PHILIPSBURG:---  The Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA),  Mr. Richinel Brug is urging all business owners and employers in St. Maarten to comply with the legal requirement to register their employees with the Division of Labor Affairs. Labor registration is a critical part of building a transparent, fair, and protected workforce on the island based on the National Ordinance on the Registration of Workers (Landsverordening tot inschrijving van arbeidskrachten).

“Labor registration is not just a bureaucratic step, it’s a foundation for protecting workers' rights and strengthening the integrity of our labor market,” said Minister Brug. “Additionally, it helps ensure compliance, allows for accurate and up-to-date statistics, and provides a level playing field for all of the social partners, workers, employers, and the Government. We’re calling on all businesses to take this responsibility seriously and to register their employees accordingly.”

Application Options

Employers can submit labor registration applications:

• Via email to the Division of Labor Affairs, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Who Can Submit?

• Business Registration: Must be submitted by the Director, Owner, President, or an authorized representative.
• Personnel Registration: Must be completed by the employer or an authorized representative.

Cost of Processing Fee

• ANG 250 for businesses with 0–50 employees
• ANG 750 for businesses with 51–200 employees
• ANG 1000 for businesses with 201 or more employees

For more information regarding the required documents, contact Division Labor Affairs via telephone (insert numbers) or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the official website of Government Sint Maarten www.sintmaartengov.org.

Minister Brug encourages all employers to act swiftly and responsibly:

“As we continue building a modern and responsive labor system, your compliance and collaboration are essential. Let’s work together to create a labor environment where every worker is registered, respected, and protected.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Justice Ministry of St. Maarten is engulfed in a storm of dysfunction, with the Pointe Blanche Prison crisis and the chaos at the Immigration and Border Control Department (IND) serving as glaring examples of systemic failure. The Law Enforcement Council’s recent notification to Parliament and the Kingdom Council of Ministers paints a grim picture of negligence, human rights violations, and a lack of accountability. Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling’s dismissive responses to these crises reveal a leadership vacuum at the heart of the Ministry.

Pointe Blanche Prison: A Humanitarian and Security Crisis

The Law Enforcement Council’s June 6, 2025, notification underscores the dire state of the Pointe Blanche Prison. Years of neglect and failure to implement recommendations have created a hazardous environment where the safety and human rights of detainees, staff, and visitors are routinely compromised. The Council’s report highlights a life-threatening riot and fire on May 14, 2025, as a stark reminder of the prison’s precarious state. Without immediate action, further escalation and potential fatalities are inevitable.

The Council’s findings are a damning indictment of both local and Kingdom-level authorities. Despite over a decade of inspections and recommendations, the prison remains a symbol of structural negligence. The Council’s unprecedented decision to issue a formal notification under Article 32 of the Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council reflects the gravity of the situation.

Minister Tackling’s Deflection and Denial

Minister Nathalie Tackling’s recent statements during a Council of Ministers press briefing reveal a troubling disconnect from the realities on the ground. When questioned about the prison crisis and the cost of housing prisoners overseas—€1.2 million annually for the Netherlands alone—her responses were vague and dismissive. She downplayed the significance of motions passed during the budget debate, claiming that many of the proposed measures, such as electronic monitoring, are already in place. However, her rhetoric fails to address the systemic issues highlighted by the Council.

Tackling’s assertion that the prison system is not a "pick and choose" operation and her focus on logistical challenges, such as staffing for electronic monitoring, reflect a lack of proactive leadership. Instead of addressing the root causes of the prison’s dysfunction, she appears content to maintain the status quo, leaving inmates, staff, and the public to bear the consequences.

IND: A Hotbed of Corruption and Incompetence

The chaos extends beyond the prison to the Immigration and Border Control Department (IND), where allegations of corruption and gross incompetence are rampant. Employees are reportedly engaged in backbiting and infighting, exacerbated by the ineptitude of the department head. Online services are in disarray, leaving residents unable to upload documents or obtain invoices for residency applications. The resulting backlog has left countless individuals in limbo, unable to secure or renew their residency permits.

Minister Tackling’s inability to address these issues has only deepened the crisis. The IND’s dysfunction is not just a bureaucratic failure; it is a humanitarian one, affecting the lives and livelihoods of people living and working in St. Maarten. Yet, the Minister has shown little inclination to tackle the "monster" created by the department head and complicit employees, further eroding public trust in her leadership.

A Ministry in Crisis

The Justice Ministry’s woes are emblematic of a broader governance crisis. From the Pointe Blanche Prison to the IND, the common thread is a lack of accountability, transparency, and effective leadership. Minister Tackling’s defensive rhetoric and failure to implement meaningful reforms have left the Ministry in a state of paralysis, unable to fulfill its mandate to ensure justice and security for the people of St. Maarten.

The Law Enforcement Council’s alarm should serve as a wake-up call, not just for the Minister but for the entire government. Without immediate and decisive action, the Justice Ministry risks becoming a symbol of systemic failure, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in their leaders.

The Justice Ministry is not just in chaos; it is in crisis. Minister Nathalie Tackling’s inability to address the myriad issues plaguing her Ministry—from the Pointe Blanche Prison to the IND—has left St. Maarten at a crossroads. Will the government step in to restore order, or will the Ministry continue its descent into dysfunction? The people of St. Maarten deserve answers—and action.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Temporary Work Organization (TWO), in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten, reflects on the successful completion of the project “Revamping the IT Department” – a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening digital capacity within the public sector. Running from January 2023 to December 2024, the project laid a solid foundation for improved service delivery, modern IT governance, and enhanced efficiency across government institutions.

Led by the Ministry of General Affairs, and supported by ICTU and the TWO, the project focused on addressing structural challenges, including staffing shortages, outdated processes, and a lack of coordination among ministries.

The key outcomes of the project include significantly improved IT operations. Formal processes have now been established for incident management, service requests, and other related matters. Major hardware upgrades have been implemented, and various improvement projects have been initiated across multiple government departments.

Organizational development was also a core component. New staff members have been hired, and more employees have been granted permanent contracts. Development plans are now in place for IT personnel.

Looking ahead, the project has generated valuable insights that are already being applied in the follow-up initiative, “Rivet.” This successor project builds on the foundation laid by Revamping, placing additional emphasis on long-term capacity building, improved stakeholder communication, and stronger project governance through enhanced sponsorship.

“This is more than a departmental restructuring – it represents a cultural shift in how we deliver public services,” said a project spokesperson.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Windward Islands Bank announces the temporary relocation of its Simpson Bay branch operations to accommodate scheduled renovations. As of Friday, July 18th, the Simpson Bay branch will be closed to facilitate the relocation of its operations. On Monday, July 21st, the Simpson Bay branch will commence operations from its temporary location at #15 Airport Road at 11:00 a.m. The temporary location is just a block away from the present branch location on the same Simpson Bay strip. Night depository and ATM services will be disrupted at the present branch location starting Thursday at noon. WIB informs that its drive-through ATM at the Simpson Bay gas station will be operational. Clients can drop off their night deposits at the Bushroad branch on Friday. Both the Bushroad and Pondfill locations will remain open on Friday. WIB sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience the relocation may cause and looks forward to continuing to serve you from our new location, effective Monday, July 21st.