PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Richinel Brug, once again last week, continued his community outreach initiative by distributing fresh produce to vulnerable groups across Sint Maarten.

The initiative forms part of the Ministry of VSA’s broader “Health in All Policies” approach, established last year, which recognizes that public health extends beyond healthcare alone to include food security, nutrition, social support, and community wellbeing.

Following a similar initiative held in December, the Ministry collaborated with churches, senior homes, soup kitchens, community organizations, and key individuals to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to feeding programs and people in need.

The initiative also comes at a time when many families continue to feel the effects of the rising cost of living, increasing fuel and utility costs, and global economic pressures linked to ongoing international conflicts and war, all of which continue to impact small island economies such as Sint Maarten.

Minister Brug emphasized the importance of supporting vulnerable families and strengthening partnerships with organizations that continue to assist the community daily.

“This initiative is about compassion, dignity, and ensuring that persons in need know they are not forgotten,” Minister Brug stated. “Something as simple as access to fresh produce can make a meaningful difference for families, seniors, and community feeding programs.”

“Food security remains an important priority for the Ministry of VSA. Once the 2026 budget is approved, we intend to further expand and strengthen initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable groups and improving access to nutritious food within our communities,” the Minister added.

“We understand that no single initiative can solve every social or economic challenge our people are facing,” the Minister stated. “But every effort matters. When government, NGOs, churches, community groups, and volunteers all continue doing their part, together we can make a difference in people’s lives. As a community, we must continue to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.”

Minister Brug stressed that improving public health also means investing in preventative measures, healthier lifestyles, and stronger social support systems throughout the country.

The Ministry of VSA remains committed to initiatives that promote community wellbeing, strengthen social support networks, and improve the quality of life for the people of St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- For many business owners in the Dutch Caribbean, losing a final tax case can feel like reaching a financial breaking point. Once objections, appeals, and court procedures are exhausted, the Tax Office may proceed with enforcement measures such as bank liens, account freezes, asset seizures, and public auctions. Within a short period, a functioning business can face operational paralysis.
At this critical stage, many traditional advisors step away. Accountants often focus primarily on compliance and reporting, while litigation attorneys may conclude their involvement once court proceedings have ended. Business owners are frequently left facing severe financial pressure with few structured recovery options available.
According to Terence Jandroep, however, the end of litigation does not necessarily have to mean the end of the business operation. As a Certified Risk Auditor (CRA) with decades of experience in tax and audit matters across the Dutch Caribbean, Jandroep is pioneering a specialized post-assessment mediation methodology known as “Compliance by Acceptance” a forensic tax recovery approach focused on preserving viable businesses while creating structured pathways toward repayment.
From Enforcement to Structured Recovery
Traditional tax enforcement methods are designed to secure immediate collection through legal execution measures. In practice, however, aggressive enforcement can sometimes produce unintended consequences:
• operational shutdown,
• employee displacement,
• destruction of future tax revenue,
• and limited recovery through liquidation sales.
Public auctions frequently generate only a fraction of the outstanding liability, while permanently removing a functioning taxpayer from the economy. Jandroep’s “Compliance by Acceptance” methodology approaches the situation differently.
“The liability may already be determined,” Jandroep explains, “but the method of recovery can still be structured in a way that protects both the Treasury and the continuity of the business.”
Rather than treating the company solely as an asset for liquidation, the process focuses on forensic financial reconstruction, compliance diagnostics, and evidence-based mediation designed to demonstrate that a viable operating business can generate stronger long-term recovery than forced closure.
The Financial Locksmith Approach
Jandroep describes his new role as that of a “Financial Locksmith.”
“When enforcement freezes a business,” he says, “the objective is not to reopen legal disputes. The objective is to create a technically credible recovery framework that allows the business to continue operating while meeting its obligations.”
Using forensic financial analysis and risk auditing methodologies, Jandroep develops a structured “Forensic Recovery Blueprint” that may support negotiated Stay of Execution arrangements and realistic repayment structures.
The focus is on:
• restoring controlled cash flow,
• preserving employment,
• stabilizing operations,
• and improving sustainable government recovery.
Why the Model Benefits Tax Authorities
One of the central principles behind “Compliance by Acceptance” is that governments generally benefit more from sustainable repayment than from business destruction.
Instead of relying on one-time liquidation proceeds, structured mediation may provide:
• reliable monthly repayment streams,
• continuation of payroll and turnover taxes,
• preservation of economic activity,
• and reduced enforcement costs.
A functioning company can continue contributing to the economy and the Treasury. A liquidated company cannot.
An Evidence-Based over Trust based Process
This methodology is not based on emotional appeals or informal negotiations.
As a Certified Risk Auditor, Terence Jandroep relies on:
• forensic accounting analysis,
• risk auditing standards,
• compliance reconstruction,
• financial diagnostics,
• technical evidence reporting,
• and structured mediation protocols.
The result is a professional evidence framework designed to provide tax authorities with technically supportable grounds to evaluate recovery-based solutions.
Specialized Support During High-Risk Enforcement
Businesses facing severe tax enforcement often experience:
• frozen corporate bank accounts,
• immediate cash flow instability,
• incoming auction procedures,
• operational disruption,
• and exhaustion of traditional legal remedies.
These are precisely the high-pressure situations in which risk auditors specialize.
Jandroep is among the first professionals in the Dutch Caribbean to focus specifically on post-litigation forensic tax mediation and compliance recovery restructuring.
His philosophy is direct:
“The assessment determines the liability, but forensic mediation determines the recovery. The goal is not to avoid responsibility, the goal is to create a sustainable path toward compliance while protecting economic continuity.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Maarten, has expressed deep alarm and strong condemnation regarding GEBE’s recent fuel clause increase of approximately 10 cents, which has already appeared on electricity bills for the April consumption period, despite GEBE’s public statement that the increase would take effect in May.
“Consumers are already under tremendous financial pressure,” the Minister stated. “To announce that a new rate will take effect in May, but then quietly apply it to April bills, is unacceptable, misleading, and a breach of public trust. The public deserves clarity, not confusion. This is not how a GEBE’s management should treat the people of St. Maarten.”
She emphasized that under the Electricity Concession and the Electricity Concession Ordinance, no tariff component, including the fuel clause, may be adjusted without proper justification, supporting data, and Government review and approval. “These safeguards exist to protect consumers,” she said. “They were not respected, and that failure lies squarely with GEBE’s management.”
She noted that this latest development follows a series of challenges at GEBE over the past years, including prolonged billing disruptions, governance instability, and repeated public concerns about transparency and service reliability. These issues were further highlighted in the 2025 evaluation conducted by the Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC) in collaboration with BTP, which identified gaps in data reporting, maintenance planning, and tariff methodology.
“Taken together, these events show why independent oversight is not an option; it is urgently necessary,” the Minister said. “GEBE has to be transparent, accountable, and stable, because that is what the people deserve. The current pattern of decision-making is simply not acceptable.”
To address longstanding gaps in transparency and accountability, the Minister of TEATT has finalized a joint Ministerial Decree designating the Bureau of Telecommunication and Post (BTP as the legally mandated Supervisor under the Electricity Concession Ordinance.
The decree has been signed by the Minister of TEATT and transmitted for the co-signature of the Minister of VROMI, after which it will be published and take immediate effect.
“This Decree activates a supervisory mechanism that has existed in law since its establishment but was never implemented,” Minister Heyliger-Marten explained. “It is a critical step toward protecting consumers, both residents and businesses.
Once in force, the decree empowers BTP to:
Request and verify all operational and financial data from GEBE.
Review tariff structures, methodologies, and fuel clause calculations.
Conduct inspections, audits, and technical assessments.
Monitor compliance with all concession obligations.
Oversee renewable-energy obligations under Article 14 of the Concession.
The Minister confirmed that BTP has already been instructed, once the Decree takes effect, to immediately investigate the basis, timing, and legality of the recent fuel clause increase.
The Minister also noted that GEBE has not complied with the Government’s formal request to submit a complete tariff structure proposal, despite repeated reminders.
“The most responsible way to set tariffs is through verified, cost-based information,” she said. “Only GEBE has full insight into its operational costs. Government cannot lawfully approve or adjust tariffs without receiving and validating that information.”
Because GEBE has failed to submit the required tariff structure, BTP will now begin the process of independently reviewing and reconstructing the tariff methodology to ensure fairness, legality and consumer protection.
The Minister also acknowledged the ongoing efforts of the Prime Minister to stabilize GEBE’s governance and strengthen corporate oversight.
“The Prime Minister has taken important steps to stabilize the company and reinforce internal controls,” she said. “This decree complements those efforts by ensuring that the regulatory side is equally strengthened.”
The Minister emphasized “this is done to protect the people of St. Maarten, ensuring that no tariff adjustment, fuel clause or otherwise is ever implemented again without transparency and proper justification. The days of unilateral decisions by GEBE’s management without oversight are coming to an end.”
Once the decree takes effect, BTP will have full legal authority to intervene, verify data, review tariff calculations and ensure that future decisions are fair, transparent and based on verified information. “I ask the public for patience as we move swiftly to correct these issues and protect consumers of GEBE.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  Member of Parliament Omar Ottley was released from custody around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 15th, with no official charges filed in connection with an altercation linked to an incident that reportedly occurred on April 11th during the opening night event of the 2026 Carnival.
Speaking to SMN News after his release, Ottley addressed reports circulating in the media and denied claims that police raids had taken place at his house or at his parents’ residence. Ottley stated that he was arrested by the Landsrecherche, questioned, and later released without any official charges being filed against him.
The MP also addressed reports circulating in sections of the media, denying claims that police raids had taken place as part of the investigation.
According to Ottley, the confrontation involved his brother, Mhalik Ottley, and another individual who allegedly attacked his brother with a knife during the fight.
Ottley stated that the incident stemmed from an altercation on the night of April 11th and maintained that several reports published by other media houses were inaccurate, particularly claims suggesting coordinated police raids.
“No raids took place,” Ottley said, pushing back against what he described as misleading reporting surrounding the investigation.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement detailing the circumstances of the incident or confirming whether further investigations are ongoing.
The matter has attracted significant public attention due to Ottley’s position in Parliament and the conflicting accounts that have emerged since news of his detention surfaced.
As of this morning, no charges had been formally announced against the MP or any other individuals connected to the incident. The Prosecutors Office has since confirmed the release of MP Omar Ottley, they stated that the other suspect which is Mhalik Ottley will remain in custody as the investigations continue.