PHILIPSBURG:--- Science Week 2025 on Sint Maarten has drawn to a successful close, leaving a lasting impact on students, educators, and the wider community. Organized by the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation (SMSFF), this year's edition, themed "Change and Adapt with AI," saw unprecedented engagement and a broadening of its scope, further solidifying its role in fostering a culture of innovation and inquiry on the island. The week ran from March 31, 2025, to April 4, 2025, with its award ceremony scheduled for April 12, 2025.
At the heart of the week was the National Sint Maarten Science Fair held on Thursday, April 3rd, and Friday, April 4th, 2025. Sixty-six talented students presented their research projects to a distinguished panel of judges, showcasing impressive scientific rigor and presentation skills. Notably, many of the projects offered innovative solutions to real challenges faced on the island, highlighting how students are already applying science to improve their communities.
This year's fair introduced two exciting new categories—robotics and Social and behavioral Sciences—reflecting the evolving landscape of scientific exploration. Adding to the excitement, the Anguilla Robotics Association conducted live demonstrations of its robotic kits, further enriching the regional collaboration in STEAM education.
For the first time, participating students also benefited from mentorship and academic support through a new partnership between the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) and SMSFF. This collaboration provided students with additional guidance and resources, helping to elevate their learning experience further.
The event welcomed over 500 enthusiastic primary school students alongside their dedicated teachers, who were captivated by the ingenuity and creativity on display. Hundreds of other visitors, including key educational stakeholders, valued sponsors, prominent industry leaders, Ministers, and Members of Parliament, also attended, demonstrating the widespread support for STEAM education in Sint Maarten.
This year's Science Week marked a significant expansion beyond the flagship Science Fair and poster competition. For the first time, the program included a range of engaging events designed to deepen public involvement in STEAM, and the week kicked off with an Opening Ceremony featuring a keynote address by H.E. Dr. Ricardo Neil, Goodwill Ambassador of Science and Technology and Founder & Chair of the OECS Robotics Association, and an interactive panel discussion on AI in Education. His involvement underscored the importance of regional collaboration and the potential for STEAM advancement across the Caribbean.
Students also took part in enriching STEAM-focused field trips, while the introduction of the new Science Fair categories offered fresh opportunities for exploration and creativity. These additions offered multiple avenues for students and the wider community to engage with STEAM throughout the week.
Furthermore, attendees of the public sessions had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Viewer's Choice Award, allowing them to vote for their favorite project during the public session. Limited to one vote per device, 957 votes were cast during the 3 hours provided for public viewing, highlighting strong community interest and support.
The culmination of the students' hard work will be celebrated at the upcoming Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 12th at the Belair Community Center. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, winners will be recognized with medals, trophies, and high-tech gadgets provided to support their continued explorations of STEAM. Stay tuned for the announcement of the Science Fair winners including the Viewer’s Choice Award on April 12th!
Dr. Rolinda Carter, President of the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation, emphasized this growth, stating, "As a foundation, we recognize our vital role in fostering a culture of innovation and inquiry on St. Maarten, and the overwhelming participation this week underscores the growing enthusiasm for science and technology among our youth. The Foundation remains committed to supporting STEAM education all while strengthening our local and regional partnerships to achieve our mission”.
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SMSFF extends its sincere gratitude to all the students, teachers, AUC mentors, judges, local and regional partners, field trip hosts, media partners, sponsors, volunteers, and the wider community for their enthusiastic participation and support in making Science Week 2025 a resounding success.

For more information, please visit the SMSFF Facebook page.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) would like to announce the successful completion of several key training programs to enhance its personnel's professional development and strengthen community policing.

Five KPSM officers recently returned from Miami, where they completed an intensive week-long training program to become certified School Resource Officers. This specialized training equips officers with the necessary skills to build positive relationships with students, foster a safe school environment, and effectively address youth-related issues within educational institutions.

In addition, several KPSM personnel participated in an intensive BAVPOL training program (Buitengewoon Agent van Politie) conducted in collaboration with various government departments. Each department focused on its own area of expertise, contributing to a well-rounded and highly professional training experience.

KPSM would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the officers who successfully completed their training and extend sincere gratitude to the institutions, trainers, and partner organizations that made these essential training programs possible.

Continuous training and development remain a top priority for KPSM as the organization works to improve public safety and community engagement across the island.

KPSM Press Release.

~ Kingdom Government Demands Approved Budget by April 30 as Oversight Concerns Mount ~

Terrance Rey. 

PHILIPSBURG – The Kingdom Council of Ministers in The Hague has issued an ultimatum to the government of St. Maarten, demanding that the country submit its long-delayed 2025 budget to the financial oversight board Cft by April 30. The decision, first reported by Dutch news outlet DossierKoninkrijksrelaties.nl, came after the Committee for Financial Supervision (Cft) formally warned that St. Maarten still has no approved budget in place for the current year. The Mercelina Cabinet has been notified it must deliver the parliament-approved 2025 budget to the Cft by the end of this month or face potential consequences.
According to the report, the Kingdom Council of Ministers – the Dutch-led body that oversees Kingdom affairs – agreed on Friday to send a stern letter urging Prime Minister Luc Mercelina’s government to act. Dutch State Secretary Szabó, in charge of Kingdom Relations, will write to St. Maarten’s government insisting that the 2025 budget be finalized and submitted without further delay. This extraordinary step was taken in response to a formal notification from the CFT that Sint Maarten’s 2025 budget has not been finalized, and there is no clear prospect of it being approved soon. A similar ultimatum was recently directed at Aruba’s government, which managed to comply just before its March 31 deadline. In that case, the outgoing Aruban administration rushed to pass its budget after pressure from the Hague – a scenario now facing St. Maarten as well.

St. Maarten’s budget impasse has been an ongoing concern. Although Parliament unanimously approved a 2025 budget in January, significant technical errors and mismatches were later discovered in the budget amendments. These “sloppy” mistakes – including incorrect figures and missing details – prevented the budget from being ratified and published into law. As a result, the country entered 2025 without an official financial framework in force. Government operations have since been running on the 2024 budget as a stopgap while officials scramble to correct the 2025 budget and even restart the legislative approval process. This unprecedented situation, which requires the entire budgeting process to start over, has caused delays in public programs and uncertainty for government finances.

The intervention by the Kingdom Council of Ministers underscores the seriousness of the issue. Under the Kingdom Charter and a 2010 financial supervision agreement, St. Maarten is obligated to maintain balanced budgets and adhere to good financial governance standards, with the Cft monitoring compliance. By law, the annual budget should be approved and enacted before the start of the fiscal year, and prolonged delays are not only impractical but may violate St. Maarten’s own constitution and Kingdom financial regulations. The Cft’s report to the Dutch government noted the lack of any “reasonable term” in sight for St. Maarten to finalize its 2025 budget. In line with Cft’s recommendations, Dutch ministers are now urging St. Maarten to approve the 2025 budget as soon as possible – and absolutely no later than April 30, 2025. The Hague has also asked for a concrete timeline to ensure the 2026 budget will be handled on time, hoping to prevent a repeat of this year’s fiasco.

If St. Maarten fails to meet the April 30 deadline, more severe measures could follow. Dutch officials have not publicly detailed the consequences of non-compliance, but the term “ultimatum” signals that a formal “instruction” (aanwijzing) or intervention by the Kingdom government is possible. In past instances, the Kingdom Council has issued binding instructions to autonomous governments in Curaçao, Aruba, or St. Maarten when financial management norms were breached. Observers note that Aruba, for example, has faced strict budgetary instructions from the Netherlands in recent months as part of broader concerns over fiscal discipline in the Dutch Caribbean. If St. Maarten ignores this April 30 cutoff, the Kingdom Council in The Hague could move to impose an instruction compelling compliance or even enact other oversight actions to safeguard the Kingdom’s financial integrity. Such a step would be politically sensitive, as it touches on the autonomy of the St. Maarten government, but Dutch officials have emphasized the importance of sound finances for the whole Kingdom.

Local reaction in St. Maarten has so far been muted from the government’s side. Prime Minister Luc Mercelina and Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs have not yet issued public statements on the Dutch ultimatum. The government is expected to attempt to meet the deadline by finalizing the budget in the coming weeks, given the high stakes. In Parliament, opposition figures have been vocal about the delay’s seriousness. MP Ardwell Irion, a former finance minister now in the opposition, earlier lambasted the Mercelina government for operating outside the law by spending without an approved budget. He warned that this “blatant disregard for due process” is an unacceptable breach of the country’s governance framework. Irion and others in the opposition National Alliance faction have pressed the government to clarify how it plans to resolve the budget impasse and comply with both the constitution and the Cft’s requirements.

During recent bilateral talks, Dutch and St. Maarten officials have discussed the island’s budgetary challenges and the need for stronger financial oversight. The Kingdom Council’s ultimatum is being seen by many as a test of St. Maarten’s commitment to responsible self-governance. It also highlights the delicate balance in Netherlands–St. Maarten relations: while St. Maarten is a semiautonomous country within the Kingdom, its financial solvency and good governance are matters of kingdom-wide concern. As the April 30 deadline approaches, all eyes in Philipsburg and The Hague will be on the Mercelina administration’s next moves. Failure to deliver a finalized 2025 budget in time could usher in a new phase of Dutch intervention, whereas meeting the deadline may restore a measure of confidence in St. Maarten’s governance and help avert a deepening crisis in kingdom relations.

SIMPSON BAY:--- Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) presented its highly anticipated summer schedule at this year’s SMART event. The exciting summer schedule provides passengers with more destinations to choose from compared to last year. The new schedule, effective April 2025, offers additional routes and increased frequency to popular destinations in the USA, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean.
Passengers can now enjoy direct flights to new destinations, including Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent, with talks for service to Montserrat in the final stages.
Based on passenger demand, flight frequency to destinations like Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao has increased.
Passengers looking for a summer escape can take advantage of the services to resorts and destinations across Europe, North America, and the Caribbean.
Passengers are encouraged to book their tickets early to take advantage of the offers and ensure their preferred travel dates.