheduled with all stakeholders to get a clear picture of the challenges and issues that have been brought to light.

A meeting was also planned with the Minister of Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs and her support staff related to this agenda point, but had to be postponed as the other two meetings ran longer than had been expected.

This meeting will be rescheduled to take place in the week of February 23rd.

The meetings were closed to the public as they are fact finding meetings needed to plan the way forward as well as due to the sensitivity of the subject matter.

In the first meeting held at 9 am, students from several sectors, SPW3, LPN, RN and Hospitality presented their concerns, issues and challenges since following the educational path at the NIPA.
The main challenges were identified as: lack of instructors, lack of materials, lack of communication, accreditation of the diplomas and certificates upon graduation.

The Members of the Parliament (MPs) present were very impressed with the way the students presented themselves and their complaints, and commended them for standing up for themselves in the correct manner.
MPs also voiced their support for the students in finding answers to the questions they posed, and in following up on finding solutions to these challenges all in the interest of making sure the NIPA fulfils the goals for which is was established.
During the second meeting of the committee which commenced at 10.25 am, the Board, represented by Mrs. Marcella Hazel, gave an elucidation as to the solutions that had been found for the pressing challenges which had been brought to the board's attention in January.

The Care instructors are now in place as of February 5th, and solutions are being sought to fulfil the obligations of NIPA in providing instructors in the other areas which fall short.

The situation of the LPN students in terms of their final examinations, which all passed last Tuesday, and the diploma and pin was also explained. MPs were given assurances by the Board, that it was working diligently with the Ministry to finalize the process to validate the diplomas for these first graduates of the LPN (Nursing Assistant) program.

MPs asked several questions during this meeting, seeking further clarification to the questions posed by the students in the earlier meeting. The members further stressed to the Board that they would continue to follow up and looked forward to solutions being implemented soonest.

The Board of the NIPA expressed their concern in seeing the solutions through, as well as presented a plan to implement a Teacher, Parent, Student Committee which would help bridge the communication gap.

The Board also expressed that they faced many challenges due to budget constraints and the manner in which the institute is financed. They claimed to require an Executive Director and a HR Manager who would work full time to free up time for the Director to focus on managing the school.

Several issues raised by the Board will need to be clarified further in the meeting planned with the Minister of Education who is ultimately responsible.

The meeting was closed with assurances from the Board that they welcome the opportunity to return to further inform Parliament as they implement some of the necessary changes in order to fulfil the goals and responsibilities of the institution to the students and the community.

 Wiillemstad:--- On 28 Jan 2015, 25 volunteers from the U.S. Forward Operating Location (USFOL) partnered with volunteers and staff from Richardus Huis for a concentrated revitalization effort. The team spent an afternoon applying a new coat of paint to the building exterior, removing debris and trash from the grounds, and improving the outdoor landscape.
Richardus Huis is a non-profit home for the elderly focused on supporting men in need of full-time assistance. USFOL outreach programs such as these demonstrate their continued eagerness to be involved with communities in Curaçao that have welcomed them to the island.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Vocational Training School held a successful introductory 'Dress for Success' day on Wednesday, February 4th, 2015, organized by the Career Guidance Counselor: Ms. Ashayna Nisbett & Business Administration teacher, Ms. Anita Facey. Students were in high anticipation of this event. Most of the students came dressed in the attire they felt depicted the careers they aspire. Teachers and fellow students were amazed by the well-chosen attire of the participating students who dressed as chefs, carpenters, mechanics, business persons, nurses, teachers, police officers, music producers and technicians, to name but a few.
Classes continued as scheduled but were visited for a few minutes by the Career Guidance Counselor, and her Student Assistant for the Day, Stephanie Arnaud, to discuss the attires worn. Each participating student in the event was questioned about her or his attire: What career are you depicting today and why do you think you are or are not dressed appropriately for that career? Fellow class mates also provided constructive criticism.
A 'Most Appropriately' dressed student for each class was chosen, based on set criteria. From these winners, a male and a female overall winner went with the prize: 2nd Form Student Jaron Hyde, dressed as a Chef and 4th Form Student Farida Fleming, dressed as Front Desk Employee at the St. Maarten Medical Centre were the overall winners. Farida indicated that the "'Dress for Success' was a successful day. It helped me to think about my career. It helped me to feel like I am actually working", she said.
Eric Johnson a 4th Form Carpentry student was dressed as a Carpentry Employee at the Ministry of VROMI. He too and almost every student commented positively on the event. He stated that the school should do events like this more often. According to him, events like this one do not only allow the students to get a better idea of the career they aspire but of the choices they should make as well.
The cooperation of both students and teachers contributed to the success of the event. Man and Society teacher, Mr. Williams commented that "there was a positive response [to the event]. Students conducted themselves in a proud and responsible way". 2nd Form student Shemar Burton dressed in a formal suit along with accessories that depicted a Boxing Manager/Promoter, stated that the students showed the school what they are about and what they want to be in the future.
This was the first event of its kind as part of the Career Guidance Program for this School Year. The St. Maarten Vocational Training School prepares students for immediate transition into the 'World of Work'. More events like this are slated to take place before the end of the School Year. You're welcome to visit and like our Facebook Page: SMVTS.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a closed door – not open to the public - session in the form of the permanent Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) on February 13th.

The committee meeting will take place at 9:30am on Friday in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is the appointment of the chairperson and vice chairperson.

COLE BAY:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club was glad to finally be able to present Windward Roads, winner of their 2014 Car Raffle, with a brand new Ford Eco Sport which arrived on the island a week earlier. Windward Roads managing director, Jan-Henderik Boekaar, received the car keys from Lion Club Fundraising Committee member Oralie Boirard, in the presence of Lions Alphons Gumbs, Treasurer, and Christ'l Larmonie, Secretary. Boekaar was very pleased to be presented with the grand prize, specifically because it offered the opportunity to the company, who regularly gives back to the community, to donate the car to the White and Yellow Cross Foundation. Mrs. Bregje Boetekees, operations manager, and the rest of the staff of the White & Yellow Cross Foundation jumped for joy when they heard of the car that was being donated to them. The Foundation is in desperate need of another car, she says, because the nurses need to be able to go on the road without having to wait on cars to return. She ensured all present that the car would be on the road providing service to the White & Yellow Cross clients 24/7. Proceeds of the Lions Club car raffle sales will go to funding community service projects. Both Windward Roads and Mrs. Bregje Boetekees have vowed to continue buying car raffle tickets in support of the St. Maarten Lions Club in the future.

GREAT BAY:--- World Radio Day, 13 February, marks the anniversary of the first broadcast by United Nations (UN) Radio in 1946, when it transmitted its first call sign: this is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world."

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, would like to wish all radio station owners, program hosts, technicians and staff a Happy World Radio Day on 13 February, and at the same time commends them for doing a great job where it concerns keeping the Sint Maarten community informed and entertained on a daily basis.

The theme of World Radio Day is: "Youth and Innovation."

World Radio Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio, and enhance networking among broadcasters.

Radio is recognized as a low-cost medium, specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the less fortunate, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people's educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief.

Radio is also an effective medium to broadcast news, features, weather reports and entertainment and is a medium that is available everywhere – at home, at work or on the move.

The changing face of radio services, influenced to a great extent by the current trends in media convergence, is taking up new technological forms, such as broadband, mobiles and tablets as well as hybrid radio (which combines FM/DAB broadcasts with the Internet).

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel described the supervisory board and management team of GEBE as managers of a gentlemen's club and he felt they were disrespectful and ill-prepared when they went to Parliament on Wednesday. MP Emmanuel made clear that all members in managerial positions at GEBE are male and he wants to know when would the management and the supervisory board see it fit to promote some of the women they have working in the organization to managerial positions. MP Emmanuel further stated that he is disappointed with the answers they provided to Parliament. He said while the Chairman of the supervisory board Rene Richardson said that GEBE is a government owned company he wants the chairman of the Supervisory Board to understand his own statements and know that he could be sent home. Emmanuel said that the only reason the management and supervisory board has this attitude is because of their ego and testosterone. Emmanuel further asked the representatives of GEBE to tell him from what study they got the figure "7" to describe the morale of the employees of GEBE when their own plans clearly state that there is no one to take complaints or even grant the workers of GEBE help when needed. "This attitude is not acceptable to parliament because the Members of Parliament were elected by the people of St. Maarten." MP William Marlin also called on the members of the management and supervisory board to be truthful to the Parliament of St. Maarten. Marlin said based on information he received from persons who looked at a TV talkshow, the chairman of the supervisory board announced that a waste management plant will be constructed in the Cole Bay/Cay Bay area, yet the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs who was also part of the Central Committee meeting on Wednesday told Parliament during the budget debate that there are no plans by GEBE to construct such a plant. Marlin further stated that it appears to him that the chairman of the supervisory board has more information than the management team of GEBE.
MP Sarah Wescot Williams had to call the representatives of GEBE to order when they began responding to the questions posed to them. MP Wescot Williams pointed out that the questions that were posed were not being answered. After her remarks the representatives of GEBE asked for more than one adjournment in order to answer the questions posed to them.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS) N.V. drivers now have a new vehicle policy to regulate the efficient use of company vehicles throughout the work day.

The new policy was presented to the St. Maarten Communication Union (SMCU) on behalf of workers by the Supervisory Board of Directors, Postal Services St. Maarten during a brief ceremony at the main post office in Philipsburg Tuesday.

Supervisory Board Interim Chairman, Stuart Johnson, said the new policy governs the use of company assets while providing useful information on St. Maarten's postal services products and services, this is a impressive promotional method to expose how that PSS network is serving the St. Maarten community daily with PSS N.V. vehicles.

Mr. Johnson said PSS N.V. made a substantial investment in a new fleet of vehicles for its workers and the new policy will go a long way towards keeping the vehicles in good working order for as long as possible.

He said tracking devices are now available on the vehicles that can log the location any of the company's vehicles in real time.

The smart device can also monitor the number of stops made by the fleet of company vehicles and indicated which areas are most frequently served by the postal authority.

PSS N.V. Interim Managing Director, Antonia Wilson, said management is pleased to be presenting the new vehicle policy to demonstrate its responsibility as a government-owned company.

"We are doing our bit to cut out on waste by ensuring our vehicles are parked in the yard in the evenings and at weekends when none postal task is being executed," said Ms. Wilson.

She said there are also specific reporting procedures that must be followed in the event of an accident and whenever a vehicle is malfunctioning.

"We would like to thank the drivers themselves for cooperating with the policy, which is covered under the Collective Labor Agreement of Management and personnel, because we think it is the interest of all of us to make responsible use of the company's vehicles asset," said Ms. Wilson.

For more information about postal service rates and products and services available from the Postal Services St. Maarten N.V., call + (1721) 542-2289.
You can also visit and like us on www.facebook.com/post.stmaarten.

PSS Press Release

ST. MAARTEN TOURISM AUTHORITY

During the recent budget debates, you informed parliament of your intentions to "revisit" the structure and functioning of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA). I
have to admit that this is your and any government's good right. However, this statement in my opinion comes at a time when that body has hardly been given a
chance to execute any of its duties, let alone that its functioning could be evaluated.
Your response in the budget meeting that triggered the above conclusion, has caused a lot of concern in tourism circles. Many are quite discouraged that after years of talking and unsuccessful attempts to establish such a body, now that at least one has been created, there are already talks of change. What or how is any-one's guess. In addition, the state of the representation of our tourism
product abroad is dismal for various reasons. No direction, no communication. No plan, period.
Please inform Parliament of the following:
What has prompted this decision by you to "restructure" the fledgling STA?
Is this a decision of the STA itself or of the Minister?
How has the STA performed thus far? Have there been meetings?
What are your ideas for a "restructured" STA?
What timeframe do you have in mind?
What happens to the critical outstanding tourism issues in the meantime, such as payments to representatives, contracts with representatives and representation overall?
I look forward to your prompt reply, not only to Parliament, but also to the many stakeholders, who are as baffled as I am by your announcement.

COUNTERPART POLICY

During the 2015 budget debate, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs informed parliament that "consultations with internal and external stakeholders are continuing to detail implementation guidelines" for the counterpart proposal.
Can the Prime Minister and or the Minister inform Parliament who these internal and external stakeholders are?
Which of these stakeholders have already been consulted? What were the results?
What is the timeline for further and future consultations and with whom, prior to implementation in the 3rd quarter of this year, as announced by the Prime Minister?

SIMPSONBAY DEVELOPMENT
During the questioning in the Central Committee meeting of Parliament on February 10th, with the Ministers of TEATT and Finance on the Harbor Group of Companies (Harbor), I focused on several references by the Harbor in its 2013 annual report. These reports by the way, as far as the financials of the Harbor are concerned are a consolidation of all the companies that fall under the Harbor and these are many.
One recurring reference by the Harbor in the elucidation of these reports regards plans for the Simpsonbay Lagoon and the greater area of Simpsonbay.
My serious concerns with respect to these subtle announcements in the Harbor's 2013 reports, were expressed during aforementioned meeting, but were met with denial by the minister of knowing anything of these plans and the assurance that nothing will happen in general and in Simpsonbay in particular without a strategic plan being presented by the Harbor to government, and ultimately to Parliament.
It appears now however, this assurance by the Minister notwithstanding and zoning hearings notwithstanding, that government (read the Ministry of VROMI) since March 2014 has received a request for water rights at the "head"'of Simpsonbay to ...develop a pier, hotel and facilities and amenities to service smaller cruise ships.....
The urgent questions therefore are:

• Has this request been granted?
• Who has the jurisdiction for this area? Government or the Harbor?
• Are these the plans the Harbor alludes to in its 2013 reports as far as Simpsonbay is concerned?
• Must government consult with the harbor on this request?
• Are we about to witness a standoff between Government and Harbor like in the case of Dock Martin or are government and Harbor in on this together?

It should and can not be that while the Parliament is being assuaged by Government with the promise of a strategic plan of the Harbor, if and when we get so far, the plans for Simpsonbay will already be underway, sanctioned by government and/or harbor.

DP Press Release

CAY HILL:--- The St. Maarten Medical Center is proud to announce the addition of a radiologist to its medical staff.
Radiologist Dr. Armand Brice is originally from the Republic of Congo. Having completed his studies in Cuba, he worked in Guyana in specialties of Emergency Medicine and Orthopedics. After seven years, he returned to Cuba where he specialized in radiology and graduated in 2005. Since then, he has worked in St. Lucia and Anguilla, moving back to St. Lucia in 2012.
Dr. Brice has chosen to work for the St. Maarten Medical Center because of its ambition to improve and progress. For a short period in 2014, he worked at the SMMC as a rotating radiologist. The hospital's ambition is in line with his as he seeks to serve, with good quality, the people of St. Maarten. "I look forward to the challenge and with God's grace I hope to do my best," says Dr. Brice.
Dr. Brice started his career at the Radiology department of the St. Maarten Medical Center as of February 11, 2015. As a member of our medical team, we trust that he will bring quality service to our patient population.

SMMC Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (VROMI) Department of Infrastructure established rapport with the South Reward Community Council Tuesday night during the first of a string of community council meetings intended to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry, Police and District Councils.
Matters concerning garbage collection and disposal, district clean up, maintenance and upgrade as well as Community Police presence was discussed by the members of the South Reward Community Council with VROMI Operations Manager Edelmiro Jansen, VROMI Contract Manager Eustaquio Richardson and Community Police Officer Major Felix Richards.
The council expressed their challenges in areas that sought police and government assistance including overflowing trenches, abandoned cars, paving of roads, installing guard rails and obtaining a district welcome sign and disquieting loitering among other concerns which were discussed in detail.
Ministry VROMI advised that meeting all needs were ambitious and a compromise was necessary on the most pressing concerns that would be addressed with cost affective alternatives to encourage progress.
The meeting quickly took a fruitful turn, identifying effective cooperation strategies, which would strengthen communication between the community council, VROMI and the police. Community council members were briefed on a reporting system that encourages information gathering and sharing regarding safety measures such as reporting abandoned cars, running water on public roads, broken or lack of street lights as well as upcoming labor opportunities that would mobilize the community in taking ownership of maintaining a safe and environmentally friendly quality of life in their area.
VROMI members further elaborated on the details defining the boundaries between property owner's maintenance responsibilities vs that of the government, processes of proper reporting and supporting laws of all discussed subject matters.
This meeting served as a follow up initiative to the previous CPO meeting, which was hosted by VROMI to improve collaboration with the police, whereby the involvement of all community councils was acknowledged as an important contributing factor.
SRCC President, Mayra Provence and Secretary, Travis Mc Quilkin expressed their gratitude for the prompt response they received from the ministry in joining their meeting and paying attention to the needs of their district.
The agenda concluded with positive feedback and input from all parties, while setting the tone for future scheduled community council meetings, indicating an elevated and strengthened work relationship that will collaboratively enhance the quality of life in the district.

PHILIPSBURG:--- APS, St. Maarten's general pension fund administrator is continuing with the transfer of pensioners from APC /PCN to APS and vice versa. As a result of the ongoing transfer, a number of pensioners have been transferred to APS as of January 2015.

All of the participants in the fund of the former APNA have been allocated to one of three pension funds. These are St. Maarten's APS, Curacao's APC pension fund and PCN, which is the pension fund administrator for the BES islands. This was done on the basis of the pensioners' last place of work prior to retirement before October 10, 2010, as registered in APNA's administration.

In letters to pensioners concerned, APS explained that, as of January 2015, they are registered as a participant of APS. Payments take place around the 21st of every month.

Pensioners were additionally reminded that all required taxes as per St. Maarten tax law will be withheld from the pension payments, as will all other deductions such as payments for alimonies and mortgage, withheld by APC, in keeping with St. Maarten legislation and regulations.

An invitation is being extended to pensioners to contact APS should they have questions regarding this or any related matter.

Pensioners with any further questions regarding the contents of the letter, are asked to contact APS via telephone: +1.721.543.0003 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

APS Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, is calling on Government to set up a public awareness campaign for the seven ministries of the government system that is responsible for running the country, as well as the role of parliament and the governor.

MP Lake added that the public has to be educated and aware of their rights, responsibilities and obligations, and that this would go long way in strengthening governance and democracy.

The seven ministries are: Ministry of General Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications, Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports.

"I think it is very important that the community is aware of the respective responsibilities of each ministry. This will help the civil service as well as civil society here where it concerns the functioning of government, expectations and obligations, along with the rights of the people.
"At the same time we would be promoting transparency as well as adhere to the rights of the people," MP Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out on Wednesday.
MP Lake said he will be spearheading an information booklet for the schools that could be updated and contain the who's who at the Executive and parliamentary levels of government and also who is the country's Governor and what role that person also plays.
"The information booklet would also be a valuable tool for the private sector so persons know who our government representatives are and the structure of our governmental system," MP Maurice Lake added.
MP Lake suggested that the Ministry of Justice could hold public meetings in collaboration with Community Councils in the different districts. The Department of Communication (DCOMM) also has a role to play with the development of informative TV and Radio programs and working with local hosts and producers to get the information to the people, the MP suggested.
"As a community-minded person and now a representative of the people, we must educate and continue to inform our people so that they understand the role of all facets of government, the executive branch, and the legislative branch, which is Parliament. By doing so, a shared sense of responsibility will be fostered that will enhance living and well-being on Sint Maarten.
The MP was pleased to learn that in elementary schools, the children are being taught about the organization structure of government and parliament, adding, "To know your destiny in life, you need to know your history," MP Lake concluded.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Director of the St. Maarten Development Fund Keith Franca on Wednesday officially introduced the government organization to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. Franca briefed the Prime Minister on the accomplishments and activities of the fund in 2014 as well as presented the 2015 plans. Franca also met with Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Rita Bourne-Gumbs last Friday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a Central Committee session on February 13th. The Minister of Finance will be present for the meeting.

The committee meeting is set for Friday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
This meeting is a continuation of the meeting that was started initially in the latter quarter of 2014.
The agenda point is the first, second and third quarterly reports of country Sint Maarten for 2014.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), the largest private business representative on the island, welcomes Ms. Anenda Zaandam as its new Executive Director. The appointment of Ms. Zaandam follows the resignation of Ms. Karen Hana whose her hard work and grand efforts, during her time with the association, were greatly appreciated.
Anenda Zaandam, Certified Hospitality Educator of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Institute, will be bringing her extensive knowledge of the Hospitality & Service Industry to the SHTA. Ms. Zaandam started her career in the hospitality industry in 2002 as an Assistant Banqueting & Convention Manager at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino. Since then her career has steadily taken off to new horizons.

Adding to her expertise, Ms. Zaandam has not only been a student of a hospitality classroom, but a teacher as well at the Mondriaan College voor Horeca en Toerisme in the Netherlands and the Sundial School in St. Maarten. A change in career in 2012, led Ms. Zaandam to the Government of St. Maarten as the Executive Assistant to the former Minister of Education Culture Youth and Sports – Ms. Silveria Jacobs. This opportunity opened new career paths, with her returning to familiar waters, as the Office & Project Manager at the SHTA, late 2013 to early 2014 before leaving to share her proficiencies at the Government of St. Maarten as a Senior Facility Officer. With regard to her return to the SHTA, Ms Zaandam expressed her deep desire to contribute towards the Hospitality and Trade Industry. "Returning to the SHTA signifies a return to my passions: Hospitality and St. Maarten. I am excited to start and look forward to the challenge", said Ms. Zaandam.

For several years Ms. Zaandam has been in the limelight in this industry on St. Maarten. Her achievements have brought admiration and respect for her work and character. Ms. Zaandam's strengths lie in Hospitality Staff Recruitment, Event organization, , Marketing, Management and PR & Communication and Public Speaking. Her body of work has blossomed throughout the years. Tangible evidence of her work can be seen through successfully organized major events in the Hospitality Industry and the Government of St. Maarten. She has been a leader and has worked tirelessly in organizing and recruiting hospitality staff and supervision for events such as the and the Crystal Pineapple Awards in previous years and the 2014 FCCA.
The crowning glory of her work thus far has been the provision of hospitality staff and supervision during 2013 Royal Visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima Youth Event and Royal Reception. Ms. Zaandam and her staff ensured that the Royal Family experienced the 'Friendly Island' hospitality of Country St. Maarten. Throughout her achievements and many more major accomplishments under her belt, Ms. Zaandam has remained humble, friendly and down to earth with a humorous personality; Of which a little is left behind with everyone whom she has had the pleasure to meet and work with.

The board and staff of SHTA are enthused and excited to work with Ms. Zaandam. "Starting a new year with a new frontrunner is bound to bring great things to SHTA and the tourism industry of St. Maarten", said the SHTA.
"The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners, and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices at 542-0108 or visit our website at www.shta.com and www.visitstmaarten.com."

SHTA Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St Maarten Zoological & Botanical Garden Foundation would like to extend its sincere gratitude to management of G.E.B.E for their generous contribution towards the walk-a-thon that will take place on February 21, 2015 at 5:00am sharp.

The Walk-A-Thon will start in the Zoo's parking lot, continue around the Great Salt Pond and back to the St. Maarten Zoo in Madame Estate. After the walk-a-thon, there will be a second element to the event which consist of a training session from Axylum CrossFitSXM who will give basic aerobics work out to keep everyone's blood pumping!

As the St. Maarten Zoo has always been an advocate for sustainability, we will not be printing t-shirts for the event, but rather all participants will receive a special lanyard as a token of appreciation.

All funds raised will go towards the repairs caused by Hurricane Gonzalo.

Board members of the Zoo are therefore kindly requesting the community to wear white T-shirts on the morning of the walk. ,If you would like to support the cause, tickets can be purchased for $10 at the Fun Miles office in Cay Hill, at the St. Maarten Zoo in Madame Estate, at Melonas on Front Street and/or from Board members who you can contact via our Facebook page: facebook.com/StMaartenZoo.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs headed by Peggy Ann Dros- Richardson signed-an Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday morning with the Mental Health Foundation. Dros- Richardson said the signing of the MOU is indeed a milestone for the Ministry since it has been about three years now that the Department of Social Affairs have been placing persons that need mental care at the Mental Health Foundation. Dros- Richardson said she felt it was indeed necessary to have an MOU with Mental Health in order to have things properly structured. She said by having such the Department of Social Affairs will know its role and so is the Mental Health Foundation. Acting Minister of Health and Labor Rita Bourne Gumbs commended the Department for the initiative they have taken to structure the services offered by the Department of Social Affairs. Signing on behalf of the Ministry was Head of Labor and Social Affairs Peggy Ann Dros-Richardson, Minister Rita Bourne Gumbs and representative of Mental Health Foundation Pyt Lucas.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Office of the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) together with the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation launched its first series of presentations in local schools using the UNESCO Sandwatch program. The presentations focused on plants and trees and the importance of their conservation, mangroves, sea-turtles and marine flora and fauna protection. The presentations were given to the two third grades of the Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) School in St. John's Estate.
Sandwatch is an educational process through which school students, teachers and local communities work together in the field to monitor their coastal environments; identify and evaluate the threats, problems and conflicts facing them; and develop sustainable approaches to address them. With this approach involved groups not only understand their environment, but also develop critical thinking skills and apply them to conflict resolution, thus instilling a sense of caring for their beaches and coastal areas – their environment. The Sandwatch method is applied in an interdisciplinary manner with applications ranging from biology to woodwork, from geography to art, and from poetry to mathematics.
Supported by a well-illustrated manual, involved Sandwatch groups can select to investigate different aspects of the beach such as beach erosion and accretion, sediment composition, the impact of human activities on the beach, beach debris and pollution, water quality, waves, currents, and plants and animals.

Throughout the process, particular emphasis is placed on observations and adaptation strategies relating to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. In this way, Sandwatch participants contribute to building ecosystem resilience and adapting to climate change.

Within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Sandwatch seeks to integrate the values inherent in sustainable development into all aspects of learning, through a practical hands-on approach, thereby empowering citizens of all ages to act for positive environmental and social change.

The Sandwatch Program will continue on Thursday and Friday with field trips on the Simpson Bay Lagoon/ Mullet Pond and to Guana Bay Beach.

The consumer price index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of
December 2014 by 0.3 percent compared to that of October 2014.
When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (Dec.
2013 to Dec. 2014), an increase of 1.9 percent was recorded compared to
the same period one year earlier. Inflation has shown an overall decline in
2014 (1.9%) compared to the rate of inflation recorded in 2013 (2.5%).
This is evident from the data that has been released by the Department of
Statistics (STAT) today.

Price changes between October & December 2014
The consumer price index for Sint Maarten has decreased in the month of December 2014 by 0.3 percent compared to that of October 2014. The price index recorded in December 2014 is 126.6.
Expenditure Category WEIGHT INDEX OCTOBER 2014 INDEX DECEMBER 2014 % CHANGE
Food 10%
183.4
184.8
0.8
Beverages and tobacco 1%
145.5
146.2
0.5
Clothing & footwear 7%
114.5
116.9
2.1
Housing 39%
126.3
124.9
-1.1
Household furnishing & appliances 6%
140.7
141.7
0.7
Medical care 3%
111.3
112.7
1.3
Transport & communication 20%
109.0
107.2
-1.7
Recreation & education 6%
108.0
108.1
0.1
Misc. 8%
120.1
120.0
-0.1 TOTAL 100% 127.0 126.6 -0.3
Expenditure Categories – overall moderate increases
In December 2014, six of the nine expenditure categories have become moderately more expensive, whilst three became cheaper. Amongst the more expensive were the categories; 'Food' (+0.8%), 'Beverages and Tobacco' (+0.5%), 'Clothing and Footwear' (+2.1%), 'Household Furnishing & Appliances' (+0.7%), 'Medical Care' (+1.3%) and 'Recreation & Education' (+0.1%). Whereas slight decreases were recorded amongst the expenditure categories; 'Housing' (-1.1%), 'Transport & Communication' (-1.7%), and 'Miscellaneous' (-0.1%).

Within the expenditure category Food, it can be noted that five of the nine food groups became less expensive whilst four became more expensive. The following developments were recorded in each food group; Grain (-0.4%), Meat and Fish (+2.1%), Fats & Oils (-0.3%), Dairy Products (+0.3%), Potatoes, Vegetables & Fruit (+1.4%), Sugar & Chocolate (-1.6%), Pre-cooked dishes (-0.5%), Eating-out (-0.3%) and other food resources (+0.5%).
More specifically the following products largely influenced the total price change within the food groups: The food group 'Meat & Fish', was largely influenced by beef (+19.5%), oxtail (-8.0), Ham (+4.1%), pork meat without bone (+6.8%), Fish (+10.7%) other fish (+5.8%) canned salmon (16.2%). The food group 'Dairy Products' was largely influenced by; cheese (+3.1%), Yoghurt (-7.9%), Ice cream (-9.9%) and eggs (+3.4%).
The food group 'Potatoes, Vegetables & Fruit' was largely influenced by; potatoes (+11.0%), legumes (-46.1%), onions (+8.4%), carrots (+3.5%), other fresh vegetables (-8.1%), dried beans (+8.6%) apples and pears (-7.0%), grapes and prunes (-3.0%), citrus fruit(-7.1%), other citrus fruit (18.2%), plantains (+4.4%) and raisins (+4.0%). The food group Sugar & Chocolate (-1.6%) was largely influenced by; sugar (-4.2%)
1 Please note that the pie chart above depicts the share (weight) each food group carries toward the entire Food expenditure category, whilst the percentages indicate the price change within that food group.
Grain-0.4%
Meat and Fish+2.1%
Fats & Oils-0.3%
Dairy Products +0.3%
Potatoes, Vegetables & Fruits+1.4%
Sugar & Chocolate-1.6%
Pre-cooked dishes-0.5%
Eating-out-0.3%
Other food resources+0.5%
FOOD EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
10% of CPI
4
Housing

Within the expenditure category Housing, it is noted that three of the five product groups became slightly more expensive, whilst one remained stable and one recorded a considerable decrease. The product groups; 'Dwelling costs', 'Garden maintenance' and 'Maintenance of dwelling' increased by 0.4%, 1.8% and 0.2% respectively. Whilst 'Energy expenses' decreased by 7.3 percent. A decrease in the consumer price of electricity by -7.0% and cooking gas by -8.9% influenced the total price change within this product group.
2 Please note that the pie chart above depicts the share (weight) each food group carries toward the entire Housing expenditure category, whilst the percentages indicate the price change within that product group.
Dwelling costs+0.4%
Energy expenses-7.3%
Maintenance of dwelling+0.2%
Garden maintenance
+1.8%
Water+0.0%
HOUSING EXPENDITURE CATEGORY
39% of C

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament's permanent committee for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) will be meeting with the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) on February 12th in a closed door session.

The committee will meet three times starting at 9:00am with the final meeting starting at 11:00am on Thursday morning in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first meeting at 9:00am, the committee will meet with students from several of the programs at NIPA; at 10:00am the committee will meet with the board and the director of NIPA; and at 11:00am the committee will meet with the Minister of Education, the Department of Education, and the Inspectorate & Exam Division.
The agenda is the same for the three meetings: the challenges experienced by students at NIPA with courses, instructors, and accreditation programs as well as the lack of communication.
These meetings are closed to the public.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on February 12. The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, as well as the Managing Board and Board of Supervisory Directors will also be present.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Thursday at 2:00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda is the issue of the reduction of the fuel clause of NV GEBE based on the fact that crude oil prices have drastically dropped on the international market.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

CAY HILL:--- Over a year ago, the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) commenced a bilateral education program with the Rijnland Hospital in the Netherlands for its Radiology Technicians. Now, the technicians are prepared to begin the final stage of this program, projected for completion in 2015.
For a total of four weeks in October and November 2013, radiology technicians from the Rijnland Hospital gave on the job training to SMMC radiology technicians in the area of CT scan, mammography and bucky imaging. The training was to improve imaging at the radiology department, with the use of new and revised protocols.

The second phase of the bilateral education program was a theory examination which assessed the SMMC radiology technicians' pre-existing knowledge of radiology imaging and what they would have learnt during the educational upgrade. The technicians passed this examination in April 2014.

The examination was set by Radiologist Dr. Herman Schuttevaer, from the Rijnland Hospital, who specializes in intervention radiology and mammography. He presented the certificates to the radiology technicians upon his return to the SMMC in February of this year. Dr. Schuttevaer first came to the SMMC as a visiting specialist, during that time he saw the possibility to improve the knowledge and skills of the radiology staff and has since then been instrumental in that regard.

The third and upcoming phase of the program is the education exchange visit; where the SMMC radiology technicians will do an internship at Rijnland for additional training over a period of three to four weeks.

At Rijnland, the technicians will have the opportunity to expand their learning in areas of MRI and intervention radiology. Most importantly however, is the objective to maintain the knowledge they have gain throughout the program.

The staff is enthusiastic about their continued education as are the program coordinators, "The St. Maarten Medical Center is continuing to investing in future learning and assessment of its employees, this is important to improve and maintain the quality of care provided," says Dr. Schuttevaer.

SMMC Press Release

OYSTER POND:--- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation received an urgent request from a business owner at Captain Oliver's Marina to asses a situation where significant sewage runoff from a large public septic tank has been entering into Oysterpond at an alarming rate since last week. The Nature Foundation responded to the request and documented the flow and also carried out water quality tests in order to directly determine the composition of the effluent entering Oysterpond. Conserned business owners have stated that they have contacted the French Authorities repeatedly but up to now the problem has not yet been addressed. This is an on-going situation that directly effects the environment of the Dutch Side since currents carry the (confirmed) raw sewage directly into Sint Maarten Territory.

Based on the conducted water quality tests carried out at location it shows that there is significant sewage run-off from the public septic tank in the Captain Oliver's area. Solid faecal matter and bits of used toilet paper were also seen entering into the pond. Although this area is on French St. Maarten the sewage directly enters into Oysterpond and through current movement spills out into the Dawn Beach area and can affect the bathing beach. Moreover; in the coral reefs along the eastern shore of the island, which lay downstream from Osyterpond and the effluent, an increase in sewage indicator algae has occurred which can significantly damage coral reefs. There has also been a rise of the algae within the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area which may be the result of a large amount of sewage entering from this particular area in Oysterpond.

The Nature Foundation has communicated the findings to authorities from both sides of the island and is urging them to solve the matter urgently and expeditiously. It is estimated that up to fifty litres per day, if not more, of raw sewage is being entered into the Oysterpond area.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Media One Corporation, parent company of radio station X104.3 "Your Xtreme Party Station" is pleased to announce that their Xtreme Valentine's Day Deliveries promotion is nearing its end. So far some 100 contestants have signed up and nominated someone who they think deserves to receive a Valentine's Day gift hand delivered by X104 on air dj's.
For the third year in a row X104 will be continuing with the tradition of Xtreme Valentine's Day Deliveries. On Valentine's Day, February 14, 2015 we will be giving away Valentine's Day packages to 14 lucky winner. Each valentine day package will include; roses, chocolate, Champagne and one lucky winner will also get a 3-course Valentines dinner.
We like to keep things interested and this is one our traditions we are very happy with, said Felix Brown Marketing & Promo official at Media One. "It's the third year we're doing this promotion and so we decided to expand by adding "special dedications" so that people can send out their love to other lovers, loved ones and friends or just for plain enjoyment".
Qualifying entries for the Valentine's Day giveaways ends on Friday February 13th at 12 noon, while the deliveries will be taking place on Valentine's Day, Saturday February 14 with the first delivery being broadcasted live at 9am. From there the fun starts as the Xtreme Team finds and delivers all the prizes to the all 14 lucky winners throughout the day.
As always, a lot of what happens promotionally is thanks to Xtreme Partners such as Casino Royale, E2Pics, Angel Car Rental, Prime Distributors, Frolic, Belgian Chocolate Box, Lydias Flower Shop, Evolution Hair Salon & Spa, and Penha.
For more information on this event and all upcoming events listen to X104 live at 104.3 fm or online at www.x1043.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Philipsburg Jubilee Library held its Open House Reception on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 5pm for invited guests, including the Minister of Education Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Dutch Representative for the Netherlands in St. Maarten, Gert Versluis, Secretary General for the Ministry of Education, Jorien Wuite, Head of the Department of Culture, Neville York and Romelio Maduro, Managing Director of GEBE NV.
The evening started off with a cocktail reception, followed by three presentations given by Library Director, Monique Alberts, Foresee Foundation President, Jose Sommers, and Solar Energy expert, Peter Mazereeuw. Each presenter provided insight on the library's goals and activities for 2015, to over twenty current and potential financial partners, funding agencies, service clubs and members of the business community.
During Alberts presentation, she outlined a few of the activities and projects that the library would like to carry out in 2015. Alberts discussed phase two of the "New Shelves and Furniture" project, which would allow the library to completely replace the shelves in their Non-Fiction Department, with more modern and attractive shelving and seating areas; providing designated parking spaces and a wheelchair ramp for senior citizens or persons with impaired mobility; replace damaged computers and laptops with new ones; a literacy project for (young) adults with reading and writing difficulties; an exhibition on World War II heroes from the Dutch Caribbean in partnership with the National Library of Aruba; construction of a storage area to properly protect library educational materials; storytelling and reading activities for visiting pre and primary school students.
The Second presenter, Sommers, discussed the Philipsburg Jubilee Library's DigiKidz Media lab, which started in April 2014 and was designed especially for courses in digital multimedia, where children and adults are able learn how to use computers, using new media technology as a tool of expression.
"Thus far, the library's Media Lab has had approximately1500 visits by 1176 students through 64 workshops in the morning hours. The afternoon program, for visiting children and adults, has held 48 public workshops and 28 workshops for teachers. The library, in partnership with Foresee hopes to continue the momentum we started last year but we need your help to continue to grow", stated Sommers.
Solar energy specialist, Mazereeuw spoke about the Solar Energy Restoration project. During Mazereeuw's presentation he discussed how solar energy works and how the solar installation was able to tremendously cut down the library's expenditures on energy bills.
"In 2014, solar panels were installed on the libraries roof. As a result, the library saved one third on its monthly energy bill. Unfortunately, most of the solar panels were destroyed by Hurricane Gonzalo. This year, the library hopes to restart the solar energy project by replacing the damaged panels and continue to provide free green energy education workshops for the general public", stated Mazereeuw.
The highlight of the evening was when President of the Library's Board, Chantal Schaminee- Ringeling, presented tokens of appreciation to Foresee Foundation's President, Jose Sommers and GEBE's Managing Director, Romelio Maduro for being the largest sponsors of the library in 2014.
"Foresee Foundation was instrumental to the success of our DigiKidz Media and we are so grateful that Jose Sommers and her team decided to choose to provide the library with a facility and the technology that will continue to positively impact the lives of both the children and people of St. Maarten. I also want to thank GEBE for providing the entire library with LED lights. We are tremendously grateful to GEBE's support of the library", remarked Schaminee-Ringeling.
After the presentation, visiting guests took a tour of the library's facility, including the Baby & Toddler Room, and Youth and Adult Sections.
Library Director Alberts thanked all invited guests for attending and encouraged them to support their library.
Minister Bourne-Gumbs, in her closing remarks, commended the library for its educational programs, especially in the field of digital technology.

PJL Press Release

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- The aviation company AVA Airways applied for an economic permit in December 2013. This request is to operate scheduled and unscheduled air transport of passengers, cargo and mail. This permit is also necessary to start the process for the Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). AVA has already completed all of its manuals, which were cross referenced to Curaçao's regulations. This means that the aviation company is ready for their AOC process.

The Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) headed by Oscar Derby, who was hired by the Minister of Transportation, Earl Balborda, responded to that request on May 22, 2014. It took the CCAA about five months to respond to AVA's request. The law states that the government has to make a decision in about three months.

On August 21, 2014, the CCAA indicated, through a letter to the President of the company that based on article 6 paragraph 7 of the Ordinance Scheduled and Unscheduled Air Transport, they made use of the services of a third party, in this case the Government's Accountants Foundation (SOAB), to obtain advice on the business plan of the aviation company.

SOAB then studied the business plan and requested clarification and explanation on several points mentioned in the plan. According to our source, AVA took 24 hours to respond to SOAB's request.

After receiving AVA's clarification and explanation to their points, SOAB gave three positive reviews. In the last review, SOAB stated that they didn't see any problems or issues for AVA to be granted their economic permit.

According to our source, on January 12, 2015, more than a year after AVA request, the CCAA asked for information on the intended funding and finances of the aviation company. According to the CCAA, this was advised by the SOAB. Our source in the Netherlands indicated that SOAB advised this only after the CCAA has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with AVA. CCAA said in their letter that they will not sign the NDA. Nevertheless, AVA's Investment Group proceeded to send a letter directly to the Minister of Transportation.

On January 28, 2015 the SOAB once again gave positive review of AVA's business plan. They also indicated that they are done with their work and that it is up to CCAA and the Department of Transportation to grant the permit.

This has not been done yet. The Director of the CCAA, Mr. Derby constantly implies that the SOAB is the decision maker. SOAB clearly stated in their last letter that the CCAA and the Minister are the ones authorized to grant the permit.

We want to know why Mr. Derby is delaying the granting of AVA's economic permit. We found out, through our source in the Netherlands, that Mr. Derby applied to become CEO of AVA Airways in early 2013. He is familiar with this company. We also learned that the Board of the aviation company did not hire Mr. Derby as the CEO. This could be a reason why Mr. Derby is boycotting the aviation company. We asked Mr. Derby about this, and he indicated to us that he was told to submit his resume. We then asked AVA Airways to comment and they did not want to do so. This proves though that Derby had a relation with the company.

Another reason could be that AVA's business plan indicates they will use modern airplanes such as Airbus 320 and CS100. This makes the certification process very complicated for the CCAA. The CCAA does not have inspectors who are capable of certifying these types of aircrafts.

Whatever the reason is, it has to be fixed as soon as possible. After the bankruptcy of the Dutch Antilles Express (DAE), Curaçao is in serious need of more airlift. The Minister needs to act.

Curacao Chronicle

SUCKER GARDEN:--- The Walichi Basketball Association (WBA) & Motorworld and Jeep Presents Ladies Basketball Championship games continued last weekend and started off with a Saturday game between Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls and Bush Tea Remedy

Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls started off strong and lead 25-6 after the first quarter a never looked back and won the game 80 to 37.
Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game Claudia Fleming with a Triple Double of 13 Points, 13 Rebounds, 11 assists and even had 5 Steals. She was supported by Selah Fleming with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Diasha Ferdinand with 21 points, 6 assists and 5 Steals.
Bush Tea Remedy was lead by Keri Hyman with 21 Points and 4 assists and she was supported by Cardillia Nicholas with 8 points and 8 rebounds and Cresencia Brown who pulled down 12 rebounds.

Second Game on Sunday was between the #1 seed Thunderz and #2 seed Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls. The game was tight throughout the whole game, each time leading by no more than 2 points untill Thunderz got a lead of 5 heading into the fourth quarter. Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls tied the game up at 31-31, got the lead and never gave it up and ended the game on a 10-2 run and won 41-33.
Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game Wendy Jack who had 11 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists. She was supported by Claudia Fleming with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Thunderz was lead by Joyette Lloyd with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 5 Assists and Chantel Hodge with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 Steals.

After week 13, Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls move into first place, standings are Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls 12-2, Thunderz at 11-3, MGM Lightning 9-5, Learning Unlimited 2-11 and Bush Tea Remedy 1-13.

Games continue this weekend on Saturday as Thunderz take on MGM Lightning at 6pm. On Sunday at 3pm Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls go up against Thunderz and at 5pm Learning Unlimited go up against Bush Tea Remedy.

Game Highlights, pictures, game scores and schedule can be viewed on the Facebook page 'Ladies Basketball Championship'. Highlights and full games can be seen on the Youtube page www.youtube.com/walichibasketball and short highlights can be seen on the instagram page www.instagram.com/ladiesbasketballchampionship.

PHILIPSBURG:--- At the end of January Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen made a presentation to the Dutch Kingdom Ambassadors at an event that was held at the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament.

Minister Fleming-Artsen described the meet and greet as very positive and a good way to make contacts and establish a working relationship with the possibility of developing opportunities for country Sint Maarten using the Kingdom Ambassador networks throughout different parts of the world.

"My follow-up with the Kingdom Ambassadors will be to look at ways and means of opportunities between the countries where they are posted and the Kingdom and Sint Maarten in particular. We have a modern air and seaport and as a country are strategically located to act as a hub which I explained to the Kingdom Ambassadors," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said.

The Kingdom Ambassadors were brought up to speed on current Sint Maarten developments and the hub function, as well as the current function as gateway to the islands of Anguilla, St. Barths, Saint Martin, Saba and St. Eustatius, and the historical relationship with some of the other islands such as the Dominican Republic and Dominica.

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen also highlighted Government's incentives to attract business to the country; provided insight into the St. Maarten Medical Center and how it can play a more important role in providing care to patients from the neighbouring islands.

The minister concluded by looking forward to working together within the Kingdom to promote the "Gateway" of Sint Maarten to other countries with the assistance of the partners within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- Due to an increased interaction between Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean, especially in the field of commerce and trade, Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal has decided to expand the reporting of this website to Suriname. Until now, Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal mainly reported on the islands within the Dutch Caribbean (Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba and Statia).

There are striking similarities between Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean. Both are former colonies of the Netherlands. The legal systems in these jurisdictions are based on Dutch law, while in all these countries Dutch is an official language. Furthermore, the geographic distance between the Dutch Caribbean and Suriname is relatively short, which certainly contributes to the intensity of trading operations. A striking development is that, in the past few years, more and more Dutch Caribbean companies have started doing business with Suriname companies and vice versa. Furthermore, in the legal sector, many Dutch Caribbean law firms have started a Suriname Desk – whether or not staffed by Surinam lawyers – in the past years, from which they serve the Surinam market.

For Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal, the above is reason enough to include Suriname as a new and important focus area.

Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal is expanding its reporting to the Surinam jurisdiction. So far, this website only published news and information about the six island in the Dutch Caribbean. The expansion to Surinam news is launched with the publication of the Top 10 of the largest law firms in Suriname for the year 2014. This Top 10 will be launched annually from now on, as is the case with the Top 10's for the Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on February 11 with the Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson.

The Central Committee meeting is set for Wednesday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting is a draft National Ordinance to change the State Regulation and other national ordinances with respect to the implementation of the Criminal Code based on the ruling of the Constitutional Court.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

POINT BLANCHE:--- Management of Port St. Maarten concluded meetings on the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius with respect to assistance in port handling, operations and economic development.

Port St. Maarten is a success story for the Caribbean Basin, and has received visits and inquiries from various islands in the region about its efficient operations.

Port management officials met with government representatives of Saba and St. Eustatius on February 4. The objectives of the meetings were to discuss opportunities and collaboration with respect to economic sustainability from the perspective of port operations.

The discussion with the islands mainly focused on how to create a strategic and productive partnership between the three SSS islands. Ferry services between the islands were an important topic of discussion in terms of tourism and the transportation of supplies and goods, with the main objective to enhance the connectivity between Saba/St. Eustatius and St. Maarten in order to continue to propel economic growth.

Both meetings were described as successful by the parties involved, and follow-up meetings are planned in the near future with respect to execution plans.

Port St. Maarten is one of the only matured cruise destinations in the north eastern Caribbean, and the proximity of the neighboring islands which are linked to different European countries such as the United Kingdom and France, makes it unique.

Transporting cruise passengers by ferry to one of the neighboring islands is part of the Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten which was promoted during the largest and most successful Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference and Trade Show that the destination hosted back in October 2014.

One new tour that could be developed is a ferry ride to St. Barths for breakfast and then off to either Saba or St. Eustatius for lunch.

Port St. Maarten was represented by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, Governmental Relations Hector Peters, and Bertrand Peters, Roger Lawrence members of the Port St. Maarten management team.

Saba was represented by Commissioners Chris Johnson and Bruce Zagers. The delegation from St. Eustatius comprised of Commissioner Carlyle Tearr, members of the Island Council, Franklin Brown, Adelka Spanner, Milicent Lijfrock-Marsdin, Reuben Merkman (chairman), Elvin Henriquez, and Harbour Master Austin van Heyningen.

"Based on meetings that have been held in the past with various Dutch Ministers who visited Port St. Maarten, a concern for them was to improve the connectivity with the public entities of St. Eustatius and Saba. This has been the current focus of the discussions.

"Connectivity between the islands can only be successful with a meaningful economic exchange. I see many areas that the three islands can work together on and several St. Maarten Members of Parliament also favour this approach embarked upon.

"As Port St. Maarten, we will get it done. We are committed just like St. Eustatius and Saba are committed. This approach is also part of our Strategic Business Plan 2019. The next stage is working out the action plans," CEO Mark Mingo said on Monday.

Six months ago – September 2014 - Port St. Maarten management met with Commissioner Carlyle Tearr of St. Eustatius and his consultant A.J. Bart Van Asch, to discuss the workings of the Port logistics software system, Global Logistic System (GLS).

A full explanation of the Port system was given coupled with a live demonstration of gate and invoicing activities.

Commissioner Tearr and Van Asch at that time was able to get an in-depth understanding of the system handling in terms of Gate control, Discharge/Loading Cargo vessels, the interactive website where Carrier agents and Port ops can communicate, and most importantly relating to their visit was the invoicing capabilities.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in five closed door – not open to the public - sessions in the afternoon of February 11th.

Five committee meetings will take place between 3:00pm and 4:15pm on Wednesday in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for each of the four permanent committees and one ad hoc is the appointment of the chairperson and vice chairperson.

The committees are: Finance, Justice, Ad Hoc Committee New Parliament Building, Country Expenditures, and the Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications.

CUL DE SAC:--- The St. Maarten Academy will be having its Open House on Thursday, February 12, 2015 in an effort to provide information to parents of students who are preparing to write the upcoming Foundation Based Education (FBE) examinations.

All parents and students of Grade 6 are invited to attend this important information session to understand what St. Maarten Academy has to offer. The Open House will run from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In September of 2014 the Foundation for Environmental Education's (FEE) International Blue Flag Jury awarded Oyster Bay Beach Resort with the Blue Flag eco-label for the 2014- 2015 Blue Flag Season based on the Jury's analysis of EPIC-Sint Maarten's recommendations. The Blue Flag was presented to Oyster Bay in an award ceremony this past December and an International Inspection carried out by FEE representative Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen found Oyster Bay to be in compliance with Blue Flag Criteria. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Oyster Bay Beach Resort Management and staff as well as EPIC-SHTA interns over the past year, Sint Maarten can now boast of having three Blue Flag locations.
The Blue Flag is an international symbol of quality recognized by governments, non-governmental organizations and tour operators around the world and is used for the promotion of the awarded beach, marina or the destination as a whole.
International research has shown:

• significant growth in visitors to Blue Flag beaches and marinas in comparison to non-Blue Flag locations;
• cleaner coastal areas as a result of improved awareness and conduct of beach goers (improved personal waste management);
• an increase in positive feedback and online ratings of Blue Flag destinations (countries, beaches and marinas);
• that residents and visitors often choose Blue Flag beaches, secure in the knowledge that high standards of beach management, water quality and safety and security are guaranteed.

Blue Flag is managed internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) which has a national administration center in each participating country. In St. Maarten, Blue Flag is run by the National Operator, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).

FEE and EPIC commend Oyster Bay Beach Resort on its environmental management initiatives and once again congratulate Oyster Bay on achieving Blue Flag certification. EPIC's Environmental Education Coordinator Ms. Laura Bijnsdorp will be working closely with all of Sint Maarten's Blue Flag locations: Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Divi Little Bay Resort, and The Yacht Club Isle de Sol Management and staff to build on the locations' ongoing environmental education and activities programs. Stay informed of Sint Maarten's Blue Flag Program and all of EPIC's other programs by liking and following our progress at www.facebook.com/epicislands.

EPIC Press Release

DUTCH QUARTER:--- On Monday February 9th, 2015 at approximately 1:30 a.m. police patrols, traffic department personnel and paramedics were sent to the "Tata the Bus driver" round about in Dutch Quarter for a very serious traffic accident involving a scooter rider. On the scene the officers encountered the victim of French nationality who had suffered severe head trauma and was bleeding profusely.

The 32 year old victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken in critical condition to The Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment.

The investigation done thus far by the Police Traffic Department shows that the victim was travelling at a high speed coming from the French Quarter area to Dutch Quarter. For unknown reasons the scooter collided with the elevated center divider on the street at which time the victim lost control, fell to the ground and injuring himself quite seriously.

The investigating officers later in the morning received information from the medical center that the victim had died as a result of the injuries he sustained.

KPSM Police Report

POINTE BLANCHE:--- A Checkmate security guard acted in good faith early Monday morning when he jumped into the open waters at the Harbor and captured a suspect whom residents and police were chasing after he and two others were caught breaking into a home in Pointe Blanche. A supervisor of Checkmate Security applauded the security guard who was on duty early Monday morning for his bravery. Shervin Williams told SMN News that he was apprised of the situation just before 9am on Monday morning. Williams said based on the information he received from the supervisor that was on duty at the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies, a young male was running from police and the suspect ran into the area of the "sandpit". "The guard who was fully dressed in his uniform tried stopping the suspect but he continued to run and then jumped into the water. Our security guard did not hesitate to jump in the same water and capture the suspect and brought him back ashore, pinned him down then handcuffed him and waited until officers from KPSM arrived on the scene and took over. I think the security guard did an outstanding job because he is paid to secure the harbor but this morning he did not only do that but also assisted the police in capturing a suspect."
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said in an invited comment that the residents of a home in Pointe Blanche caught three Hispanic speaking men breaking into their home red-handed early Monday morning. Henson said when the suspects realized they were caught they began running and the residents of the home started to chase them on foot. He said one of the suspects ran in the area of the sand-pit and a Checkmate security guard captured him and turned him over to the police. Henson said while the residents were chasing the suspects they called police who were on their way to the scene. Henson further explained that two of the three Spanish speaking men were apprehended and police is still busy looking for the third suspect.

Two suspects caught in the act.

On Monday February 9th, 2015 at approximately 8:15 a.m. police patrols were sent to Zonaida road in Point Blanche where two men were caught in the act after they had broken into a home. The suspects were being held by a group of persons and were resisting quite heavily. One suspect suffered minor bruises while resisting and the other suspects managed to get away and ran towards the A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility where he was arrested by officers of Checkmate Security. Both suspects were handed over to police. The suspect that suffered injuries was treated on the scene by paramedics and taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Centre for further medical treatment. He was released in police custody shortly after. Both suspects remain in custody for further investigation.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Receivers' Office hereby informs the general public of the extension of its business hours.
The extension of business hours is to facilitate the (corporate) citizens with the payment of taxes and premiums as well as vehicle tax payments and other general payments.
The extended hours are as follows:
Dates:                                   Hours
Friday, February 13th, 2015 8 am to 6 pm.
Saturday, February 14th, 2015 9 am to 1 pm
Monday , February 16th 2015 8 am to 6 pm

We will also be open on:
Saturday, February 21st, 2015 9 am to 1 pm
Monday, February 23rd, through
Friday, February 27th, 2015 8 am to 6 pm
Saturday, February 28th 2015 9 am to 1 pm

You are requested to make good use of the extra hours provided.

The Tax Administration hereby informs the general public that the Inspectorate, Audit and Criminal investigations and the Receivers Department will be closed to the public on:

Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 from 8 AM to 12 PM.

The Tax Administration in the Public Service Center (PSC) in Simpsonbay will also be closed during this time. The closing of office is necessary so that the staff can attend a general staff meeting. Please ensure that you complete any urgent transactions you may have in advance. We apologize for any inconvenience this closure may cause.

PHILIPSBURG:--- This year, Flinx Recruitment will once again organize the event to recruit students and professionals in The Netherlands to return to the islands of the Dutch Caribbean. Flinx Recruitment Expo for Dutch Caribbean, or commonly known as FRED, is scheduled to take place in the June 2015 at WTC Rotterdam.

During the first week of June FRED will host an array of activities aimed at bringing professionals and students residing in Holland in contact with representatives of various companies and organizations from the islands. FRED's mission is to bring the two parties together in a direct, simple and interactive manor, hence bridging the gap between The Netherlands and The Dutch Caribbean.

FRED kicks off on Thursday, June 4th with the annual Company Dinner. The second day of the program, Friday, June 5th, will feature a leadership conference. The Job Fair will be held on Saturday, June 6th in WTC Rotterdam and will be host to various activities. Visitors can attend presentations and workshops given by the companies and organizations. A large amount of companies and organizations will be present at the Job Fair, elaborating about their vacancies and career opportunities. FRED concludes on Sunday, June 7th. Companies and organizations are given the opportunity to interview the candidates that they have selected.

More than 50 companies and organizations have made the journey to the Netherlands to recruit professionals and students during the previous editions of FRED. Over 2000 people have visited FRED's job fair and more than 400 candidates had interviews with one or more companies and organizations over the past few years. All of this has resulted in approximately 200 people who have received a job on one of the Dutch Caribbean islands.

All Dutch Caribbean islands share one goal; to hire professionals and students residing in The Netherlands, to give them an opportunity to build a career on their native island. FRED plays a significant role for both companies and candidates searching for new opportunities in the Caribbean.

Flinx would like to thank all partners that have made the fourth edition of FRED possible. Partners include Aruba Hospital, Deloitte, Pinnacle Sports, Princess Juliana International Airport, PwC, St. Maarten Medical Center, SZV and UTS, just to name a few. More than 25 companies and organizations have registered to participate in this year's edition. Companies or organizations interested in participating can go to www.fredexpo.com or ask for more information by sending an email to Flinx at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To get an impression of FRED please visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/fredexpo.

Calls for resignation of SOG board

PHILIPSBURG:--- Laugh out Loud would like to respond to the character assassination by SOG, the board of the festival village. In November of 2014 the board representatives headed by Fabiana Arnell and the strictly business representative Julian Rollocks held a meeting with local promoters including Mr. Andrew Dick explaining them that they will start a weekend program for vendors to utilize the booths and the village more often, the board was willing to work hand in hand with the promoters to do events at the Festival Village. Mr. Rollocks weeks later pulled out of the project due to personal reasons and the board headed by Kurt Ruan continued the program.

The board then put out word that the Village will be starting the program for St. Maarten Day and those willing to get a booth have to pay $150 a week. This comes with a guarantee that they promote events and advertise their booths which will be open every weekend. Laugh out Loud productions sent several proposals with the idea that we do this hand in hand. Booth holders to date complain about not getting any business every weekend.

Dance Mania was proposed and a tentative date was set. Please note that the permit and agreement was signed by Johamy Alcala because she is the president of Laugh out Loud productions. LOL stands behind its team and for the impression to be given that we are not trustworthy is a blatant downgrade from a board of so called professionals who target a group of young individuals who have the interest at heart of young people. Extensions of deadlines were made on several occasions however SOG did not mention the fact that it did not want partial payment or make a payment plan, in fact on Friday February 6th a representative of LOL brought more than half of the payment to Fabiana Arnell and she turn them away and said "No we want it all".
We made a counter proposal to Mr Kurt Ruan personally and proposed for a representative of SOG to collect its facility payment at the gate as it has done so on several occasions with other organizations.

LOL found it strange that a government owned board is demanding cash payment and not check payments, several prominent businessmen came forward to assist us by giving us a check to pay for the village however the board refused and reiterated cash or no show. It is clear that SOG did not want the 47 dancers perform and we are calling for the resignation of the board as it has no intentions to better the Festival Village for the people of St Maarten it was built for. The dictatorship has to stop, today is LOL tomorrow who will it be.

In our first press release LOL clearly stated due to the lack of funds, we are not able to host the show at the village. We challenge the board to put out all emails with LOL. We stand behind this, we are moving away from this situation and looking forward to Dance Mania this Friday at 7:00pm and we put this situation to rest.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Promoter of the Dance Mania show, Mr. Andrew Dick of Laugh Out Loud (LOL), whose show was scheduled to be held at the St. Maarten Festival Village on February 7th, has been issuing misinformation and blatant lies via various media sources about the cancellation of his show at the Festival Village.

Additionally, Mr. Dick has purposely painted a negative picture of Stichting Overheids Gebouwen (SOG), the foundation that manages the Village, to apparently cover the fact that he did not live up to obligations to SOG as they regarded his event.

As such, SOG would like to use this opportunity the explain the following, factual information:

Mr. Andrew Dick made booking arrangements in November for use of the St. Maarten Festival Village, to host Dance Mania 2015. He was given his quotations in December and was informed of the procedures of the venue, which he already was aware of as he has made use of the venue on two other occasions before in the past.

All agreements were signed by Ms. Johamny Alcala, in whose name the permit and agreement was supposedly made, as his name were not on any documents, other than email messages for booking and further updates as the days went along.

Mr. Dick was contacted in the week when his payments were due reminding him of his due deadline payment date, where at this time full payment was to be received.

After the due date had passed, and no payments were received and Mr. Dick did not contact SOG to give an update of the show, -if it will be taking place or not-, Mr. Dick was again contacted and informed SOG via E-mail on Tuesday, February 3rd 2015, that he was awaiting a check to come in and then to proceed in making the payment.

He also indicated that he will come in and make the payment in cash if he did not get through with the cheque, and if not to have the deposit check (which was a post dated cheque and would not have been able to be deposited prior to the show) that is paid against damages and to block the date, as a guarantee against the payment.

Andrew was explained that at this point he would have to make the full payment either by a cashiers check or in cash, in order that we are guaranteed payment prior to the show. He then requested to have payments made on Thursday, February 5th by 2:00pm. In consideration of this, his request was granted and once the full payments were made he would be granted access to the venue to begin preparations and allow his participants access to rehearse.

On February 5th 2015 Mr. Dick and Ms. Alcala both received a reminder at 11:32am of their payment time as was requested and granted. On February 5th at 5:07pm, after the deadline had already passed, Mr. Dick again requested yet another extension as he claimed to be waiting on a McDonalds' manager to give him the monies in cash and the payments were forthcoming.
He nor anyone from his team showed up to make the payments on this day. He was called and he never answered or returned the call. The office closed at 6:35pm awaiting Mr. Dick and his payments, which did not happen.

Mr. Dick was sent an email informing him of his no show and non response to the phone call and the fact that the management of the Festival Village again was willing to give him until 11am on Friday February 6th (the day before the show) to make the relevant payments. On Friday, February 6th Andrew was called on numerous occasions and he never answered the call. Management then sent him an email at 10:47am, and informed him that he will be given until 3:00pm to make the payment in full and in cash, as there was no guarantee that a cheque at that time will be processed and made payable prior to event date. He was also informed that if payment was not made at this time, that the show will not be able to be hosted at the venue and thus he will not be granted access for the event as payments were not received.

Due to past experiences with Mr. Dick and his team of payment issues for use of the venue, the organization did not want to take any risk in allowing him or his team to utilize the venue without receiving payment in full. Therefore, when management realized that the payments would not be forthcoming, they informed him he will not be able to host the show at the venue but can reschedule to a new date if he so chooses.

Mr. Dick then took to social media etc to spin the aforementioned events as SOG being "money hungry" and blaming SOG for the cancellation of his show at the Festival Village. SOG will not engage in any drawn out public debate with someone as unprofessional and untrustworthy as Mr. Dick and his team members, but thought it prudent that these facts are known for the record.

SOG Management
St. Maarten Festival Village

PHILIPSBURG:--- The meeting requested by three members of the opposition in Parliament on December 18, regarding the Harbor Group of Companies has been convened for Tuesday, February 10, 2015. It will be a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament, which meetings are open to the public. The members who requested this meeting back in December are MPs Silveria Jacobs, George Pantophlet, and the undersigned. In their request, the members of Parliament cited the issues that are playing regarding this government company as the following:

• Head tax issue
• The Deher's marina project
• The Causeway (TOT payment)
• The Crane issue
• Government dividend and payment for the FCCA conference

The presence of the ministers was requested and ministers Conner and Hassink have confirmed to be at the meeting on Tuesday. The public is hereby invited to tune in.

In an unrelated matter, the Supervisory Board of the SMHDF (St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation) has declined the invitation to meet with Parliament regarding recent developments at the foundation. This invitation was extended based on discussions in the permanent committee of Parliament for Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure on Friday, as well as the adjourned CC meeting on the same matter. More on this in a subsequent release.

DP Faction Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:---- Organizers of the Laugh out loud event Dance mania were forced to make a tough decision and move the venue of the show at the last minute to another location due to the lack of sponsors. It is no secrete that securing sponsorship is a bit difficult however the youth group still decided to push to have the show in the festival village. The show consisted of 15 dance groups including one from Our neighboring islands St. Eustatius and one from Our northern side. Several commitments were made by sponsors however the donations could of only be done on a later date. Organizers again stressed that all was done on their part to make sure the show continues however this was not enough to ensure the continuity of the show. PDP( white tent) has accepted our request to move the show to its venue to this Friday February 13th starting 7:00pm Sharp.
Patrons who purchased tickets are requested to hold on to them and present them at the door as they will be honored. The excitement among teens is still high and we consider this a learning curve and look forward to giving the public a great show despite the minor set backs. LOL productions would like to apologize to the public for any inconvenience caused due to the sudden announcement of Change of venue. We do like to take this opportunity to appeal to businesses to assist our organization to accommodate the move and groups who might still need assistance.
LOL consist of President Johamny Alcala, Vice president John Nebenson, treasurer RJ Gumbs, PR Taffari Johnson and show coordinator Andrew Dick. LOL would also like to publicly thank the Statia group for being committed in the show and hopes that it will get the cooperation of Winair to fly the 7 Teens and it's coordinator Mega D back to St. Maarten to compete in the show. Tickets will still be available at Van Dorp and Mc Donalds philipsburg.
Photo Caption groups at a recent meeting

COLE BAY:--- On Saturday February 7th, 2015 at approximately 12:05 p.m., a police patrol was sent to a home on Miracle Drive in Cole Bay regarding a fight between two men, whereby one man had stabbed the other. On the scene the officers spoke to a witness who stated that the fight started inside of the house and continued outside. The man who later turned out to be the victim in this case according to witnesses first attacked the other man with a machete and a stone. The suspect then saw the opportunity to grab the victim and stabbed him with a pointed object. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. The suspect turned himself in and has been placed in custody for further investigation. The victim is stable and remains in hospital for observation.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in two sessions in the morning of February 10th.

The Central Committee will meet for Tuesday at 9:00am followed by a Plenary Session in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for both sessions is the advice regarding the revised composition of members of the Permanent and Ad Hoc Committees of the House.

In the Plenary session, the agenda also includes incoming documents.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com, and also via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on February 10 at the request of the Democratic Party (DP) and National Alliance (NA) factions.
The Minister of Finance Hon. Martin Hassink and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, have been requested to be present for the House session.
The Central Committee meeting is set for Tuesday at 2:00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is related to the discussion on the width and depth of the following issues related to the Harbour Group of Companies and the past and future impacts of such for the company and the country as a whole: Head tax issue; Deher's marina project; The Causeway (Turn over Tax payment); Crane issue; Government dividend and payment for the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference (FCCA).
This meeting has been requested by DP faction Leader Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams, NA faction MPs Hon. Silveria Jacobs, and Hon. George Pantophlet.
The three MPs in their correspondence to the Chairman of Parliament have requested answers be provided orally to the following five points during the public central committee meeting on Tuesday: What was the outcome between the Harbour and Bobby's Marina?
Has the Government given the Harbour Group of Companies the exclusive right of development for the area that the company claims in its case against the Deher's development? When will Parliament receive the harbour's 2013 financials? What did the Government promise to contribute to the FCCA conference and what did the Government actually contribute? Please provide Parliament with a financial account of the FCCA Conference held on St. Maarten.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend the parliamentary deliberation.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com, and also via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- After learning why the Kingdom Council placed higher supervision on St. Maarten it was not only questionable but left everyone with their jaws wide open. The lack of an "Integrity Chamber" on St. Maarten to curb corruption on the island. One must admit that something is dead wrong within the government apparatus and something must be done in order to teach politicians that government coffers is not their piggy bank and when they took the oath of office it was not to fill up their own pockets but to create ways and means for the people of St. Maarten to have better living conditions. One must admit that business can no longer be as usual and if something is not done now then there will be no future for the youths of this young country. With all of that said we must ask if the 50 or 55 detectives the Dutch said they are sending to St. Maarten will come here to work or are they coming to enjoy the sea, sun, sand and salaries. After all Euros 10M a year is a lot of monies. It behooves everyone on St. Maarten to ask the Dutch Kingdom Council when they will take action against their own that is running the Prosecutors Office on St. Maarten? When are they going to prosecute Taco Stein for selling boats illegally and for stalling several cases because he is in bed with the very politicians his Dutch bosses are calling corrupt? Some of those cases include the Maria Buncamper case, the Masbangu case that judge Luijks threw out and label the island with the title of "Class Justice" and the Regina Labega case. The former director of the finance department Bas Roorda provided former Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos with stacks of evidence but again that case too cannot reach the court, neither can the names of these people be cleared simply because the Prosecutors Office that has only Dutch Prosecutors refuses to act. If anyone is guilty for the "Class Justice" title this small country earned it's the Attorney General and the Prosecutors Office, but what will the Dutch do to their own is yet to be seen.
What do they intend to do with the Attorney General who sits high in Curacao but has a lot to say about crime in St. Maarten?
SMN News reporter along with several local people of St. Maarten filed hundreds of complaints against one internet terrorist. To date the Prosecutors Office has failed to even act on these complaints. Victims are told that the Prosecutors Office do not meet with victims instead their job is to prosecute criminals. With the complaints SMN News reporter filed one prosecutor said "there is more than enough evidence to charge this person with "smaad" yet that very prosecutor along with former Chief Prosecutor Eric Noordhoek refused to give KPSM an arrest warrant for them to act. In investigating further SMN News learnt that the orders were given by Taco Stein not to proceed with the investigation. Acting Chief Prosecutor Karola van Nie promised the Minister of Justice to take a decision in December 2014 but to date KPSM neither the Minister of Justice on St. Maarten did not get one feedback from Van Nie, the question now remains did Stein tell her to back off or is she just incapable and or lied to the Minister of Justice and KPSM?
Another victim, who ran on one of the political slates in the Parliamentary elections on August 29th, 2014 contacted SMN News late Sunday night informing us about a slanderous video that is currently on YouTube. The first thing that came to mind is what can SMN News do about a dysfunctional Prosecutors Office and an Attorney General who knows everything about St. Maarten crime rate yet he does nothing to reduce or curb it. Instead with is 38 staff members in Curacao he prepared one of the worst presentation for his Dutch counterparts last month. One that depicts St. Maarten crime rate as being the highest while he closes his eyes on what is taking place in Curacao.
On September 19th, 2012 two innocent Americans were slaughtered in their condominium, the case known as Ocean is now in the Supreme Court. The local detectives working at KPSM captured the three suspects that slaughtered these two innocent people in less than two weeks. However, the Prosecutors Office chose to withhold valuable evidence from the court and the defense team simply because they felt they had the three "black men" that committed the gruesome murder but refused to look further to see if anyone masterminded this crime. The hidden evidence such as the safe and the valuable jewelry found on the victims' bodies clearly showed that this was not a robbery that went wrong. In the Court of First Instance the Prosecutor Office asked for life imprisonment for two of the suspects. The judge did sentence the main culprit to life in prison. The appeals court dropped it to 30 years for the main suspect, even though the Prosecutors Office bungled that case beyond repair. It is left to be seen what will happen in the Supreme Court with the mess the Prosecutors Office made and if the Kings will ever get justice.
Last week Wednesday a 22 year old man was taken to court for the gruesome murder of Clemencia Josianne Julot whose body was found on October 1st 2010 in the bushes in Oyster Pond. As a reminder Clemencia was a young woman who worked at Blue Point, she was brutally murdered one early morning when she went jogging. Her body bore 80 stab wounds. Yet the Prosecutors Office saw it fit to ask the judge to impose an 18 year prison sentence for the culprit who admitted he brutally murdered an innocent young woman he knew from school days. Is this class justice or not, why 18 years and not life imprisonment? Was this case tried based on color, race and ethnicity? In the minds of everyone this particular case which rippled the island and its residents especially those in Middle Region and the immediate relatives they simply cannot understand why the prosecutor chose to ask for 18 years. Many of them want to know if Clemencia's life was not valuable enough.
After hearing this it is again questionable to say the least if the Prosecutors Office is engaging in "Class Justice" as stated by Judge Luijks?
Moreover it is alleged that a particular prosecutor took some $20,000.00 from a bag of monies that was confiscated from a Haitian money courier. That $20,000.00 was taken in the Prosecutors Office after 5pm instead of it being paid as a fine at the Island Receivers Office. The lawyer that represented his client and accepted the settlement instead of allowing the prosecution to prosecute got a receipt from that was typed up in Mircrosoft word instead of given a receipt that is numbered numerically.
These are only some of the cases that KPSM worked on and the Prosecution failed to act or when they act they mess up. What guarantee does St. Maarten have when the other 50 or 55 detectives flood St. Maarten and work on cases that involve politicians and people that sit in high places will ever be prosecuted? Can the Kingdom Council assure St. Maarten and its people that this is not just another set of people coming here to further label the country?

PHILIPSBURG:--- The government of St. Maarten has been working on a number of integrity related recommendations out of the integrity reports since said reports were made public. The issue remains, as stated prior, the #1 priority for the Gumbs cabinet who meet regularly to gauge progress and re-iterate to the civil core how important it is for the country to close several "integrity holes" that exists in its organization.

Below are a number of the integrity-related recommendations that government is working on and which will be finalized short-term. A number of recommendations made were already realized by the time the integrity reports were presented which clearly shows that government was already aware of the needs where those matters were concerned.

Plan of approach
The plan of approach integrity (the plan) has been approved by the Council of Ministers.
The structure of the organization to implement the recommendations of all the integrity reports, as proposed in the plan of approach, and therefore also approved by the Council of Ministers, is the following:

1. The Council of Ministers which is the responsible body for the implementation of the recommendations;
2.  A Project Bureau, with a secretariat and project leaders
3.  An independent Oversight Committee.

Project bureau
The project bureau consists of the Secretary Generals of Justice, General Affairs and Finance. The tasks and responsibilities of the project bureau are amongst others:

1. The responsibility for the implementation of the proposals of the project leaders as approved by them;
2. To advise the Council of Ministers on the status of the implementation of the recommendations;
3.  To monitor the different actions and advices of the project leaders to make sure that everyone is on the same line;
4.  To safeguard the quality and the applicability of the proposals to implement the recommendations;
5.  If needed and on instruction of the council of ministers, meet with the oversight committee to give elucidation on the actions and advices on the implementation of the recommendations.

The Council of Ministers has approved that all the ministries will contribute financially to the functioning of the organization.

The oversight committee
The tasks and responsibilities of the oversight committee are to, in an independent way, report on the status of the implementation of the recommendations to the council of ministers. The committee will report once a year, and will meet every three months. Finally the committee is entitled to, in case the procedures or actions for implementing the recommendations are lacking behind, to recommend to the council of ministers to take the necessary steps in a separate report prior to their once a year reporting.

The project bureau and the project leaders have the obligation to cooperate with the oversight committee, when requested by the committees. The committee will have to their disposal a secretariat by their choice, and the costs will be covered by government.

Please note that this plan of approach and the structure mentioned above has been communicated to the Netherlands on several occasions and has been part of the discussions between the civil servants of St Maarten and the Ministry of Kingdom relations, in The Hague last December.

Status of the execution of the Plan of Approach

The project leaders have made their presentation to the project bureau and their plans are now being executed. In terms of execution, this is the first government that submitted their integrity forms in accordance to the law timely to the Council of Advice and General Audit Chamber. During every CoM meeting, it is verified with the Ministers present, if there is any conflict of interest for any agenda points.

Legislation.
The project leader made a presentation to the project bureau end of last year during which an overview was presented of the laws and adjustments of the laws that were needed to implement the recommendations.

Project HRM (Personnel Affairs)
The project leader also made a presentation to the project bureau, also containing an overview of proposed measures in the functioning of the civil servants under the existing laws (LMA).

Project Communication
The project leader also gave a presentation to the project bureau on the steps that should be taken in order to come with a strategic communication plan, with as aim more involvement of the civil servants in developing applying integrity at work (be aware what is integrity) and also to communicate the message of the actions of government on the issue of integrity.

Project Integrity chamber.
The project leader of this project will be the secretariat of the integrity chamber. At this moment Government has a draft national ordinance establishing an integrity chamber.

Game Control Board
On the gaming control board: both the ministry of TEZTV and ministry of Justice have‎ drafted laws on the gaming control board each from their own perspective. The Ministry of Justice will ensure that the laws comply with international requirements (CFATF). Within short meetings will be organized to bridge the differences and merge the two laws into one and initiate the formal legal procedure for establishing the law.

Code of Ethics
Ready in draft format and will be presented to the Minister of General Affairs this month (FEB – 2015).

Oath of office for all civil servants
Execution was mandated to the Ministers. P&O is updating its inventory of all civil servants that have yet to take the oath and will schedule quarterly dates with each minister's cabinet for the oath taking. First one will take place in March of this year.

Disciplinary Measures
Two matters pertaining to disciplinary measures are currently being worked on. Firstly, P&O is working on a proposal to have light disciplinary measures mandated to the SG's. Secondly, P&O is working on creating uniformity across the board by linking specific measures to specific derelictions of duty so that similar disciplinary action is taken against persons regardless of where they work.

HR-Cycle
Government has started since last year to provide workshops on the performance management cycle to the ministries. This year this is also being done for the Ministry of Justice, where it will be incorporated throughout that ministry with the assistance of the central department of P&O.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice of St. Maarten Dennis Richardson said the so called "leaked" proposal to send 50 to 55 persons to St. Maarten to strengthen law enforcement was part of the original draft kingdom measure on the integrity chamber and has since been off the table.

According to media reports last week the proposal states that the Netherlands would be investing some ten million euros per year in the period 2015-2016 to strengthen St. Maarten's law enforcement. Additional manpower of 50 to 55 persons would be needed in Philipsburg. These persons, who would be involved in extensive criminal investigations, would be in addition to the already present Royal Dutch Marechaussee and the Kingdom Detective Team RST.

Richardson said this proposal was referred to during the four countries justice Ministers consultation in the Netherlands last year. However, it was explicitly stated that whatever support is forthcoming for St. Maarten will be done within the present division of powers and tailor made to the needs of the country involved. Each Minister would be given the opportunity to make proposals on how the assistance can be used.

Following that process, a small group of Dutch experts would draft a plan for strengthening the justice chain based on these proposals. "We understand that the justice chain can use some strengthening, I even requested specific aid from the national detectives of the Netherlands to our national detective agency because of the heavy load of cases here. That was more than a year ago and we're still waiting." The Minister said.

"So yes there was on the table the proposal to strengthen the attorney general's office with special investigators, but it is not acceptable to assume you can do that in general and not acceptable to me as Minister of Justice. To whom will he be accountable? One guess would be the Netherlands. It is a game being played and it is disgusting. We can be using much more positive energy to do positive things for the countries rather than having to focus on these distractions that gives the impression that we would just roll over and accept them if presented again."

The Minister added that he was very pleased to see the police union make very strong statements about any unilateral measures without consultation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As stakeholders, government included, desperately seek ways to mitigate the effects of the Caravanserai timeshare debacle, all eyes are on some type of protection for the consumers, those who bought timeshare from developers and property owners.
Clearly what we have now in terms of legislation does not sufficiently offer this protection, otherwise we would not be in the situation we are in today.
This latest fiasco from the timeshare buyers' perspective, continues to gnaw away at the image we desperately try to maintain and build on as a country. An image of an investor-friendly climate. Timeshare buyers (owners) are investors too. Their investment is worth more that the money they actually invest, because their collective experiences can make us or break us.
As we engage in all sorts of discussions regarding the best approach and whose turf it is, one thing is for sure, there is no overnight solution. This fact became even clearer, as we discussed moving forward with the draft legislation which is currently on the table.
It begs the question, in fact it demands of government that another good look be taken at the national permit ordinance (AB 2013/GT 126).
This law too offers some "protection" to the buyers of timeshare in the context of permit issuance and permit change.
Of course, this can not and does supersede the Civil Code, which is a law of higher order, but it does in my opinion give government some bargaining power, so to speak.
Speaking of which, it would be good to know who the investor(s) is/are behind the Alegria company.
Are they persons who government can negotiate with in the interest of our country? Again, in my opinion and given recent court verdicts, this avenue must be pursued. Government cannot extricate itself. And "sorry" alone is not enough.
At the end of the day, if this country continues to experience the fallout from business decisions such as these and the industry continues to experience the wrath of those who it should be serving, we all, investors, residents and visitors alike, will have to bear the repercussions. And it does not matter what business sector you are in. We are in this together!

Leader of the Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot Williams

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) is advising residents not to consume any fish from the country's ponds.
The Nature Foundation on Thursday sent out an alert for a possible tilapia fish die off in the Great Salt Pond anticipated in the coming days.
In the past observations have been made of individuals catching fish from the Salt Pond for possible human consumption.
According to the Collective Prevention Service (CPS), a department from Ministry VSA, the Salt Pond fish could be poisonous and residents should refrain from eating fish from the Salt Pond or Fresh Water Pond.
Fish poisoning symptoms can occur anywhere from two to 12 hours after eating fish. Symptoms include: abdominal cramps, diarrhea (severe and watery), nausea and vomiting.
Residents and other persons are strongly advised to leave the fish, do not take them home to cook as the fish are not fit for human consumption.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Fire Department is hosting from February 2 -13 a group of senior fire fighters from all 6 Dutch Caribbean islands. These senior fire fighters are taking part in an intensive training course that started in November 2014 and will end in June 2015. The training course will provide the participants with the skills to become a Professional Fire Officer on Duty (in Dutch: VakOfficier van Dienst). A Fire Officer on Duty is a manager responsible to lead fire fighters in their daily activities and responsible for the coordination of operational response to a major incident, whether it is at the harbor, airport or after an hurricane. The four core activities that are part of the course and will be tested are:

1. Lead all fire fighters on the scene of a fire or an incident
2. Coordination of multidisciplinary cooperation
3. Leader of On Scene Command (COPI) and informing all relevant partners of the situation at hand
4. Lead the fire fighters in their daily activities

The course consists of theoretical sessions on management of incidents and personnel. Also the senior fire fighters will get practical trainings where major incidents are simulated at several locations on the island. In between the training weeks the participants have to work on several assignments for the next session. The senior fire fighters of Sint Maarten that are taking part in the course are William York and Marvin Dollison.

The training course is a product of the joint efforts of the educational officers of the fire departments of the Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and has been adapted from a similar course developed for the Netherlands to fit the specifics of the islands of the Dutch Caribbean. The training course is held under the auspices of the Dutch Institute for Physical Safety (IFV) in Arnhem, whereas the IFV certificates are recognized in the entire Dutch Kingdom. The teachers and trainers are IFV-certified Caribbean Fire officers from the several Caribbean islands and includes Fire Officer Silvanico Pauletta and Mr. Clive Richardson the Fire Chief of Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- APS, St. Maarten's general pension fund administrator is extending its apologies for a delay in the sending out of pensioners pay slips.

APS explains that the delay concerns pensioners' pay slips for the month of January 2015.

It must be noted for clarity sake that the customary payments have been made on time but that only the accompanying pay slips are late in being issued.
The delay is being attributed to unforeseen challenges resulting from an ongoing upgrading of the APS payroll administration software.

APS expects the situation to be resolved by the middle of the coming week, so that the pay slips can be sent out.

APS Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, will meet in a closed door session – not a public meeting - on February 9th.

The closed door Permanent Committee meeting is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for the meeting is the suspension of staff and members of management and the functioning of the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation.

The Supervisory Board members as well as staff and members of management of the Housing Foundation have been invited to the committee meeting.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The meeting, requested by the DP faction in Parliament on the 2 draft time-share laws took place on Thursday, February 5th.
Unfortunately, Minister Conner was not able to attend, however the minister sent 2 advisors to assist at the meeting.
Also present was the Minister of Justice, within whose purview the civil code falls.
Parties agreed that we will work together to expeditiously respond to the advice of the Council of Advice. This is a necessary part of the legislative process. Under consideration is also a separate ordinance to regulate timeshare rather than pursue amendments to the civil code for timeshare. This will circumvent the language issue to a great extent. The text however will remain the same as the current timeshare draft.
Contact has already been established with Professor Jan de Boer, who assisted greatly with the drafting of the 2 initial drafts.
The other persons who originally assisted with the draft initiatives will also be involved. The process to come to a response to the Council of Advice will be coordinated by the office of the Minister of TEATT, however the DP faction will be paying keen attention, as the responsibility for the initiative draft laws lies with this faction.

DP Press Release

POINTE BLANCHE:--- St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation volunteers helped spread some New Year's cheer to inmates of the Pointe Blanche and Simpson Bay detention facilities during separate visits on Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1.

During the visits volunteers shared positive messages about global warming and healthy eating to the 53 inmates who participated (49 at Pointe Blanche and 14 at Simpson Bay); performed for inmates and shared gifts with the total prison population at both facilities (140 persons) as well as the on-duty staff (26 persons).

Twenty volunteers participated in both exercises.

The first set of 13 volunteers visited the Pointe Blanche Prison on January 31. Before the programme began volunteers assisted to clean the prison chapel, in which the programme was held. After a welcome song, introduction of volunteers and sharing of information about the Tzu Chi Foundation, volunteers delivered a performance of The Four Wives skit. The skit shares the message about the importance of positive karma and of being grateful.

Inmates were also given information about global warming, living green and the importance of healthy eating. This presentation was followed by the sharing of vegetarian Sushi; vegan ham and vegan cheese sandwiches to inmates to show them how tasty healthy food can be. New Year gifts were then presented to inmates and on-duty prison staff.

The visit and information shared was well-received by inmates, who appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Some inmates recognised volunteers from previous visits and were very happy to interact with them. A question and answer session, which was held, had inmates' attention and there was a lot of interaction amongst them. The skit was also well received and all the volunteers who performed in it did a great job.

Some inmates indicated that they looked forward to Tzu Chi's next visit in December.

Seven volunteers visited the Simpson Bay detention facility, on Sunday, where a similar programme had been conducted.

Tzu Chi Commissioner Sandra Cheung thanked all volunteers who participated in the exercise as well as all inmates and on-staff prison staffers for their accommodation and gracious welcome and participation in the programme. Tzu Chi looks forward to continuing its annual visit to the prison at the end of the current calendar year.

Tzu Chi Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Foresee Foundation, a leading NGO promoting the use of technology in schools by its students and teachers through its DigiKidz projects, received the annual report of the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. Its board and the DigiKidz team, consisting of a group of local enthusiastic young St. Maarteners, congratulate board, management and staff of PJL on doing a great job, offering workshops for students and teachers on Media Technology. PJ Library is keeping up with the times by putting less emphasis on book and concentrating more on supporting lifelong learning, and promotion of information literacy .
Early 2014 Foresee Foundation sponsored the construction of the DigiKidz Medialab. This project was finalized in March and with an additional sponsoring of the transportation to the library for students, schools were offered free 3-hour workshops for their students. Together with the invaluable partnership of Dutch funding through Foundation "Kultuur Kameleon", international specialist media technology teachers provided engaging and challenging workshops to many our students, teachers and the general public.
A total of number of 64 workshops were conducted for 1500 students from 17 primary schools and lower secondary schools. In addition 28 workshops for educators and 40 workshops for the general public were organized by the library.
Foresee Foundation is very proud to be part of this great project and is looking forward to continuing the DigiKidz Medialab project in 2015. Together with management and staff of the library, the DigiKidz group strives to have local trainers coming in and teach students, youth, educators and the general public more about ICT, social media and technology.

PJL Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- November 2014 saw the launch of SXM DOET, the Sint Maarten edition of the largest volunteer campaign in the Dutch Kingdom, with previously having over 400.000 volunteers participating and over 8.500 projects being achieved. Locally, SXM DOET will be executed under the supervision of the Be The Change Foundation in cooperation with Samenwerkende Fondsen Sint Maarten and the Oranje Fonds in the Netherlands.

On Friday March 20th and Saturday March 21st, volunteers, local businesses, corporations, government officials, and local celebrities will all have the opportunity to contribute to society in any way they can. These two days are especially dedicated to helping NGOs, schools, health organizations and other community organizations to finish odd jobs or start up projects that they wouldn't otherwise be able to get done on their own. The Oranje Fonds has provided the opportunity to support each project financially, up to a maximum of $650,- that is designated to successfully accomplishing your project within the given timeframe of those two days.

January 2015, an official kick-off party was hosted by the SXM DOET Team to further inform the local NGO's/community organizations of the opportunities SXM DOET has to offer.
This past weekend marked the project registration and funding request deadline and SXM DOET is proud to announce that over 40 projects have been registered on the WWW.SXMDOET.COM website and already over 550 volunteers have already signed up to help with these projects. The types of projects that are available for volunteering for are: beautifications of schools, activity and community centers, playgrounds and the library, beach clean-ups, tree planting and gardening, fun days out with special needs groups and provision of entertainment and games, make-overs and obstacle courses, fixing of sporting facilities, building greenhouses and doghouses, and helping out with food drives and health fair activities.
The opportunities are therefore endless, and anyone can volunteer. The projects are open for volunteers registering until March 14th, and registration can be done via the WWW.SXMDOET.COM website. Many, many more volunteers are needed and you can volunteer as a private person, a company, a group of friends or family, a sports club, a church group, or any other form of collaborative effort. Some projects have already been fully sign up on by local companies and therefore closed to other volunteers, so making haste would be recommended if indeed you would like to volunteer with a larger group of persons.

SXM DOET has not only been gaining much support from the business community but also from local celebrities. Collaborative efforts with socially inclined businesses are well under way and the SXM DOET Team is also proud to announce that public figures and local celebrities are on board to support the endeavor as well.

Together We Achieve More!

SXM DOET Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Of the eight registered political parties only three of them submitted their donation registers before February 1st as is stipulated in the National Ordinance registration and finances of political parties. These political parties are the Citizens for Positive Change, the United People's Party and the Social Reform Party. After the deadline, the National Alliance and the United St. Maarten Party submitted their donation registers to the Electoral Council. The three parties which have not yet submitted their donation registers to the Electoral Council are urgently requested to do so in order to avoid measures being taken against them as is laid down in Article 44 of the aforementioned National Ordinance .
After reviewing the donation registers of all 90 candidates who contested the last parliamentary elections, the Electoral Council requested several candidates to provide the Electoral Council with supporting documents for clarification of their registers of donations. To date, a few candidates have neglected to do so within the allotted time frame. The Electoral Council urges the candidates who have not yet supplied the requested documents to the Electoral Council to do so before Friday, February 13th, 2015.
The Electoral Council would like to remind all persons concerned that violation of and non-adherence to the National Ordinance registration and finances of political parties will result in a penalty being imposed.

Electoral Council Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Organizers for the 35th Annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta (March 5 - 8, 2015) are working to create the perfect entertainment line-up and are excited to announce the two main acts for the weekend: Tessanne Chin on Saturday, March 7 and 'The Kool and the Gang' on Sunday, March 8.
Tessanne Amanda Chin is a Jamaican recording artist, best known for winning Season 5 of NBC's reality TV singing competition "The Voice." She has opened for famous acts such as Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight, and toured for three years with Jimmy Cliff.
Kool and the Gang is an American jazz, R&B, soul, funk and disco group. They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of funk and R&B, progressing to a smooth pop-funk ensemble, and in the post-millennium creating music with a modern, electro-pop sound. They have sold over 70 million albums worldwide.
More artists will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to the event.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Statistics (STAT) announces the start of the Household Budget Survey (HBS) Pilot. The Household Budget Survey is designed to gather data on household expenditures in order to (re)calculate the basket of goods. The Cost of Living Adjustment calculation uses the basket of goods to weigh the importance of different category in the total expenses of a household. According to the last HBS conducted in 2005, the major components of the current basket of goods are Housing (39% of expenses), Transport & Communication (20% of the expenses), and Food (10% of expenses). Over the last ten years, speculation is that the numbers have changed; the HBS will establish the new weights and as a result give a better picture of the real COLA. The collected data will also be used in determining St. Maarten's first minimum existence income level or relative poverty level.

The sample of the Pilot HBS has been randomly selected from STATs database of addresses. The selection reflects the household density distribution of St. Maarten. The selected households are currently being contacted by STAT. Each selected household participates for two weeks.
Full and honest participation is essential as the information gathered will be used for the next 5 years when determining the COLA (inflation rate). The COLA directly influences salaries and pensions which in turn affects your income. Households who fully complete the survey period will receive a token of participation.

The HBS Pilot Survey will be conducted from 15 – 28 February. During this period, the participating households will be asked to keep a detailed log of all their expenses as well as answer questions on past expenditures such as clothing, household furnishings, transport, recreation and growing of own produce.

The nature of this particular survey demands the disclosure of personal and sensitive information. Questions will be asked regarding exact income, exact GEBE electricity and/or water bill. However, households can be assured that all information will be handled anonymously and confidentially. STAT and its interviewers are bound by a privacy clause and will not share any information with other departments or persons.

STAT would like to thank its partners Sunny Foods Supermarket, Le Grand Marche, Cost-U-Less, TelEm Group, and United Telecommunications for their participation in the Household Budget Survey. Without the help of the partners STAT would not be able to offer the selected households compensation for their time and efforts.
For any questions please contact STAT on 549-0235 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- Based on ongoing dry weather the island has been experiencing and based on water quality sampling conducted by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation it has been decided to issue an alert concerning the medium to high potential for a Tilapia fish die off in the Great Salt Pond.

The Nature Foundation has tested the water quality in the Great Salt Pond and has measured a decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in salinity due to the ongoing weather conditions. These factors coupled with the large amount of introduced and invasive tilapia in the Great Salt Pond have made conditions favorable for a tilapia die-off event.

The Nature Foundation has sent its recommendations to the necessary governmental departments and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. As of Thursday, February 5th there have been some dead or dying tilapia recorded, particularly in the Rolandus canal.

The Nature Foundation will issue updates as the situation develops.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Blue Flag is an exclusive, voluntary eco-label annually awarded to beaches and/or marinas which meet a specific set of criteria concerning environmental information and education, water quality, safety, services and environmental management.
The program is designed to raise environmental awareness and increase sound environmental practices among residents, tourists and the management and staff of marinas, beaches and resorts. The eco-label has become an international symbol of quality recognized by governments, non-governmental organizations and tour operators and is used for the promotion of the awarded beach or marina. As of 2014 the Blue Flag eco-label has been awarded to over 4000 beaches and marinas in 49 countries around the world.

Blue Flag serves as an instrument aimed at assisting countries, beach or marina operators in improving their environmental practices, maintaining and expanding the program is hence desirable from a sustainable development perspective. The eco-label also serves as a communication or marketing tool geared at highlighting products and services which meet or surpass a set of internationally accepted criteria. Blue Flag beaches and marinas are synonymous with quality and consequently responsive to ever increasing tourist demands and expectations for a healthy environment.

On Sint Maarten The Yacht Club Isle de Sol was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag eco-label in October of 2011, making St. Maarten the first country in the Dutch Caribbean to have a Blue Flag marina. The Marina has consistently met Blue Flag Criteria and has therefore been recertified annually since first awarded the Blue Flag.

Blue Flag is managed internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) which has a national administration center in each participating country. In St. Maarten, Blue Flag is run by the National Operator, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).

Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) representative Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen carried out an international Blue Flag inspection at Isle de Sol this past week. Isle de Sol Management accompanied Thomsen on his inspection and provided information on the Yacht Club's ongoing, new and planned Environmental Management initiatives; One such initiative is the recycling program the Yacht Club started at their facilities with a local company in 2012. Plastic Bottles, Aluminum Cans, Glass Bottles and Cardboard are collected in separate Garbage Bins and subsequently shipped off island for recycling purposes. Mr. Thomsen also received a tour and explanation of the facilities for the reception and temporary storage of Hazardous waste such as used Oil, Oil Filters etc. All was found to be in good order and in compliance with Blue Flag Marina Criteria.

FEE and EPIC commend The Yacht Club Isle de Sol on their sense of Corporate Social Responsibility and urge Isle de Sol to continue to lead by example and expand its Sound Environmental Management initiatives.

EPIC Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen recently met with the resident Ambassador from Cuba Fermin G. Quinones on January 22 at a New Year's reception hosted by the Ambassador in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Ambassador Quinones will be visiting the Sint Maarten House to have further discussions related to mutual cooperation between both countries.

On December 17, 2014, Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced that the United States and Cuba would restore diplomatic relations, which were severed in 1961. For more than 50-years the United States has had an economic embargo on Cuba.

"The resumption of diplomatic relations with Cuba by the United States is a first step in the normalization of relations between both countries. I will be looking forward to meeting with Ambassador Quinones in the near future to discuss the upcoming changes that his country will be going through.

"At the same time I will be informing him about Sint Maarten and look at ways our two countries can work together in different areas. I think there are many opportunities for Sint Maarten that we should explore together.

"Despite the embargo, the United States has become Cuba's fifth largest trading partner since 2007, when then President Bush in 2003 decided to reauthorize the export of U.S. agricultural products to the island," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Wednesday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On January 30th the budget of country St. Maarten was passed by Parliament after some marathon sessions, which were necessary if our country wanted to make the CFT deadline of January 31st.
The CFT will now have to render its advice on the APPROVED budget 2015. As is often the case, the closing part of the budget debate saw several motions being presented. Some motions were approved by a majority, others unanimously approved, and yet others rejected.
Five motions were presented and one amendment. The difference?
A motion is a "statement" by parliament that encompasses an opinion, a desire, a request or even an instruction and can be submitted by any member and if supported by at least 2 other members, is then voted upon by parliament.
An amendment is a proposal to parliament to amend that which is before it (the parliament). In the case in question, the proposal before parliament was the budget, which is approved in the form of a national ordinance. (Law)
I will examine the motions presented:
Motion no. 1 (On Education)
To reduce a specific budget item and increase with the same amount several specific budget items. Well specified.
The reason for the motion was due to the information provided by the relevant minister that the amount allowed in the budget would most probably not be used as intended in 2015. So the motion was a realistic one.
This motion therefore in my opinion was one that totally met the criteria for a budget amendment. By presenting it as a motion, the message is clear, but had it been approved by Parliament, a formal budget amendment would still have to be prepared and approved.
Motion no. 2 (on GEBE)
A position taken by Parliament. Good to know, but in essence? One could argue that we have not heard parliament take a position on a reduction in the cost of fuel. Now we know that all factions support a reduction. Will that bring any quicker relief? I doubt it. Hypothetically:
Government calls in GEBE, and tells GEBE, see what I have in my hand, a motion from parliament. GEBE listens respectfully, nods in agreement, but does caution that it can't happen immediately, because of the listing, the stock, the financial system etc. etc.
A month passes, 2 months, nothing happens. Government calls again, GEBE says it's against the interest of the company. Government fires the board, which in itself is an entire procedure. 
But government would need to show parliament and the people that it acted firmly.
Conclusion: the motion is not going to get us relief any quicker than GEBE can or wants to incorporate this. But at least the people know all their representatives are in favor of an immediate reduction in the cost of fuel.
Motion no. 3 (taxes)
We have been talking for decades about the need to change our tax system. A change that would simplify the system as well.
There seems to be a general consensus to move more from direct to indirect taxes. Right now we have a mixed system.
In the budget meeting, the minister presented some broad ideas he has with respect to the changes to the tax system.
The coalition partners present and pass a motion, basically given THEIR minister a direction to take, without overseeing all of the consequences and without making a connection and knowing that a complete system overhaul is under review.
So we know that a majority (the coalition parties) in parliament favors an increase in TOT and a reduction in Income Tax. So a shift. Ok!
What amounts will offset the other? A 20% TOT? 25%? Is that acceptable? The minister should not be forced in a direction, especially not for a topic like taxes, without being able to give Parliament the scenarios, the pros and the cons, because any change brings all of these along. We don't know, because we have not seen a total picture to then make choices. If you reduce Income tax with 20%, can you suffice with a TOT of what 10%, 17 %?
What does the motion do for the topic? Not much. Did the coalition have to tell their minister what they think in a motion? Not really.
E.g The minster had a proposal for property tax. Before he even came to Parliament, he was told, "That's a no go".
Motion no. 4 (social and sickness insurance)
A draft law is in preparation. A very vital one, I might add. The coalition proposes to have the minister execute this law, before it is law. And while in exceptional cases, this could be done, the Council of Ministers must have decided on the draft law and officially informed the parliament of such, and the parliament must have a debate on whether it will permit the minister to execute before the law is passed. Usually that is done within very specific cadres.
If the way the motion was done would be norm, we would not need advice on draft laws. We would not need parliament to pass legislation.
Motion no. 5 (Education)
This was actually the original motion as under no. 2. The authors took over the original motion, but changed the part where the specific items were mentioned to a more general description, leaving it up to the discretion of the minister where to apply the funds. This is not done. In addition, a formal budget amendment for this still has to come to Parliament. With some collaboration, this could have worked as follows: the motion was presented as a budget amendment in the first place; a sub amendment follows. It's still the votes (majority)
that would decide, but this would mean:

1. You have a budget amendment.
2. The original author (minority) gets part of his/her motion in.

Amendment ML
Right format. No additional financial implications. The total capital amount (33.9) for VROMI was already on the VROMI budget. The amendment moved part ($8.3 m.) of this capital budget and put this under the purchase of land with a specific mention of Vorst. My objection
was to this specific purpose and the way the purchase was manipulated from the get-go. However, more important is the question, how will the remaining f 25.650.000, be prioritized, when according to the Ministry's estimates, the execution of Link 6 and the Ring rd (phase 1)
alone is approximately 20 million.
What about Dutch Quarter upgrade, estimated at 8 million?
What about Union Road etc. upgrade, estimated at 6 million?
What about the waste water treatment plan and network connections?
What about the structural maintenance of roads?
The hard surfacing of trenches etc.?
What about?

Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams (Commentary)

The yearly Dominican Independence Day's celebrations in the month of February will kick off this Friday, February 6 at the Jose Lake Ballpark 7:00pm with an opening ceremony followed by the softball tournament which will end on Sunday February 8. This year the tournament has 8 teams playing to win the Semana Dominicana's title. Semana Dominicana is celebrating it's 15th year on the island and their 171 anniversary of the Independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti! This year the program has added new additions to the celebrations:

• A fundraising BBQ & Bingo on Sunday, February 15.
• The" Talk of the Town" will be the singing competition for the first time on Saturday, February 21
• The ecumenical service is one not to miss on Tuesday February 24
• Wednesday February 25 : A commemoration to Matías Ramón Mella, who played a very important role in the independence acts in 1844
• A new addition also will be a Health Fair on Thursday, February 26

The Independence Day, Feb 27, will starts with the hoisting of the flag 8:00am at the Dominican Consulate at the head of Backstreet followed by a review of the acts occurred on February 27, 1844. This will take place 7:00pm at the PMIA. One of the most awaited events will be the dance party with international Merengue singer Bonny Cepeda. Bonny was the first merengue artist to be nominated for a Grammy award, in 1985. Bonny Cepeda is one of the most successful dance musicians in the Dominican Republic. A former member of Wilfredo Vargas' orchestra, Cepeda has led such groups as Los Hijos del Rey (Children of the Sun), Bonny Con Keaton, and Bonny Cepeda & His Orquestra. In addition to recording more than 30 albums on his own, Cepeda has produced recordings by Fernando Villanova, Willie Berrios, El Grupo Chantelle, Grupo Chevi, Proyecto Punto, Sergio Vargas, Rikarena, and Llave Maestra. Cepeda studied piano at a local music school, Villa Consuelo, as youngster. He continued his studies at the National Conservatory in Santo Domingo. Cepeda recently moved back to the DR after have been residing in Puerto Rico for many years.

The long waited and popular parade will take place on Sunday, March 1st and as usual hundreds of Dominicanos will dress St. Maarten's main road with the Dominican's flag colors, music, dance, traditional outfits, t-shirts , costumes etc. As of this week we will start to see vehicles identified with the Dominican Flag, This year the foundation is encouraging everyone not only to carry with pride the Dominican Flag this month but our St. Maarten's flag. "Our objective is to remind our compatriots about our roots, traditions, culture and to become exemplary citizens of the island that have adopted us. We already have made and called St. Maarten Home, we support St. Maarten's traditions and culture, you can see that at the carnival, St. Maarten's Day etc. It's not only about carrying a flag but to share the same passion and love for our country and the island that have adopted us but we have also to understand the importance to know and remember where we come from in order to better understand where you want to be or go" says Milagros de Windt, Semana Dominicana spokeswoman.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Dr. Nilda Arduin, an expert on Timeshare, presented her thesis, which was published in the Netherlands in 1993, to the Minister of TEATT, Mr. Claret Connor.

Dr. Arduin, a legal specialist on timeshare, is internationally known for her work and expertise on the legal aspects of timesharing. As a lawyer she has been consulted and advised governments, developers and timeshare owners on legal issues pertaining to the timeshare industry.
In 1995 she advised the government of Sint Maarten during the very difficult period of the Pelican Resort debacle just before Hurricane Luis hit Sint Maarten. She has chaired a Timeshare Advisory Council (TAC) installed by government in the nineties. The TAC presented various reports to government, advising on regulation to improve and ensure consumer protection. Many of her recommendations included in her thesis are reflected in the amendments introduced in the Civil Code to organize timesharing, as well as efforts made on Sint Maarten to regulate the industry.
Dr. Arduin applauds the draft law to improve consumer protection, however government control regarding the state of the resorts in the area of hygiene, product quality and safety can proceed without additional legislation. Transparency regarding ownership of the property and supervising contractual conditions in accordance with the "Vergunningenlandsverordening," which became applicable in February 2013, is required.
Involving consumers' representation in the talks pertaining to legislation is considered a valid request according to Dr. Arduin.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- February 4th marked World Cancer Day. Nearly one half of cancers are preventable or treatable if detected early.

Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), is calling on the population to refrain from unhealthy lifestyles and to also visit their family physician at least once a year for a general check-up as part of preventive care.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), among females, breast cancer is the main cause of death, followed by cervical cancer.

Prostate cancer is ranked as the leading cause of cancer death among males, with lung cancer coming in second. Lung cancer also contributes to a high number of deaths among women.

Colon cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in the Caribbean, with almost equal number of deaths among males and females. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable, yet it claims the lives of approximately 2,500 women.
CPS says some unhealthy lifestyles involve tobacco use, unhealthy eating habits (overweight and obesity; low levels of intake of fruits and vegetables), physical inactivity, and the consumption of alcohol.

CARPHA says that research has shown that a reduction in aforementioned risk factors contributes to a reduction of cancer cases and as a consequence deaths and costs from the disease in the Caribbean.

The theme for World Cancer Day 2015 was: "Not Beyond Us."

CPS is appealing to the Sint Maarten community to employ proactive approaches to fight against cancer because solutions do exist and are within reach. Speak with your family physician so we can reduce the scourge of cancer in the Caribbean.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) representative Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen poses at Divi Little Bay's Blue Flag information Board with Divi's Human Resources Manager Ms. Marije Lodewijks and Environmental Protection In the Caribbean's (EPIC) Project Manager/ Blue Flag National Operator Rueben J. Thompson during the Blue Flag inspection which took place at the resort this past week. Blue Flag is an exclusive, voluntary eco-label annually awarded to beaches and/or marinas which meet a specific set of criteria concerning environmental information and education, water quality, safety, services and environmental management.

Divi Little Bay Resort was one of two local locations first awarded the prestigious Blue Flag eco-label in October of 2011, making St. Maarten the first country in the Dutch Caribbean to have Blue Flag locations. Little Bay has been recertified annually since 2011, during his inspection Mr. Thomsen noted that the beach is kept exceptionally clean and that all was found to be in order where Blue Flag Criteria is concerned. Mr. Thomsen furthermore complimented Divi Little Bay on the information the Resort provides about Sint Maarten's Natural Resources and the Water Quality at Little Bay on its Blue Flag Information Board as per the relevant Criteria. FEE and EPIC encourage Divi Little Bay Resort to continue and expand its Sound Environmental Management practices and exemplary efforts at maintaining adherence to Blue Flag Criteria.

EPIC Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Philipsburg Jubilee Library would like to notify the general public of a change to its opening schedule on Friday, February 6th. This Friday, the library will be open from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The library seeks to serve the community as best as possible and is grateful for the patronage of the general public. The library apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the temporary change in the schedule and looks forward to welcoming you, the general public, when resuming its regular opening hours on Saturday, February 7th.

PJL Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Tuesday met with Harald Linkels (left) of the firm Linkels & Partners who is offering corporate governance trainings for various entities. The Prime Minister was enthusiastic about relaying the information to the boards of the various government owened companies considering the fact that good corporate governance and integrity are closely related. Also is the meeting was Dr. Valdemar Marcha (right) and the Prime Minister's Chief of Cabinet Julien Larmonie. Linkels & Partners is nowadays one of the bigger Caribbean consultancy firms. Its three main areas of expertise are Psychometric Assessment/Executive Recruitment, Training & Development and General Consultancy.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Health, Elderly Care & Sports, the Honorable C. A. Schwengle, MD of Aruba on Wednesday, February 4th 2015 met with Interim Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, the Honorable Rita Bourne-Gumbs regarding various health initiatives of mutual importance to the Dutch Islands. Amongst other things Minister Schwengle personally highlighted the upcoming Health Care Conference to be held in Aruba June 1-4. The Conference will focus on International Health Regulations and Public Health Inspection.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Mr. Emil Lee, who ran number 4 on the DP list in the August 2014 election, has been appointed by the Democratic Party as Parliamentary faction advisor for socio-economic matters in general and tourism in particular.

During the campaign, Emil was a strong advocate for open government and integrity. His vast experience as SHTA's president for 13 years and his current position as President of the CHTA
(Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association) make him a valuable asset to the party and its leader.

Based on Emil's excellent results in the Parliamentary election, it is clear that the message of Open government and transparency resonates with many people in our community. DP leader, Sarah Wescot-Williams, "What better way to further incorporate this message of inclusion and open government than by having Emil continue to contribute to the DP's development in a structural manner as Party advisor?"

Emil: "I am delighted to be able to work together with MP Wescot-Williams, her support staff and the Party board. Coming from the private sector, I have a lot to learn about how government functions. It is my hope that I can help to bridge the gaps in trust and understanding between government and private sector. MP Wescot-Williams has such a wealth of experience and knowledge; I felt that an opportunity to function as advisor would also be a great opportunity for me to learn and bring value to the process of improving St Maarten."

As part of our community outreach program, the DP will be establishing different advisory committees to help the party to establish lines of communications with different sectors in our community. Besides communicating the issues from the community, these committees will also serve as sounding boards for different proposals. One of the first committees to be formed will be a transportation committee to provide advice on taxi, bus and gypsy transportation issues. Soon after, a tourism advisory committee will be formed.

The public of St. Maarten is encouraged to make use of the office of their representative, Member of Parliament, Mrs. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, for queries and concerns and matters of general interest.

DP Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club is very proud to announce the 7th annual Rudy Hoeve Health and Wellness Fair which is slated for March 21st 2015 at the Festival Village from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM under sole sponsorship of TELEM who has once again offered their support to this great project for the community.
Meetings with the stakeholders have already begun and all have indicated that they are ready to continue serving and providing much needed information on health and wellness to the community. We have added The Sickle Cell Foundation to the group of stakeholders, which include the Diabetes Foundation, the Mental Health Foundation, I & I Fitness, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Aids Foundation, SAFE, SXM Cancer Foundation, and WIEMS. The list of stakeholder. Some of these foundations have participated for the last 7 years, which indicates the usefulness of and need for such an event" said St. Maarten Lions Club President, Sunil (Sunny) Khatnani.
Another addition to this year's Rudy Hoeve Health and Wellness Fair is the inclusion of information sessions on Youth Alcohol Use and its effects on the young brain. The St. Maarten Lions Club is passionate about not only increasing community awareness on the abuse of Alcohol by our youth, the club is also actively working on having the law amended to increase the legal drinking age on the island. A complete list of all participating stakeholders of this year's Rudy Hoeve Health and Wellness Fair will be publicized as soon as it is complete.

COLE BAY:--- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, with the assistance of the St. Eustatius National Parks Office STENAPA Statia National Marine Park, has started to provide fishermen with so-called pop-up devices, specialized pieces of equipment that prevent fish traps from being lost or poached.

The pop-up devices work by attaching them to ropes affixed to fish pots which are submerged for a set period of time. A fisherman can then drop his fish pot with the marker buoys submerged and after a set period of time the buoy pops to the surface for the fisherman to retrieve. The major cause of fishermen losing their fish traps is due to the fish pots marker buoy being cut away by passing vessels or poachers making fishermen unable to retrieve their traps. Now with the marker buoys being submerged fisherman can collect their traps when the buoys pop back up to the surface, thus preventing ghost fishing.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration ghost fishing is the term used for lost or abandoned fishing gear that continues to catch fish. It is causes significant harm to the environment and the fish caught are wasted. Fish are attracted to the pot by means of bait and once in the trap or pot, the target species the fish cannot escape. The fish die of starvation and go on to become "bait" for larger fish and it is this 'rebaiting' of the trap by captured fish that forms the basis of ghost fishing.
"We have been contacted by fishermen on numerous occasions to dive and look for their fish pots that had their buoys cut-off, usually by passing vessels. Especially during the high season when there is a lot of boat traffic. Not only does this hurt the fishermen economically but also the ocean environment. With the help of the Statia Marine Park, who ran a similar project some years ago, we decided to provide fishermen with these pop-up devices to help with the issue of lost fish pots. Based on the success of this project we will hope to provide many more pop-ups in the future," commented Tadzio Bervoets of the Nature Foundation.

With this project and the various other marine conservation activities done by the foundation it is hoped that local fisheries will be enhanced through the regeneration of the depleted fish stock surrounding St. Maarten. Research has shown that Marine Protected Areas increase fish populations and fish size of commercial species in nearby fishing grounds. If there are fishermen interested in receiving pop-up devices they are urged to contact the Nature Foundation on its number 5444267 or by passing by the office next to Island Water World in Cole Bay.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the SMSPA would hereby like to invite the members and the prospective members of the seniors and pensioners association to the first New Years Event.

Come and hear our New Years message. Come and hear what we have on the program for this year 2015?

As one of the first topics we start this year with the health care for seniors in Sint Maarten. Too much complaints are reaching our board. We are all entitled to the highest attainable level of health care in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The sickness insurance packages are not equal still and are covering less and less. Whereas the health insurance premium of the seniors in Curacao went down, here in SInt Maarten the premiums are still the same. Government is even contemplating to increase the premiums of the health insurance funds to cover the cost of the unequal health care systems we have on Sint Maarten! The abuse of our seniors has to stop!!

All seniors are hereby invited to share their experience and to bring their proposals to improve the quality of the health care we are receiving here in Sint Maarten from home physicians, specialists, pharmacists, and all other health care providers here or abroad. Come let us discuss the role of SZV and the decisions they take to guarantee the seniors and their family members the right to the highest attainable level of health care!!!

This first SMSPA New Years event will take place on Friday coming February 6, 2015 from 14.30 pm - 17.30 pm in the John Larmonie Center at Long Wall Road. Drinks and snacks will be served.

Do not miss this opportunity to share and fellowship with the seniors in your association and come and share your opinion!

Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association
Patricia Flanders - President 542 4064 / 520 2136
Raymond Jessurun - 1st Vice President 522 0925 / +5999-5615035
Frances Rovelet - Secretariat 548 4205 / 524 2223

SUCKER GARDEN:--- The Walichi Basketball Association (WBA) & Motorworld and Jeep Presents Ladies Basketball Championship games continued last weekend and started off with a Saturday game between Learning Unlimited and Bush Tea Remedy.
The game was very competitive and exciting and ended with Bush Tea Remedy being up 1 at the half 26-25. The momentum shifted to Learning Unlimited where they outscored Bush Tea Remedy 20-12 in the third and begon the fourth quarter on a 8-0 run to go up 53-38. Bush Tea Remedy had a little run in the end but it was too late. Learning Unlimited held on for the win 55-49. Learning Unlimited was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game Jakisha Brooks who had 29 Points, 19 Rebounds, 5 Steals, 3 Blocks, and 1 Assist. She was assisted by Fabiana Richardson who had 10 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists and 4 Steals.
Bush Tea Remedy was lead by their guards in double digit scoring with
Tammika Grell with 14 Points, 7 Rebounds and Keri Hyman with 11 Points and 3 Rebounds. They were assisted by
Cardillia Nicholas who pulled down 24 rebounds and chipped in 9 Points and
Cresencia Brown who pulled down 17 rebounds and chipped in 7 points.
The first game on Sunday was between Learning Unlimited and Thunderz and end up being Learning Unlimited forfeit due to lack of players.
The 5 pm game on Sunday was an intense game between MGM Lightning and Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls.
Cash 4 Gold Lava girls started the game strong and lead 18-5 after the first quarter but MGM Lightning fought back in the second half and was only down 33-29 at the end of the third quarter. MGM Lightning started off strong and lead 41-34 mid way through the fourth but Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls fought back with a game ending 10-1 run to win 44-42.
Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls was lead by Motorworld Player Of The Game
Wendy Jack who had 24 points, 9 Rebounds and 6 steals. She was assisted by Claudia Fleming with 8 Points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
Jamaiah lead lightning with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 1 block. She was assisted by Micaela Galva with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 Steals.
After week 12, the standings are Thunderz at 11-2, Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls 10-2, MGM Lightning 8-5, Learning Unlimited 2-10 and Bush Tea Remedy 1-12.
Games continue this weekend on Saturday as Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls take on Bush Tea Remedy at 6pm. On Sunday at 3pm Learning Unlimited go up against MGM Lightning and at 5pm #2 Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls go up against #1 Thunderz.
Game Highlights, pictures, game scores and schedule can be viewed on the Facebook page 'Ladies Basketball Championship'. Highlights and full games can be seen on the Youtube page www.youtube.com/walichibasketball and short highlights can be seen on the instagram page www.instagram.com/ladiesbasketballchampionship.

THE BOTTOM, Saba:--- In the early morning of January 31st, 2015, around 2:15 AM, a public act of violence took place on Saba on the Paris Hill Road. A 25 year old man from Saba was seriously injured. The police was alerted and arrested two suspects in the act concerning public violence, assault with a weapon and attempted murder. It concerns the 30 year old suspect with initials L.E.H., residing in Saba and the 20 year old suspect with initials M.A.G.H, residing in Saba. Both suspects were transferred to the Police Station in The Bottom and taken into custody. The victim was hospitalized and treated for various injuries. Later that day, in the evening the police arrested a third suspect in the case, on order of the Public Prosecutor. It concerns the 25 year old suspect with initials M.M.G.L. , from St. Maarten. This suspect is also in police custody. The police seized the weapon that was used in the assaults and continues the investigation of these acts of violence and attempt to manslaughter.

KPCN Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, will meet in a closed door session – not a public meeting - on February 5th.
The closed door Permanent Committee meeting is set for Thursday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda for the meeting is the dismissal of staff and functioning of the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen recently met with the resident Ambassador from Panama Willys Delvalle at the Sint Maarten House in The Hague, the Netherlands.

"We had a very fruitful discussion about both of our countries and how we can explore further developing relations in various areas, one of them being from an economic perspective.

"Sint Maarten as a country needs to develop and expand relations with Latin American countries. We can learn a lot from Panama. It has diversified its economy and only has four per cent unemployment.

"Our country already has several direct flights on a weekly basis out of Panama and we need to further develop joint tourism initiatives as an example. Panama is our doorway to the rest of Latin America and the Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs Cabinet has one of its top priorities being the economy and employment of Sint Maarten people," Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Tuesday.

Nice talk, passed some motions and many questions during the 2015 budget debate like all previous budget debates and then the entire government including parliament go into an induced coma. What has become with the motion that was passed just before the 2014 election to do a study on the minimum wage? Our elected officials act as if they have accomplished so much for the people after they handle the budgets year after year. Yet, unemployment especially amongst the youth remains at an all-time high with fewer of our people becoming business owners and crime becoming the order of the day.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The entire nation was glued to their TV and to their radios listening to the 2014 budget debate. Others depended on the print media to be informed about it. As you know the budget is the most important policy document of any civilized government, it outlines the government projected income and expenses. But an integral part of the budget is also the governing program. This program indicates what the people can expect their government to do for them for the current year. Unfortunately, this document was missing from the entire debate and you would have expected any self-respecting government to have submitted this as part of the budget debate. Each political party during the last election was required by law to make their party program available to the general population and that should have served as the basis in preparing the governing program. Once again our people was duped for the umpteenth time and this UP led coalition government has shown for the short period of time that they are in government that they have no regard for the people. Most of them have a tendency to say fool them now and close to the election give them something in their hands. They will forget that you did absolutely nothing for them during the previous years.
I have to admit that I was one of those glued to the TV and radio expecting to hear some proposals as to how we are going to put this nation back to work and keep it working. During the 2014 budget debate the OSPP proposed to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Hassink to establish a loan guarantee program and to allocate 5 million guilders on that budget. These funds would be used to assist entrepreneurs to acquire the necessary funds to set up their small businesses. In most cases young prospective entrepreneurs with good business plans lack the necessary funding and cannot acquire these funds from the bank because they do not possess any type of collateral, be it real estate, a savings account, a financial godfather or any other valuable asset to secure the loan. This loan guarantee proposal was also sent to all the banks, the Chamber of Commerce and to the parliament but with none of them even responding for the exception of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Hassink who indicated that he would have taken it up with the then Minister of Economic Affairs, Mr. Ted Richardson." Small businesses is the back bone of every economy and this is one way to create new jobs; put our young people to work and allow our people to become the owners of businesses, says OSPP leader Lenny Priest. Just talking about who owns Front Street and Back Street is not going to change anything we must put programs in place with proper training and funding to allow our people to be part of the economic pie that many others have been enjoying for many years. The Small Business Development Foundation (SBDF) already exists and can provide all the necessary training to our potential young and bright entrepreneurs. Let's give them a chance to prove themselves.
Just imagine an existing food truck in Philipsburg that already employs four persons is interested in setting up a similar food venture in the Simpson Bay area. This entrepreneur goes to one of our local banks to acquire the financing to set up it up with a good feasibility study but lacks the necessary guarantee for the bank. In most cases she would not receive the funding from the bank due to the lack of the collateral. But with the loan guarantee program in place we would have allow another small business to grow and to employ another four to five persons. Let's put our people to work and allow them to become business owners as well. It is one of the ways to put our young boys and girls to work and take them of the block and avoid them getting in trouble. No nation can develop its' people unless a loan and mortgage guarantee program is in place. We don't have to reinvent the wheel these programs exist all over the world.

OSPP Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Sunday, February 8th from 9:00am to 3:00pm, the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten invites you to the parking lot of Le Grand Marche' on the Bush Road where they will be holding their annual Bazaar. A Bazaar; or flea market as many call it, is a fun way to find great deals on many different and unique items. You are certain to find some great treasures as there will be clothing, housewares, tools, plants, furniture items, DVD's, books, and much more for sale.

We also ask that if you have items laying around your house or business that someone else may find valuable or make good use of? Please message us and a Rotarian will arrange to have the items picked up to be included at the Bazaar. Perhaps it is clothing that doesn't quite fit anymore, baby furniture or items you no longer need or use, books you have read, or any other item that is simply taking up space at home or on the shelves of your business; we will find a new home for it and its all for a good cause. Please call John Caputo at 543-7374 and we will arrange to have the items picked up or you can drop them at any Domino's Pizza or Le Grand Marche' location. Like our page on Facebook (Rotary Club of Sint Maarten) for more information about this event and some of the great things we do for the community of Sint Maarten and beyond.

Food, Drinks, and Raffle Tickets for the Audi Q-5 will also be on sale and it is certain to be a fun time. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, we look forward to seeing you there this Sunday at the Bazaar! All proceeds raised go towards projects supported by the Rotary Club with a primary focus on the Youth in terms of Health, Education, and Literacy.

PARIS, France:--- On February 14, 2015, French company ApoteoSurprise, specialized in planning extravagant marriage proposals in Paris, will allow men from all over the World to express their love with sharks a few steps away from the Eiffel Tower.

ApoteoSurprise, a romance expert specialized in planning spectacular marriage proposals in Paris, will launch, on Valentine's Day 2015, a brand new proposal package named « Say I love you with a scuba diver ».

From February 14, 2015, every day, for 1,990 euro, it will be possible, for a man in love, to propose his girlfriend thanks to the new proposal experience imagined by ApoteoSurprise.

While the couple of the day will visit the Aquarium de Paris, a scuba diver will suddenly appear in the shark tank just when the couple will pass the tank. The frogman will come close to the window to stop in front of the couple, and he will raise a banner to put it against the giant glass. On the banner, the lady will then see, amazed, the message of love of her man. By a round of applause, roses and champagne will be offered to the lady, and a VIP dinner-cruise on Seine river will host the loving couple for the rest of the evening.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Laugh out Loud productions will put on its first show for this year on February 7th, 2015. Dance Mania is in its tenth year and organizers promises a spectacle of full blown Dance entertainment. A record breaking number of 15 Dance groups signed up this year to compete for a cash prize of $1000. There are two categories groups and individual sets. The theme for this year is "step it up edition"

In addition to local performers, Lol welcomes a dance group from St. Eustatius, the show will also have several guest performers and surprises. LOL decided to go with the Festival Village for the venue because for the past 10 years The organization has been instrumental in being a platform for upcoming and established dancers on St Maarten Says Tafari Johnson who is the PR for the event.
The show will start at 7:00pm and will finish at 12 midnight, Laugh out loud productions thanks the participants of dance mania and encourages the public at large to come and support the many youth groups that have signed up. Tickets are on sale only at Mc Donalds Philipsburg for only $10 . The show will be different from the previous years. Judges is one aspect as well as 2 rounds for the groups, round one consist of presentation and round two a dance battle. Groups have been preparing for the anticipated show since November.

PEMBROKE PINES, FL:--- PPI Group will serve as the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's (FCCA) media sponsor for Cruise Shipping Miami 2015. The event, held March 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, is an international exhibition that brings together cruise line personnel and industry stakeholders for a week of networking, sourcing and information.

"We are excited to again benefit from PPI Group's media coverage and outlets, along with their expertise in publishing and broadcasting," said Michele Paige, president of the FCCA. "They elevated our coverage at the FCCA Conference & Trade Show, affirming the decision to select them as our exclusive media partner."

"We are thrilled to be chosen as the FCCA's media partner and are excited for this dynamic alliance to enrich both organizations' involvement and dedication to the cruise industry," said Bill Panoff, president and CEO of PPI Group. "We look forward to creating a buzz while maximizing our reach during Cruise Shipping Miami this year."

PPI Group's broadcast division has already begun capturing footage of FCCA Member Line chairs, presidents and CEOs to create a video showcasing the Association's functions, which will be released at the FCCA's Cruise Shipping Miami booth, #695.

PPI Group also will be on hand at FCCA events during Cruise Shipping Miami - including the FCCA Gala Dinner Extravaganza, welcome party, receptions in the FCCA booth and closing party - to recap happenings, interview executives and attendees, take photographs and videos, and provide social media updates.

PPI Group's executives and management team have decades of combined industry experience, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the cruise experience and industry trends.

FCCA Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Claret Connor on Tuesday reiterated government's position to establish timeshare consumer protection and meet the goal of bringing credibility to St. Maarten's Timeshare product.

He said government understands, full well, the messages it is receiving from timeshare members. "We know that they are immensely frustrated because they feel vulnerable as a result of many questionable actions by multiple timeshare resorts and management companies which are at times against timeshare owner's interest. Some members are so disgruntled to the point of feeling abandoned and in a number of cases betrayed," the Minister said.

As stated in various media reports the Caravanserai timeshare members have seen millions of dollars of their hard-earned investments in St. Maarten disappear, and many of them, perhaps a majority, have vowed never to return unless and until their situation has been rectified.

"The talk has surfaced and Timeshare Members Protection has to be considered. I would state that it would be a colossal error for this government to enact any legislation that does not fully address and rectify the concerns of entire timeshare industry on St Maarten inclusive of member's rights and obligations," Minister Connor said, adding that faulty legislation will not have his blessing

"The issues will be addressed directly and forcefully. The fallout from the Caravanserai situation is very bad for the island's economy but far more important is the human devastation it has caused to some reported 2,300 timeshare members. Although there is no magic wand to fix this, nonetheless there are actions we can take and paths we can walk to make things right."

"We want timeshare members to know we hear them loud and clear and we are going to be relentless in doing everything we possibly can to make them whole. Again, there is no magic wand – we cannot recreate that which has been lost – but there is much we can do to make things better, and we are doing precisely that."

"As is the case with all governments, and the drafting of new legislation, the process is not instantaneous. But the process is underway and we will not stop until we achieve concrete, sustainable, truly meaningful results. And we promise that we will be updating everyone immediately when we have items of significance to report," the Minister concluded.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP-SXM), represented by PR-/ Marketing Manager Ryan Wijngaarde, participated at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the leading Caribbean Telecom Association 'CANTO', that was held in Suriname last week.

CANTO's mission is to shape the future of the Information and Telecommunications sector as well as to facilitate the development of ICT solutions in the Caribbean region. Active involvement of BTP-SXM is crucial as both organizations share common interest in the further development of broadband.

Within the framework of the visit, BTP-SXM also participated in a CANTO working group that is focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the region. Latest initiative is an Electronic-Waste (E-Waste) project with the objective to raise awareness for the rising mobile phone disposal problem and to develop solutions for a way forward.

Director of BTP-SXM, Mr. Anthony Carty stated: "it is of great importance that Sint Maarten work towards the implementation of a sound E-Waste program. As the regulatory authority of the Telecom industry we will take the initiative to provide initial support to Telecom Providers and Government to find ways to soundly manage mobile phone disposal in Sint Maarten. We support the mission and vision of CANTO and are committed to work diligently with the regional CSR-team in creating awareness for the E-waste problem".

The CANTO 31st annual AGM was well attended. The meetings were deemed productive and BTP-SXM will continue to support local and regional CSR initiatives and look forward to work together with institutions that are embracing continuous improvement of internet development.

BTP-SXM Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Detective Department is reporting that there is a lot of progress in the investigations of many of the ongoing armed robberies which have taken place in the latter part of 2014 and in the beginning of 2015. These investigations include the armed robberies of Beach Plaza Casino which took place on November 2nd 2014, the armed robbery of the R.B.C. bank on the Cannegieter Street which took place on December 30th 2014 and the armed robbery of the Ultimate Jewelers store on Front Street which took place on January 11th 2015. The detectives did not want to divulge too much information to avoid hampering the investigations. The investigation into the armed robbery at the Atlantis Casino which took place on November 16th 2014 thus far has had the best results. In this investigation thus far, three suspects have been arrested and who are in custody awaiting a court date.
Even though these investigations are progressively moving forward there is still much more to be done. The Detective Department is therefore asking all persons in the community who may have information that could help finalize these investigations, to come forward and give this information by calling our 9300 telephone tip line or call the police department directly using the phone number 54-22222 ext. 113, 204 and 205 during week days from 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. After all solving these armed robberies or any other criminal act is in the best interest of country Sint Maarten.

Traffic accident.

On Tuesday February 3rd at approximately 7:25 a.m. police patrols and traffic department personnel were directed to the parking lot of "Sol Shop" on the corner of Bush road and Zagersgut road to investigate a traffic accident whereby a pedestrian was struck by a car. On the scene the investigating officers spoke to the 15 year female victim who stated that while she was walking on the parking lot the female drive of a private car accidentally drove over her right foot. The victim was complaining from a little pain in her foot. The driver of the car stated that she did not see the victim while walking over the parking lot because she was blinded by the rising sun. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then released. The victim stated that she would go to her house doctor on the French side.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- After holding the Government of St. Maarten on a line for a while, Dutch Minister Plasterk has "come clean", to use a local expression.
I am of the opinion that nothing that St. Maarten has done with respect to tackling integrity issues has made any difference for Minister Plasterk and his colleagues in the Dutch cabinet as far as imposing a measure of higher supervision on St. Maarten. That's what an article 51 measure is.
It is a measure that Minister Plasterk has been fencing with for a long time and actually used the Government of St. Maarten, as he made it appear as if a good plan by St. Maarten could ward off the imposition of higher supervision.
It is my guess that some persons will react with satisfaction to this news and as we heard when St. Maarten wanted to clean its own house and commissioned its own integrity investigation: "What do you have to fear from a measure or an instruction by the Dutch government?
That reasoning misses the point.
Let's put aside the politicians for argument's sake. They are are all in the same boat, Minister Plasterk argues.
But are we to conclude that St. Maarten can not find even a handful of upstanding citizens to execute and guide this process and not be intimidated by the politics of the day?
That would indeed be a sad conclusion to arrive at. One that gives no hope and I strongly disagree with that assessment.
I have asked for but not (yet) received from Government the St. Maarten draft ordinance that should put in place the systems and persons to deal with the integrity issues St. Maarten faces.
The easy thing for me would be to place the blame in the lap of the UP/de Weever/Marlin/US government, that has been hoodwinked into believing that they were being given a chance to prove their critics wrong. However, this slap in the face of the government is a slap in the face of St. Maarten. So I for one get no pleasure from that which has befallen us.
As I have argued from day one, when we firstly commissioned the global agency Transparency International to do an in depth and general integrity assessment of St. Maarten and subsequently also established our own integrity committee to investigate matters, integrity is not a matter of a day, neither are the solutions available overnight.
By doing this, the Government of St. Maarten acknowledge the many shortcomings we have and want to address these structurally.
It is a process of learning, establishing checks and balances, assuming responsibility and practicing openness and transparency on all levels of society.
I do not believe that any one institutions can accomplish this and I surely do not believe that sidelining the elected representatives of the people of St. Maarten is the way to ensure durable and lasting solutions to the problems we face.

CUL DE SAC:--- The Management of St. Maarten Academy's academic campus would like to inform all parents of students in Forms 1 to 5 that there will be a Parents' Evening on Thursday, February 5, 2015 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

Parents are encouraged to attend the meeting to discuss their child/children's progress for Term 2. Parents who do not show up for this meeting will be called in to the school subsequently. All students have been given letters to take home.

CAY HILL:--- Kooyman is pleased to announce the first-ever Kooyman Home Improvement Fair, taking place February 28, 2015 from 8:00am -6:00pm at the Kooyman Megastore St. Maarten. Exhibitors of this home improvement fair will showcase new and innovative trends and products in home remodeling and design, targeting both local and regional consumers who are planning renovation projects. This event will be free to the public of St. Maarten.

"What makes the Kooyman Home Improvement Fair so exciting is our commitment to showcase international suppliers as well as local trade partners of building, hardware, home remodeling and design resources in exciting ways," said Evencia Carty-Seabrookes, Commercial Officer of Kooyman St. Maarten. "Our exhibitors have told us this is the kind of show they are looking for to build client relationships with local contractors and homeowners" said Nico Boersma, Store Manager of Kooyman St. Maarten. As one of the largest retailers of building materials and home hardware, we at Kooyman are proud to organize such an event catered to the needs of residents and commercial properties on the island.

The Kooyman Home Improvement Fair will feature industry partners and exhibitions in the categories: Tool, Hardware, Flooring; Windows & Doors; Home Security; Kitchen Design; Home furnishings; Paint and more.
Invited vendors include international companies such as GLOBAL PAINT, AIRMASTER, CASTELL and the leading tool manufacture: MAKITA will also be present among various others. Local business partners such as, SBS, Rollfix, Paradise Pools, City Furniture, WIB, Funmiles and several other local businesses in the home design and home improvement industry will also be present providing free consultations and vital information.
All home renovation enthusiasts are welcome to attend this major home improvement event, which will also feature: free prizes, giveaways, music and entertainment.
More information on the 2015 Kooyman Home Improvement Fair can be found on the Kooyman website www.kooymanbv.com

KOOYMAN Press Release

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- On January 28, the Mobile Health Bus was in the district of Cul de Sac from 4pm to 7pm to attend to persons who wanted a free health/medical check-up. The Mobile bus is intended for persons who may not have medical insurance. Therefore, no insurance cards and any documents are required.

At the event, a first event of its kind, and in recognition of Healthy Weight and Nutrition month, which is the month of January, the Mobile health bus registering 27 persons and completed 22 full screen/check ups.

All persons visiting the Mobile Health bus on that day received informative brochures on nutrition and health.

The Mobile Health bus will be in different locations every month throughout the Dutch side. The public will be duly informed about the next district where the MHB will be stationed.

Other organizations can request the presence of the MHB when an event is organized.

The intake and screening process entails the following: demographics, medical history, vision test, weight, BMI, hip/waist circumference, blood pressure, heart rate, glucose test and if necessary or requested, a visit to Dr. Daphne Illis as physician on board.

Other personnel on board for the event were three AUC medical students, one youth health care nurse (Marcella Richardson), two Administrative assistants (Anita Priest and Irene Serfilia), two coordinators (Swinda Richardson and Nirmala Vlaun), and one driver (Lionel Francisca).

The operation of the Mobile bus is the responsibility of Collective Prevention Services, and is focused around the Get Checked campaign of the Ministry VSA. The purpose of the campaign is to raise nationwide awareness about health, health determinants and health disparities and to raise individual awareness on healthy lifestyle.

The Major focus of the health bus will be on information, education and screening. Operations will also be extended to programs that are already being executed by CPS such as the Health Calendar of Observances, and collaboration with NGOs when community activities are organized.

AIRPORT ROAD:--- On January 31st 2015 as the sunset at Princess Juliana International Airport so did the career of Captain Age Brouwer after 27 years. Captain Brouwer retired after touching down at PJIA for the last time at 6:24PM to a large gathering of WINAIR staff members on the Tarmac.

Captain Brouwer was given a water salute by the airport fire department after his final landing, witnessed by president of WINAIR's board Mr. Georges Greaux, CEO Mr. Michael Cleaver, his wife Ms. Celia Martinez Brouwer, daughters Anjelica Brouwer, Diana Brouwer and a large cross section of employees from every department in the airline.

Captain Brouwer's final flight arrived from SABA where he was surprised with the large turnout. Saba representatives included Johnson Travel Services, the island government of Saba, former Senators Will Johnson and Vernon Hassell, Airport Management, Air Traffic Controllers, Security personnel, Fire Department, were all in attendance to bid a special farewell.

The well respected and admired WINAIR captain was presented with gifts, cards, hugs, happy birthday and cheers of " SABA Loves you Captain Brouwer". Some tears were shed as well. Captain Brouwer has been working with WINAIR since 1984 and is now retired at the age of 65. In 2013 the island Government of Saba honored Brouwer during the annual Saba Day Celebration.

WINAIR continued its celebration across from its corporate office until late Saturday evening. During a brief speech Captain Brouwer expressed how much he loved working for the national airline.

WINAIR Press Release

St. Maarten Wetlands Some of the Most Important Bird Areas in Region. Birding Tourism Untapped Billion Dollar Industry

COLE BAY:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation in partnership with local bird expert and volunteer Binkie van Es and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance will be submitting information for the Caribbean Wide Waterbird Census, the recording of which happened on Saturday the 31st of January commemorating World Wetlands Day. With many species of waterbird in decline around the world, van Es recently joined conservationists from all six islands of the Dutch Caribbean for the first time in order to consider how to monitor and conserve the islands' wetland birds, including eight globally threatened or near threatened species.

Nearly one in five waterbird species are considered globally threatened mainly due to human impact on their habitat from pollution, land conversion and tourism development. The birds are important not only as part of the islands' biodiversity, but their populations are early indicators of the health of wetland areas.

A number of declining shorebirds utilize wetlands in the Caribbean as places to rest and refuel on their long migration flights and several species have substantial populations which spend the winter on these same wetlands. Conserving and managing these wetlands is a key component in providing for the year round habitat for many of these birds.

One of our most 'at risk' birds is the globally threatened Caribbean Coot (Fulica caribaea). Other 'at risk' species include the Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis), Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), and Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens).

The monitoring will be part of a regional Caribbean, multi-partner wetland monitoring initiative led by BirdsCaribbean, which organizes an annual regionwide count over three weeks beginning in mid-January. The count provides a "snapshot" of waterbird population numbers and habitat use throughout the Caribbean. During the bird counts on Saturday some twenty different bird species were counted around the Great Salt Pond.

The program is being run by BirdsCaribbean's Executive Director and bird expert Dr. Lisa Sorenson, along with Jeff Gebraecht, eBird manager and neotropical bird expert from Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. The workshop was funded by Environment Canada and Vogelbescherming Nederland.

The census will record birds on most of Sint Maarten's ecologically important wetlands including the Great Salt Pond and Mullet Pond, which is currently waiting its approval as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance.

Wetlands, including the Great Salt Pond, besides being essential bird habitat for Sint Maarten, are also important in controlling flooding in the districts caused by heavy rain and providing habitat for many different bird species. The United Nations Environment Program considers wetlands as one of the most important biodiversity habitats within the wider Caribbean.

Bird Tourism is also a billion dollar a year industry with many travelers paying large sums of money to see and photograph birds. On Sint Maarten there are increasing requests from foreign visitors to photograph the many birds in our wetlands. Though there are a few companies offering birding tours, birding tourism remains an untapped yet potentially resource for Sint Maarten's sustainable development.

Runners and runners of the island, get ready!
In February and March l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin makes an appointment with you for two sports events. First of all "The 15k of Saint-Martin" : This race will take place this year on Sunday, February 22nd, 2015 at 6:30 am, with a departure from La Samanna, for an arrival on the waterfront of Marigot. The race is open to all runners from 16 years old and up. Bonuses in cash are to win for the 5 first ones at the scratch category men and women.
On Saturday, March 7th, 2015 it is the women who will be for the honor for the third edition of " La Saint-Martinoise, 100 % feminine race". As previous years, "La Saint-Martinoise, " will begin at 4:00 pm, on the Waterfront of Marigot for a circuit of 5k in the city. Three races will be proposed: 5k individual running race, 5k running race Mother and daughter (from 12 years), 5k individual walking race.
For these two races, the registrations will take place in SPORTECH store in Bellevue (dates and schedules will be specified later). A medical certificate of "non contraindication for the practice of outdoor running race in competition" dated the last three months will be asked to all participants. On this matter, the club insists on the obligation to supply this medical certificate, which is the only legal document valid during these events (photocopy to be left with the organizers during the registration). Discharges will not be accepted.
Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin draws the attention of everyone, hardened sportsmen or not, coincidental or diligent, on the necessity of making a medical examination before undertaking in any sports activity, even for pleasure.
Then, don't wait any more, and from now on put on your sneakers to be ready for for " Les 15km of Saint-Martin " and for "La Saint-Martinoise, 100 % feminine race".

Date: January 31, 2015
Location: Johan Cruijff Court in Belvedere

The circumstances at the Johan Cruijff Court in Belvedere were excellent with an overcast sky most of the day and a little bit of rain early in the morning. A large crowd of spectators supported the teams throughout the day. The twelve scheduled games were played according to schedule between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Results of Saturday January 31, 2015:

Game 1: category 13+U
Leonald Connor vs Learning Unlimited: result 10 – 1 (at halftime 4 – 0)
Top scorers Leonald Connor: Isael Medina-Bran with 5 goals and 1 assist and Gamy Charles with 2 goals and 1 assist.
The lone goal scorer for Learning Unlimited was goalkeeper Maximo Lanari with a penalty kick. Maximo did a great job protecting the L.U. goal, nevertheless he was not able to keep the ball from reaching the back of the net all the time. He did however stop 80% of the shots taken at the goal, showing outstanding goal keeping techniques.

Game 2: Category 13+U
Oranje School vs Ruby Labega: result: 0 – 14 (at halftime 0 – 8)
Top scorers Ruby Labega: Ricardo Somers with 5 goals and Eldon Morgan with 4 goals.
Ruby Labega had a great debut participating in the SMSEF Interscholastic Tournament after a two years absence and were well organized and at full strength. Oranje School's team, who also made their debut this game, had some organizational issues and were only able to field five players. Contrary to the score, the Oranje School players put up a good fight. We are looking forward seeing the team at full strength in their next game.
Game 3: Category 13+U
Sr. Magda United Stars vs Dr. Martin Luther King: result 5 – 4 (at halftime 4 – 1)
Goal scorers Sr. Magda United Stars: Paul Speetjens with 2 goals and 1 assist; Jolian Peterson and Jeremy Hooi both with 1 goal.
Top scorer Dr. Martin Luther King: D'Angelo Thompson with 4 goals.
Sr. Magda United Stars had to work hard to keep Dr. Martin Luther King at bay in the second half against the unrelenting attacking spirit of D'Angelo Thompson. Sr. Magda missed Ernie Rombley who fractured his wrist on Opening Day.

Game 4: Category 11+U
Sr. Regina Goal Getters vs Sr. Regina United: result 9 – 5 (at halftime 4 – 1)
Top scorers Sr. Regina Goal Getters: Reshawn Eustase with 4 goals and 3 assists and William Mulder with 2 goals.
Top scorer Sr. Regina United: Divano Job with 2 goals.

Game 5: Category Girls 111+U
Learning Unlimited Goal Machines vs Sr. Magda FC: result 15 – 5 (at halftime 7 – 1)
Top scorers Learning Unlimited Goal Machines: Noah Ledee with 5 goals and 1 assist and Cade Leone with 3 goals and 1 assist.
Goal scorers Sr. Magda FC: Jamir Cuvalay with 3 goals and 2 assists and Malakhai Duzong with 2 goals.

Game 6: Category 11+U
Hillside Christian vs Dr. Martin Luther King: result 10 – 4 (at halftime 6 – 0)
Top scorers Hillside Christian: Ibrahim Adel with 6 goals and 1 assist and Desreena Boston with 2 goals and 1 assist.

Game 7: Category Girls 13+U
Dr. Martin Luther King vs Sr. Regina: result 6 – 6 (at halftime 2 – 2)
Top scorer Sr. Regina: Maeve de Bruijne with 5 goals and 1 assist.
Top scorer Dr. Martin Luther King: Rineli Sparen with 3 goals.
Both teams fought hard to get the win but ended up with a well-deserved tie.

Game 8: Category 9+U
Sr. Magda Athletics vs Dr. Martin Luther King: result 6 – 1 (at halftime 3 – 0)
Top scorers Sr. Magda Athletics: Miguel Gittens with 3 goals and Salim Fleming with 2 goals and 1 assist. Playmaker Gianni Fer was instrumental in Sr. Magda's win by creating numerous opportunities for his teammates while scoring a richly deserved goal of his own in the end.
The lone goal scorer for Dr. Martin Luther King was Jahvarry Labega.

Game 9: Category 9+U
Sr. Regina Masters vs Learning Unlimited: result 2 – 3 (at halftime 2 – 1)
Top scorer Sr. Regina Masters: Alexander Mulder with 2 goals.
Top scorer Learning Unlimited: Connor Scripps-Ewing with 3 goals.

Game 10 : Category 7+U
Learning Unlimited Strikers vs Sr. Regina: result 1 – 2 (at halftime 0 – 0)
Goal scorer Learning Unlimited Strikers: Landon Scripps-Ewing
Goal scorers Sr. Regina: Jerrol Halley with 1 goals and 1 assist, and Jabari Illidge with 1 goal.

Game 11: Category 7+U
Dr. Martin Luther King vs Sr. Magda Greenboys: 4 – 2 (at halftime 1 – 1)
Goal scorers Dr. Martin Luther King: Shaney Joachim with 2 goals; Jahzeel Niles and Kymani Rize both with 1 goal.
Goal scorers Sr. Magda Greenboys; Elaijah Baker and Analiesa Rombley both with 1 goal.
Dr. Martin Luther King displayed girl power at its finest with the many girls in their 7+U team representing the school showing once again that soccer is definitely also for girls. It was a close game until the last seconds of the game when Dr. Martin Luther King scored the fourth goal directly followed by the final whistle of the referee.

Game 12: Category 7+U
Leonald Connor vs Sr. Magda Rockstars: 4 – 2 (at halftime 2 – 0)
Goal scorers Leonald Connor Shamar Weekes with 2 goals and Keniyon James with 1 goal. The fourth goal in favor of Leonald Connor was an own goal, which opened the score.
Goal scorer Sr. Magda Rockstars: Hjalmar Cuvalay with 2 goals of which one was a penalty kick.

On Saturday January 24th, 2015 the 2nd intermediate tour took place at the stadium of Saint-Rose Guadeloupe. Sareena Carti of Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin took the departure of the 200m junior category, and took away the race in 24 " 69.
This weekend, it is Baie Mahault Guadeloupe during the intermediate championship that the sprinter of the club rose again on the first walking by ending the 300m across all categories in 38 " 92.
A season which looks promising for Sareena!

Foundation INFOBIZZ has scheduled a series of activities for entrepreneurs

GREAT BAY:--- On March 4, 2014, POWER HOUR: Networking for Movers & Shakers is back. This networking event for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial professionals, has affected close to 400 entrepreneurial minds since its inception in November 2013. Created to inspire and empower entrepreneurs, POWER HOUR now includes vendors that can display or sell their products at the event.
On March 4, 2015, INFOBIZZ, host of the POWER HOUR, expects at least 100 entrepreneurial minds present and is aiming for no more than 20 vendors. During the last POWER HOUR in November 2014, which took place during the Global Entrepreneurship Week, over 150 entrepreneurs were present and a total of 13 vendors. Having vendors proved quite successful for both vendors and participants alike and so will continue.
POWER HOUR, which is held quarterly, is just one activity hosted by INFOBIZZ. Created to develop successful entrepreneurs, INFOBIZZ launched a training series during the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2014, called GO DOMINATE. This training is specifically designed to target the variety of topics that entrepreneurs face in developing a successful business.
POWER HOUR help various entrepreneurs to achieve success in short period by connecting them with the right people and the right information that has assisted them in their businesses. A unique element of the POWER HOUR is that the speakers are those that have reached a level of success and are willing to share tips with the attendees. Also, there are networking activities that help those to introduce themselves and their business.
The first POWER HOUR for 2015 will take place on March 4, 2015 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM and doors open at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $30 including refreshments and can be pre-ordered by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Registration for vendors is required and is $150 which includes table and chair rentals, tickets for MAX 4 persons, and refreshments. Registration opens on February 10, 2015. Location will be announced shortly.
For further details on POWER HOUR, GO DOMINATE or any other activities, contact Foundation INFOBIZZ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.facebook.com/powerhoursxm.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen last Thursday attended the Dutch Caribbean Business Club event at the Aruba House where she gave a presentation about Sint Maarten's hub function and Government's incentives to attract business to the country.

Minister Fleming-Artsen started out by first congratulating Aruba House Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Adolphus Boekhoudt and its partners Caribbean Business Hub and Dutch Caribbean Business Club with this business initiative permitting the exchange of business ideas and capacity building between entrepreneurs and investors.

"I compliment you on this business day. It is a time to listen and learn from each other in this Kingdom," Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen told the gathering.
"I am very honoured to stand here on behalf of my Government, the Government of Sint Maarten to address the question 'What will Sint Maarten do in 2015 to stimulate entrepreneurs to do business with Sint Maarten'.
"Although this question is a timely one, it can be asked over and over again as governments make policies and strategies on economic development on an ongoing basis.
"When I review this question, it states also 'what is Sint Maarten Government willing to give, to encourage investors who want to do business in Sint Maarten? Or what are the incentives for investors to come to Sint Maarten?
"The core throughout the governing program with undertakings outlined for 2015 is that the Sint Maarten Government belief is that a strong economy is the foundation of socio-economic growth. Fact is that all countries strive for a strong economy! All countries want serious investors! But which country has the best deals, the best incentives, and the best growth potential," Minister Fleming-Artsen asked.
The Minister Plenipotentiary pointed out the excellent air and sea facilities which are the gateways to the country that links the country with Europe, Latin America and North America.
"The focus of the Government therefore is to ensure that: The human resources are trained and available to support business undertakings and service delivery; Support facilities are put in place to ensure the encompassing of new entrants in the market; The infrastructure is available to support an increase in traffic of goods, and humans; Pertinent data is available to investors to allow for a proper understanding of the Sint Maarten market, its needs and demands.
"Within the Governing program therefore those undertakings have been set forth to ensure that a conducive environment is created that will attract investors and enhance their potential of success in Sint Maarten," Minister Fleming-Artsen pointed out.
The minister also added that even though Sint Maarten is a small country, it has proven to be a determined and persistent one.
"The Government of Sint Maarten has established development priorities to ensure investors its commitment to stimulate the investment markets. The following points will reflect the incentives for investors. The Government of Sint Maarten will:

1. Formulate tax incentives to attract business incorporation / growth.
2. Expand the financial services market
3. Invest and seek partners in green sustainable energy
4. Offer fiscal and other incentives for Brand name /Five Star hotels and time share properties. Investors who are interested in service providers will also receive same.
5. Encourage investors for partnership in Medical Tourism, Sports Tourism and Events Tourism.
6. Reduce seasonality for investors
7. Stimulate off shore industry
8. Partner with public private initiatives such Banking etc.
9. Give Incentives for non tourism industries
10. Give incentives and support efforts for food production, modern growing techniques such as hydroponics and aquaponics

"In closing, Sint Maarten will receive investors who not only want incentives but those who will also give back to the country. In these times when we are coming out of the economic crisis that has touched all of our countries, some more than others, we look forward to doing business with serious partners and investors in a country called Sint Maarten where the sun never sleeps," Sint Maarten's Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen concluded.

GREAT BAY:--- If February is about the celebration of history, then Anguillian writers are about to make a splash with the upcoming poetry book that includes the works of Bankie Banx, the island's legendary singer, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
"The editorial committee has made its selections following the submission deadlines. Editor Lasana Sekou has put together the final manuscript, "Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla." It includes over 90 poems from about 42 promising writers and some very seasoned poets," said Sample, whose foundation plans to publish the book in mid-2015. Over 50 writers had submitted over 100 poems.
"HNP is also working with the dedicated Bren Romney, director of the Anguilla Department of Youth and Culture, to explore sponsorship for what could be a historic collection for the nation. The book itself explores a wide range of subjects, all important and some very sensitive to the Anguillian society," said Sample.
"It's a great honor to have the work of Bankie Banx in the collection," said Sekou. "Bankie Banx is known for his unique singing and the staying power of his Moonsplash Music Festival. Now comes his tough and brilliantly prophetic poetry."
In addition to works by the high-profile Banx, the poetry of psychologist Dr. Oluwakemi Linda Banks, and what Sekou calls "the world-class verse" of educator Rita Celestine-Carty were also selected for the Anguilla edition of Where I See The Sun. The superb poem "Captain, Good Captain" by senior poet Patricia Adams, "Anguilla Rock" by the previously published Fabian Fahie, and the meticulously searching poems of John Harrigan are among the selected works, said Sekou.
Sekou wants to keep the names of the younger writers as the "fresh surprise" for the book launch date but admits that the collection will include "a painfully high number of our young men who are doing time in the Anguilla prison."
When published, Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla may be the first such anthology for the island "because of the high number of writers in one book, and the critical editorial process that selected the poems," said Sample.
The book could be a new literary showcase from Anguilla, to the region and beyond. It could be very exciting to launch it around the Anguilla Literary Festival in May, said Sample. The festival, with an annual guest list of famous US authors, movie personalities, and literary conscious tourists, has been stimulating writing and regular poetry readings in Anguilla.
HNP, a St. Martin publisher, has long been reaching out to writers within the region and beyond and has been publishing new writers. HNP has also published well-known names such as George Lamming, Kamau Brathwaite, Chiqui Vicioso, Amiri Baraka, Nidaa Khoury, Jay Haviser, Drisana Deborah Jack, and Marion Bethel.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is monitoring developments with respect to two case of influenza H7H9 which has appeared for the first time in North America.

Canadian Public Health Authorities have confirmed an additional case of H7N9 avian influenza in Canada. On January 26th, health officials confirmed that a husband and wife who recently returned to Canada from China, one had tested positive, and on January 30th, the second individual has tested positive for the H7N9 strain.

H7N9 is most common in China in order to ensure that public health is safeguarded; travelers to China must observe preventive measures in order to avoid contracting the influenza virus, to remain vigilant and observe measures recommended by local Chinese health authorities.

Influenza A (H7N9) is known to affect wild birds and poultry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that travelers to countries with known outbreaks of avian influenza should avoid poultry farms, or contact with animals in live bird markets, or entering areas where poultry may be slaughtered.

Returning travelers from affected areas in China should look out for signs and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as fever and cough, and seek early medical attention if they are will with such symptoms.

CPS emphasizes the importance of individuals informing their doctors of their travel history, should they develop these symptoms after returning to Sint Maarten.

Travelers to China should observe the following measures: avoid direct contact with poultry, birds or their droppings, and if contact is made, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water; Cook poultry and eggs thoroughly before eating; Wash hands frequently with soap and water (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to the toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretion after coughing or sneezing).

Also while in China avoid crowded places and contact with sick people with fever, and wear a mask when you have respiratory symptoms or are feeling unwell.