PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on October 22, 2025.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 10.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:

1. Appointment of the Monument Council for the period of 2025-2029 (IS/1384/2024-2025 dated August 29, 2025)
2. Re-appointment of the current Ombudsman ex. Article 2 of the National Ordinance Ombudsman (IS/1164/24-25 dated June 12, 2025)

The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports (ECYS) will be in attendance for the first agenda point. 

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

All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

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

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament 

PHILIPSBURG:--- The White & Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) proudly celebrated International Day of Older Persons on October 4 with its annual festive gathering at the St. Martin’s Home. The event, held in the Home’s renovated dining room, brought together clients and their families for an afternoon filled with music, laughter, and quality time.

This annual celebration honours the wisdom, life experience, and lasting contributions of Sint Maarten’s older persons community. The atmosphere was vibrant, with live performances by The Control Band, The Harmonic, and captivating steel pan music setting the tone for a joyful occasion. Guests also enjoyed energetic dance performances, which added extra flair to the festivities.

Laughter filled the room as families and clients danced, sang along, and shared cherished moments together. Refreshments and drinks were available for sale, and of course, the Ponche Cuba flowed freely, adding to the celebration.

“The celebrated International Day of Older Persons is one of our favourite events of the year,” said Laurencia Marlin, the main organizer of this event. “It’s wonderful to see our clients and their families enjoying themselves, connecting through music and dance, and celebrating life together.”

The WYCCF extends heartfelt thanks to Red Alert, who sponsored the beautiful T-shirts, as well as Office World, Kadaster, and Kreative Juices for their generous support.
A special thank you also goes out to all the staff, volunteers, musicians, and families who made this day such a success. Viola Stevens.

We especially thank the nursing staff, domestic workers, and kitchen team for the delicious food that was so thoughtfully prepared. Appreciation also goes to the main organizers of the event, Mrs. Laurencia Marlin and Mrs. Annick Hughes. But also to Mrs. Macfolda, Nurse Mildred, and the Social Committee members for their contributions, and to Mrs. Irene for arranging the sponsorship of our T-shirts through Red Alert. Our gratitude extends to the maintenance and laundry teams, and to the Nursing Home and Elderly Care clients who helped create the beautiful table centerpieces.

The event also featured wonderful performances by the Charlotte Brookson Academy, Jolly Dancer Ingrid Hermance, and her granddaughter Makiya Marlin, as well as a heartfelt poem by Tamara Groenveldt. Thanks to Nurse Nikita, Nurse Maxwell, and all the client families who helped on the day of the event. Special appreciation to the Methodist Reverend for opening the program in prayer, and to our M.C. Nkosasana.

Events like these highlight the Foundation’s commitment to providing not only quality care but also joy, connection, and community for the elderly of Sint Maarten.

~CBCS publishes study on inflation’s impact on different income groups~

Willemstad/Philipsburg – Inflation, broadly defined as the general increase in prices of goods and services over time, affects the purchasing power of consumers. However, not all consumers are affected equally. A new study by the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) finds that, in Curaçao, the effects of inflation differ significantly across income groups, with the lowest-income groups experiencing the greatest burden.

The study, conducted by Robert Hieroms, Economic Analysis & Research Specialist at the CBCS, estimates inflation rates across six income groups over the period 2017-2024. In recent years, rising prices for food, housing, and energy have disproportionately affected households with lower incomes. “Because food, housing, and energy account for a larger share of their consumption basket, even modest price increases erode their purchasing power significantly”, Hieroms explained.

This topic has gained international relevance as several central banks, including De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the European Central Bank, and the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, have recently conducted similar research on the distributional effects of inflation. The CBCS study follows the methodology of comparable studies conducted in Suriname and Aruba under the Caribbean Economic Research Team (CERT) research agenda.

Between 2020 and 2024, Curaçao experienced several external supply shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine, that significantly influenced domestic inflation dynamics. Owing to its small size, open economy, and high import dependence, Curaçao remains particularly vulnerable to such external price pressures. While higher prices affect all households, this study examines whether the impact of inflation is uniform or uneven across income groups.

Using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as a measure of inflation, and the household spending data from the Central Bureau of Statistics Curaçao (CBS), the study calculates annual inflation rates per income group. Each group’s expenditure pattern across spending categories is taken into account, enabling comparison with the overall inflation rate published by the CBS.

The CBS identified the following six income groups based on their annual household income: Group 1 representing households with annual income up to Cg 24,999, followed by group 2 and 3 with annual income between Cg 25,000-49,999 and Cg. 50,000-74,999, respectively.Group 4 representing households with annual income between Cg. 75,000-99,999, while group 5 covers annual incomes between Cg. 100,000-124,999. Finally, group 6 represents households with income exceeding Cg. 125,000.

The findings show that the lowest-income groups are consistently the most affected by inflation, as almost 60% of their total spending goes toward food, electricity, and fuel. In contrast, higher-income groups allocate a smaller share of their budgets to these essentials and tend to record inflation rates below the overall inflation rate. This regressive effect of inflation worsens inequality and reduces living standards, particularly during periods of sharp price increases.

The CBCS study emphasizes the importance of targeted policy measures. During periods of external shocks, government measures, such as budget support, should be carefully designed to assist lower-income groups, rather than implemented as broad, generic policies. Targeted interventions are more effective in protecting the most vulnerable households, who, as this study shows, bear the greatest burden from rising prices.

In addition, to strengthen Curaçao’s resilience against external food and energy shocks, policymakers are encouraged to invest in the local agricultural sector and renewable energy development. These efforts can reduce import dependence and mitigate long-term inflationary pressures. The full working paper is available at https://www.centralbank.cw/publications/research.

Willemstad, October 21 2025 CENTRALE BANK VAN CURACAO EN SINT MAARTEN

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) regrets to inform the public that the pedestrian who was struck during a traffic accident on A.J.C. Brouwers Road on Thursday evening, October 16, 2025, has succumbed to his injuries.

Information received from the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) indicates that the victim passed away a day after the collision as a result of the severe injuries sustained in the collision.

This incident took place around 20:00, approximately 100 meters past the Churchill Roundabout, near the first bus stop on Brouwers Road. Police Central Dispatch received multiple reports of a pedestrian being struck by a scooter.

Upon arrival, officers and ambulance personnel found a male pedestrian with serious injuries. They also located another victim, later identified as the scooter passenger.

The Traffic Department of KPSM continues to investigate the exact cause and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. KPSM extends its condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.

KPSM continues its efforts to address the reckless behavior of some scooter riders on the island’s roads, improving safety for all road users.

Police are requesting anyone who may have witnessed this accident or has relevant information to contact the Police Traffic Department at +1 (721) 542-2222.

KPSM Press Release.