New Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen is coming to St Maarten

New Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen is coming to St Maarten

WILLEMSTAD Alexandra van Huffelen is coming to the islands. The new State Secretary for Kingdom Relations will be in Curaçao on 8 February and will visit the other islands later that week. In addition to acquaintance, a number of urgent points must also be discussed, such as the appeal for the temporary abandonment of the budget standards of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten due to corona. The liquidity support is also a problem, because the countries have not agreed to the amendment memorandum of the COHO Kingdom Act.

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Continuation Central Committee meeting of Parliament regarding the financial status of Winair

Continuation Central Committee meeting of Parliament regarding the financial status of Winair

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on January 31, 2022.

This Central Committee meeting, which was adjourned on October 20, 2021, will be reconvened on Monday at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be present.

The agenda point is:

The (financial) status of Windward Islands Airways (IS/1135/2019-2020 dated August 18, 2020 and IS/ 169/2020-2021 dated November 16, 2020)

This meeting was requested by MP S.A. Wescot-Williams, MP M.D. Gumbs, MP C.A. Buncamper and MP G.S. Heyliger-Marten

On Monday the Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs will return to Parliament to answer questions posed by Members of Parliament regarding the Government owned company, Winair.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, and www.pearlfmradio.sx

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Police controls 100 vehicles over the weekend. Additional controls coming

Police controls 100 vehicles over the weekend. Additional controls coming

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – Personnel of the traffic department have dealt with several major accidents over the last four weeks which resulted in several persons being severely injured.

It is hard to imagine the amount of material damage that have been caused at the scene of some these accidents.

With this in mind, the police have deployed a plan of action with a view to first inform the public about their driving behavior and the consequences thereof. In addition, action will be taken against drivers not abiding by the rules set forth in traffic ordinance, and other legal regulations applicable on Sint Maarten.

These coordinated actions were implemented over the weekend with two controls focusing on the behavior of drivers and technical requirements of the vehicles.

The first control was carried out on Sunday January 30, 2022, in the morning hours at Union Road, Cole Bay whereby 47 vehicles were stopped and controlled. A total of 10 fines were issued for various offenses, several drivers were warned about their driving behavior and the consequences this may have on their own and/or others’ lives.

A second control was held shortly after on the Airport Road, whereby 53 vehicles were stopped, 12 fines were issued for various offenses and several drivers were warned about their driving behavior in traffic. Two scooters were stopped and taken into custody by the owner. The riders were also given fines.

KPSM will be continuously carrying out these controls, chiefly due to the fact that some road users are not respecting nor obeying traffic regulations of Sint Maarten. Their behavior has become a nuisance to the community and, more important, it endangers the lives of others. (KPSM)

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MP Pantophlet: Was the meeting held to debate the Budget illegal?

MP Pantophlet: Was the meeting held to debate the Budget illegal?

) – Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet is asking the question as to why it is being said that passing the Budget without the approval of the Kingdom Council of Ministers is illegal, the MP said on Sunday in a press statement.

Pantophlet is not negating the fact that every Member of Parliament has to vote his/her conscience. “We all took an oath to do so. The meeting in which the Budget was discussed happened in accordance with article 34.2 of the rules of order which states: “As soon as the attendance list is signed by at least half plus one, the President opens the meeting. Said list remains at the table of clerk for signing by Members of Parliament arriving later”. Every member that signed the attendance list had an opportunity to debate, the draft budget at the time”, said MP Pantophlet.

The 2022 Budget was voted upon and passed with 9 votes for and 4 against. As a matter of a fact, in handling this budget the MP expressed that he feels that the chair was quite lenient in allowing blatant non-adherence to the rules of order, as ‘points of notifications’ and ‘clarifications’ were turned into third and fourth rounds by asking additional questions, whereas Public Meetings consist of first and second rounds only. He applauds her poise in this regard as he is not sure whether he would have been so lenient.

“What is abundantly clear is that Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs indicated that the new State Secretary of Home Affairs and Digitalization will forward a positive advice to the Kingdom Council of Ministers. This for me was sufficient to support the budget and also in conformity with article 100 of the constitution”, Pantophlet stated.

The MP further stated that he is convinced that the new State Secretary would not have made such a statement to our Prime Minister if she doubted the outcome of her advice.

“I’m sure that the members who voted against and those who were absent do not share the same sentiments. The PFP unfortunately is judging the State Secretary before getting to know her. Statements by the PFP such as “a promise is a comfort to a fool”, are careless. We know for a fact that the Kingdom Council of Ministers always approves the advice from the State Secretary. In addition to this, there were deviations approved from 5 previous budgets, so what makes this one different?”, said the MP.

The MP said that voting on the Budget instead of postponing it is in conformity with article 100 of the Constitution.

“We have nothing to do with the Kingdom Council’s responsibilities. What is being left out of the argument of those who opposed approving the Budget is that the Committee for Financial supervision has complete insight into Government’s operations and has approved said deviation. This alone gives me confidence that in combination with this advice and the positive advice of the State Secretary, the Kingdom Council of Ministers will approve the deviation”, MP Pantophlet concluded.

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St Maarten Has A Gun Problem

Only with a comprehensive, integrated approach can real results be achieved with regard to the firearms problem in Sint Maarten. Only a repressive action by the judiciary, and in particular by the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM), does not offer a solution to the current illegal firearms problem.

Ministries, agencies and the community as a whole must structurally work together to tackle the causes and consequences of illegal firearms and the related problems. The socio-economic aspects must also be taken into account and the development of (prevention) strategies with special attention for young people. This is stated in the most recent inspection report from the Law Enforcement Council. Following a request from the Minister of Justice, the Council carried out an inspection into the prevention and combating of illegal firearms trade and illegal firearms possession in Sint Maarten. The Council made seven recommendations on this subject.

Nature and size

There is no precise insight into the nature and extent of illegal firearms smuggling, the illegal firearms trade and illegal firearms possession in Sint Maarten at the Ministry or the services. The Council is of the opinion that without a good overview of the problem, optimal management at a strategic level (management of the services together with the ministry) cannot be achieved, a targeted policy and an integrated approach are only possible to a limited extent and the necessary investments cannot be prioritized. turn into.

Legal framework and protocol

The applicable legal framework with regard to firearms on Sint Maarten is clear and is composed of treaties and national legislation. In addition to the legal framework, the Protocol on mutual reinforcement of border control is also relevant. The legislation is dated but does not present any bottlenecks for the various services during the execution of the work. The commitment of the justice system to the problem is positive, even though it remains a serious problem and incidents continue to occur, according to the Council. The aforementioned protocol offers opportunities for structural improvements to the judicial services in Sint Maarten, also with regard to the prevention and combating of illegal firearms trade.

The services involved in this cooperation are Customs, the Caribbean Coast Guard, KPSM and the Immigration and Border Control Service (IGD). This protocol imposes a number of obligations on the country of Sint Maarten, including the writing of an action plan by all stakeholders. This is for the purpose of strengthening the border, one of the intended objectives of which is the prevention of illegal firearms trade.

Judicial approach and cooperation

The Council concludes that high priority is given to illegal firearms within the investigation by both the services and the Public Prosecution Service (OM). The Council has the impression that people are in the same direction on this subject and that what is possible is being done with the limited resources. Here too, the Council reiterates that even more results could be achieved by joining forces. The multidisciplinary team that carried out checks on public roads – which everyone agrees has achieved good results – is an excellent example of how to achieve this.

The Council believes that it is precisely because of the ubiquitous lack of capacity that there should be more cooperation and use should be made of each other’s capacities and powers. The lack of capacity also makes the importance of qualitative and quantitative information-driven deployment by investigative services even more crucial. However, the limited analysis capacity of the services plays a negative role here.

Cooperation with the French is considered crucial, especially because of the open borders. There is cooperation with the French, among other things, for the purpose of exchanging information, conducting searches and carrying out joint checks. There is a good relationship between the French and Dutch authorities and in the workplace, but establishing the cooperation at political level is difficult. The Council believes that the Minister of Justice can play a stimulating role in this regard.

Integrated approach

The Council considers the effectiveness of law enforcement to prevent and combat illegal firearms trafficking and illegal possession of firearms below par and disproportionate to the seriousness of the problem and would like to see the effectiveness of the services improved. The Council concludes that there is (still) too little evidence of an integrated approach by the services with regard to the subject of illegal
[1/31, 9:30 AM] J3: firearms.

“While Sint Maarten constantly struggles with a lack of resources to tackle the problems that threaten society, including the problem of illegal firearms, there is hope that a lot can be achieved by joining forces by the services. All those involved are aware of the bottlenecks and above all have the will to tackle them. However, they do need the necessary support in areas such as policy and finances from politics and the administration in order to be able to realize concrete plans,” the Council writes.

Victim Support

The impact of illegal firearms on the community is great and the lack of victim support is a great loss. The Council has addressed victim support in several previous reports. This now seems to be about to change with the establishment of a foundation to provide victim support.

Weapons Policy

A restrictive arms policy and its enforcement contribute to keeping society safe. Although arms policy is a separate subject, the Council has also considered this, because the licensed and illegal sides are communicating vessels. Not properly arranging, recording and checking the licensed side entails risks and can have consequences for the illegal side and, for example, lead to a weapon ending up in the illegal circuit. In response to the findings, the Council is considering conducting an investigation into the broader subject of arms policy at a later date.

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UP Party ‘goes digital’ to get community feedback

UP Party ‘goes digital’ to get community feedback

The United People’s UP Party has launched three online polls to gauge the pulse of the public. UP is building various digital platforms and stepping up its use of technology to aid in its promise to deliver a new, cleaner, “more transparent” politics that engages all citizens and gets them involved in St. Maarten’s redevelopment.

When it comes to innovation and creativity, the UP Party continues to lead the way. The first three polls launched are SXM Business Owners Survey: HTTPS: www.bit.ly/UPP2022BusinessSurvey, UPP Anonymous National Anthem Poll: www.bit.ly/UPP2022-NationalAnthem and UPP Feedback form: www.bit.ly/uppfeedback. Each poll provides citizens with a unique opportunity to speak directly to the elected officials in both Government and Parliament on a wide range of subjects. Residents and visitors are encouraged to make use of the opportunity to visit the various polls and let their voices be heard.

The UP Party is also in the final stages of building its new Party Website, which it will launch shortly. Technology such as social media platforms have become more commonplace and allow people to interact freely in large group settings without leaving the safety of their homes. Polls provide a platform for people to voice their opinions on various subjects without worrying about retribution.

UP has also learned from the Global Pandemic COVID-19 that this technology is critical during national and global emergencies. With polls regularly published and data adequately gathered, the public can add to the discussion on any topic from the comfort of their homes with assurances that the information goes to the right people.

“Our goal is to master the innovative outreach by utilizing new technology that works well with the people of St. Maarten in their everyday life. We want to be able to reach our citizens and supporters while they are on the go to ensure that we get their viewpoint on any subject from anywhere without them having to wait for a town hall meeting to express themselves.”

The Party’s goal is to use information gathered through various polls to help with policymaking and with the general direction of the Party. “We must always be in tuned with what the people desire to drive change that benefits them effectively, or we may end up making decisions that do more harm than good,” the release stated.

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MP Wescot request Ombudsman to view what transpired with the budget 2022

MP Wescot request Ombudsman to view what transpired with the budget 2022

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot Williams explained that she has recapped the sequence of events leading up to the passing of the budget on January 24th and has asked the Ombudsman to consider and use her lawful discretion to review the budget process and the constitutionality thereof, MP Wescot Williams said on Sunday in a media statement.

“As Ombudsman, I am sure you have followed these proceedings, as the budget is an instrument of importance for every citizen of the country and the most important management tool for the public service”, the MP stated in her letter to Ombudsman Mossel.

“Let it be recalled that the initial draft budget, sent to parliament by the government, contained no reference to article 127 of the constitution, as is required by law. Upon been alerted of this omission by the MP, the Minister of Finance submitted a note of amendment (Nota van Wijziging), however rather than allowing the ombudsman the opportunity to assess the constitutionality of the budget ordinance, the government found arguments to declare this budget one of extreme urgency due to reasons such as the economy, etc. etc., thereby precluding the Ombudsman’s scrutiny.

“Yet, the ministers during the budget debate insinuated that they would not ratify the budget until some future date. So where is the rush and urgency?

“MP Wescot alluded that the budget has never been under so much constitutional scrutiny before, due to the current status of the request by the government for deviation in accordance with article 25 of the Kingdom Law Financial Supervision and the constitutional stipulation that the budget must be balanced. This approval by the Kingdom Council of Ministers has not (yet) been provided and thus the parliament has passed a budget with a deficit of 124.141.630.– NA guilders and with an unsecured capital budget.

“It should also be noted that the Memorandum of Elucidation of the draft budget commences with: With the present draft national ordinance, the budget for the 2022 service year is proposed on the basis of Article 100, first paragraph of the Constitution. In other words, we are presenting you herewith a balanced budget.”

“Adding insult to injury was that parliament itself, via its presidium requested a legal opinion on the matter, which was provided on January 7th and only shared with the members of parliament on January 24th, the day of the closing debate and voting on the draft budget.

“That advice in my opinion is clear, yet government and a majority in parliament pushed aside the requests for postponement of the budget vote, the MP added.

“I hope that with this letter, the Ombudsman can find sufficient grounds to employ the authority granted to that office by law as per art 16, sub 5 of the LVO Ombudsman to investigate this conduct by the ministers of government,” MP Wescot concluded.

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Stability Anticipated in NV GEBE. Managing Board and Supervisory Board of Directors Appointed

** Stability Anticipated in NV GEBE. Managing Board and Supervisory Board of Directors Appointed **

The first General Shareholder’s meeting with N.V. GEBE of the year 2022 was held on Thursday, January 27. The main agenda points were the appointments of two new members to the Supervisory Board of Directors; the formalization of the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO); and the approval of the draft service agreements of each member of the Managing Board, namely the CEO, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The current members of the Supervisory Board of Directors (SBoD), which consists of the following members, Anastacio Baker, Chairman; Dimar Labega, Vice Chairman; Emanuel Brooks and Lela Simmonds, were appointed per October 19, 2021.

The main task of this SBoD was to ensure continuity and (financial) stability at N.V. GEBE. The company was not only impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but also the instability of management, which negatively impacted the functioning of N.V. GEBE and the morale of its workers.

The board was able to successfully finalize the negotiations for the draft service agreements with the candidates for the positions of a new Managing Board.

The Shareholder selected the candidates after careful consideration of the conclusions of the Ernst & Young Recruitment & Selection Report on the Management Board on the selection process and the advice on the most suitable candidates.

Both the Shareholder and the SBoD look forward to a fruitful working relationship with the approved appointments of Sharine Daniel as CEO; George P. Willems as CFO; and Merrill Temmer, who is currently the Temporary Manager, as COO of the Managing Board of N.V. GEBE.

The Shareholder foresees the draft strategic plan for which the Managing Board will be tasked with as priority. The plan should highlight alternative energy as well as ways and means to collaborate with other Government owned Companies as a cost saving measure for the country.

Furthermore, the Shareholder (Council of Ministers) emphasized the need to seek for a structural solution to deal with the high energy costs.

In addition to a new Managing Board, the SBoD will be further strengthened with two new members, namely Vanessa Fraser, who will fulfill the profile as Human Resource Expert, and Denniscio Boasman, who was a former N.V. GEBE SBoD member, and will be fulfilling the profile of Technical Expert. Both members have been appointed for a term of four years, going into effect January 27, 2022.

The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI), Hon. Egbert Doran, who chaired the meeting, concluded by emphasizing the responsibilities of the SBoD vis a vis the Management Board and further stated that he looks forward to the continuation of the level of professionalism thus far provided and the progress needed “to get GEBE where it needs to be”.

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JUSTICE For Amy Velasquez Sign The Petition 2000 Signatures Already

OVER 2000 Signed The Amy Velasquez Petition less than 24 hours…JOIN US!
By St Maarten News , January 30, 2022 0 Comments
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Link to Petition:

Ashton Lake is expected to be released on parole this year after 38 years in prison. The man from Anguilla was sentenced to life in prison in 1984 for the murder of a 5-year-old girl in Sint Maarten. He was then 21 years old, Lake is now 59.
The murder made headlines for the atrocities that preceded it. He kidnapped the girl on her birthday, raped her and threw her into the sea with a rock at her feet. He wanted to take revenge on her family

SIGN THE CHANGE.ORG PETITION BELOW. I did..

OVER 2000 SIGNATURES LESS THAN 24 HOURS

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Latest Dutch Sint Maarten Government Covid-19 Stats

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