PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) informs the public that intensified controls are currently being carried out in and around the Festival Village, both before, during, and after scheduled shows and events.

These actions are part of ongoing efforts to ensure general public safety and to maintain proper traffic flow in the area during this busy period. Patrol officers are actively conducting checks to prevent incidents and promote a safe environment for all visitors.

As part of these operations, officers are carrying out preventative searches specifically aimed at detecting and preventing the possession of illegal narcotics and firearms.

During a recent control operation, officers stopped and searched 30 individuals, and 12 vehicles were also inspected.

KPSM is urging the general public to cooperate fully with officers during these controls. These measures are in place for everyone's safety and will continue in the coming days in and around the Festival Village.

The Police Force thanks the community for its understanding and cooperation.

PHILIPSBURG:---The Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, Richinel Brug, through the Department of Labor, proudly announces the launch of its “Know Your Rights” campaign, a public awareness initiative aimed at strengthening the understanding of labor laws, promoting fair workplace practices, and encouraging compliance across St. Maarten.
This campaign responds to ongoing concerns about misunderstandings of employee rights and employer obligations. Through clear, accessible information, the Department seeks to ensure that both workers and employers are equipped with the knowledge needed to foster safe, fair, and productive working environments.
The “Know Your Rights” campaign will focus on key areas, including:
• Employee rights related to wages, working hours, and leave entitlements
• Employer obligations under applicable labor laws
• Procedures for reporting workplace grievances and disputes
• Guidance on sick leave, occupational safety, and workplace protections
As part of the initiative, the Department will roll out a series of public service announcements in English, Spanish, and Creole, along with digital content in the form of video skits, on the government's social media platform. As part of the campaign, interviews will also be conducted with the Country St. Maarten Labor Mediator and the Department of Labor head, as these two entities play an important role in the rights of workers and employers.
“An informed workforce is a protected workforce,” said Minister Brug. “This campaign is about empowering individuals with the knowledge they need to stand up for their rights while also supporting employers in meeting their legal responsibilities.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  A delegation from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) has successfully completed a benchmarking mission to Aruba and Curaçao in support of the ongoing reform of the Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (IVSA).
The delegation, consisting of representatives from the Public Health, Labor, and Social Development departments, met with a wide range of ministries, inspectorates, and public institutions in both Aruba and Curaçao. These included inspectorates of public health, labor, social development, and education, as well as departments responsible for human resources, elderly care, food safety, and public health governance.
The mission had multiple objectives, including gathering input on the ongoing IVSA reform and advancing preparations for establishing a healthcare professional registry system (the BIG) in Sint Maarten.
Another focus of the visit was the development of the BIG registry for Sint Maarten. The delegation met with the Aruba Quality Institute to gain insight into systems for the registration, licensing, diploma recognition, and quality assurance of healthcare professionals. Establishing such a registry is considered a critical step toward ensuring that healthcare professionals practicing in Sint Maarten meet the required standards, qualifications, and professional regulations. The registry will also strengthen oversight, improve transparency, and support the Ministry’s ability to safeguard the quality of healthcare services provided to the community.
Key findings from the visit highlighted the importance of a clear legal mandate for inspectorates, strong enforcement mechanisms, and safeguarding the independence of supervisory bodies. The mission also emphasized the need for improved coordination between institutions, a clear separation between policy-making and supervision, and the effective use of data to support oversight and decision-making.
Importantly, a number of the insights gathered during the benchmarking mission confirmed feedback and observations that had already been raised internally by staff within the Ministry. The visit therefore served not only as a learning opportunity, but also as a way to validate the experiences and recommendations provided by the Ministry’s own professionals.
The insights gathered during the mission will directly inform the ongoing reform of IVSA as well as the development of the BIG healthcare professional registry. Both initiatives are aimed at strengthening the Ministry’s ability to properly regulate healthcare professionals, improve oversight, and ensure that residents of Sint Maarten continue to receive safe and quality care.
Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Richinel Brug, emphasized the importance of the mission and its broader impact on strengthening the Ministry’s institutional capacity.
“This mission allowed us to gain valuable insight into how inspectorates in Aruba and Curaçao are structured and operate. At the same time, many of the observations made during the visit confirmed feedback that had already been provided by our own staff within the Ministry. That is important, because it shows that the experiences and recommendations coming from our professionals here in Sint Maarten are valid and aligned with best practices in the region,” Minister Brug stated.
Minister Brug further noted that the Ministry remains committed to continuously strengthening its staff and institutions so they can carry out their responsibilities effectively for the community.
“Our goal is to ensure that the professionals within the Ministry have the tools, knowledge, and support needed to perform their duties at the highest standard. By combining the valuable experience of our own staff with lessons learned from regional partners, we are building a stronger system of oversight that benefits both healthcare providers and the community we serve,” the Minister added.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Statistics (STAT) of Sint Maarten recently conducted a working visit to L’Institut Territorial de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (ITSEE) of Saint-Martin to explore opportunities for closer collaboration and to strengthen statistical cooperation between both sides of the island.
Discussions focused on enhancing collaboration in key areas, including Tourism Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation, the Labor Force Survey, and the Household Budget Survey. Both institutions also exchanged views on methodologies and best practices to improve the quality, comparability, and reliability of data produced on the island.
A key outcome of the meeting was the recognition of the importance of potential areas for information sharing, particularly regarding visitors who stay on the French side or vice versa. By working together, both institutions aim to develop a more comprehensive understanding of tourism flows across the island, including future analysis of visitor spending and satisfaction patterns. This would allow for more accurate insights into how much visitors spend on different parts of the island, based on aggregated survey data.
The collaboration will also support comparisons of price levels using the basket of goods used in CPI calculations, providing a clearer picture of inflation and cost-of-living differences between the two sides. In addition, both parties discussed opportunities to compare and analyze socio-economic data from the Population Census and labor market indicators to better understand cross-border dynamics and support evidence-based policymaking.
This partnership is expected to yield important benefits for both Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin. By combining efforts, both sides will be able to produce more complete and consistent data, leading to improved policy coordination, stronger economic analysis, and better-informed decision-making for governments, businesses, and the public. It also positions the island as a leading example of cross-border statistical cooperation within the region.
Further discussions also highlighted the potential to expand cooperation into additional areas, including joint publications, capacity building, sharing tools and systems for data collection and processing, and developing environmental and economic statistics.
It is important to note that during this meeting, no personal data was shared. Both institutions agreed that future collaboration will not involve the exchange of personal or identifiable information but will be strictly limited to aggregated data derived from surveys and statistical outputs.
Both STAT and ITSEE intend to continue discussions to formalize this collaboration and identify concrete next steps. This initiative marks an important step toward a more integrated statistical framework for the island, supporting sustainable development and improved outcomes for all residents.
For more information, please contact: Department of Statistics (STAT)/ITSEE