Reconstruction of Sint Maarten: no new projects, complete firstSearch within the Court of AuditStart zoeken
After Hurricane Irma, the Netherlands made a maximum of € 550 million available for the reconstruction of Sint Maarten in 2017, of which € 470 million through a trust fund at the World Bank. The Netherlands has reserved a maximum of € 101.1 million for this trust fund. The question is whether this is sufficient to carry out all current reconstruction projects such as repairs to houses and schools.
The progress of the reconstruction of Sint Maarten is slow. 44% of the 379 intended homes have now been restored. Work on the first 3 of the 19 damaged schools will be completed at the beginning of 2021. By the end of 2020, 4 of the 12 shelters will be made hurricane-proof. Completion of the remaining 8 shelters was scheduled for February 2021.
Financial setbacks
The costs for the repair of infrastructure, utilities and solving the waste disposal problem on Sint Maarten are disappointing. The estimated costs for these ongoing projects have been increased by € 58.6 million in 2020. The question is therefore whether the remaining € 101.1 million that the Netherlands has reserved for the reconstruction of St. Maarten is sufficient to complete all projects.
No new projects
The Court of Audit therefore recommends that the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations urge the Dutch representative on the trust fund’s steering group not to consider new projects. It is advisable to give priority to the completion of projects that ensure that the population of St. Maarten will suffer less damage from a possible subsequent hurricane.
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, cityscape at the Great Salt Pond.
Latest No New Dutch Funding To Finish St Maarten School Repairs
Billions at once, the government tackled the corona crisis. But control over those expenditures lagged behind
The government has spent an extra 29 billion euros at a rapid pace to combat the corona pandemic in 2020. The basic rules of democracy have been violated, according to the Court of Audit. For example, parliament was too often sidelined.
Several times the House of Representatives and the Senate were faced with a fait accompli when the cabinet was making large expenditures. In doing so, the cabinet violated the budget right of the elected representatives, a constitutional right to participate in decisions and talks about government expenditure. Because it is about money that belongs to everyone, public money.
“The rules of the game do not change when there is a crisis,” says President of the Court of Audit Arno Visser. “Parliament must always be informed properly and on time.” If that does not happen, then “the cornerstone of our democratic system is at stake”. The Court of Audit does approve the national budget for 2020, but has critical comments.
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, led by Corona Minister Hugo de Jonge, was particularly bad. Last month, with the support of the Central Government Audit Service, the ministry was given the time to put its books in order before the Court of Audit could give its approval. Yet there are still ‘serious imperfections’ and new problems can arise.
Weaknesses in financial management at the ministry had existed for some time, according to the Court, but have worsened under pressure from the pandemic. The ministry admits that in the corona year, “orderly financial management was not the first priority”.
Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra is also heavily reproached. “He has failed in his duties as a supervisor,” the Court said. According to Hoekstra, many irregularities are “60 to 70 percent related to corona”. He does acknowledge that there is “homework to do”.
The government has spent an extra 29 billion euros at a rapid pace to combat the corona pandemic in 2020. The basic rules of democracy have been violated, according to the Court of Audit. For example, parliament was too often sidelined.
Several times the House of Representatives and the Senate were faced with a fait accompli when the cabinet was making large expenditures. In doing so, the cabinet violated the budget right of the elected representatives, a constitutional right to participate in decisions and talks about government expenditure. Because it is about money that belongs to everyone, public money.null
“The rules of the game do not change when there is a crisis,” says President of the Court of Audit Arno Visser. “Parliament must always be informed properly and on time.” If that does not happen, then “the cornerstone of our democratic system is at stake”. The Court of Audit does approve the national budget for 2020, but has critical comments.
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, led by Corona Minister Hugo de Jonge, was particularly bad. Last month, with the support of the Central Government Audit Service, the ministry was given the time to put its books in order before the Court of Audit could give its approval. Yet there are still ‘serious imperfections’ and new problems can arise.
Weaknesses in financial management at the ministry had existed for some time, according to the Court, but have worsened under pressure from the pandemic. The ministry admits that in the corona year, “orderly financial management was not the first priority”.
Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra is also heavily reproached. “He has failed in his duties as a supervisor,” the Court said. According to Hoekstra, many irregularities are “60 to 70 percent related to corona”. He does acknowledge that there is “homework to do”.
Hoekstra presented the government’s annual financial report in the House of Representatives on the traditional third Wednesday of May (‘minced meat day’). The Court of Audit checks every year whether the rules have been followed and whether the money has been well spent.null
Often there is sharp criticism, which justifies the question whether the advice is taken to heart. For example, the National Ombudsman recently said that he is ‘looking for a club to read his reports’, as a reproach towards the outgoing Rutte cabinet. Visser acknowledges that the Court of Audit also has a role to play in strengthening power and counterpower in democracy. But his authority cannot intervene, he emphasizes. It is up to parliament and the ministries to do something with the advice.
Financial management at the Ministry of Corona Minister Hugo de Jonge is far below par. For example, receipts are missing for respiratory equipment delivered to healthcare institutions. The numbers of purchased corona tests on invoices are incorrect, so it is unclear how many were delivered. In the warehouses of the National Consortium Tools, there are stocks of protective equipment such as mouth masks for ten years.
This is also where the 40 million face masks are arranged by Sywert van Lienden’s organization. The payment of more than 100 million and especially the profit that Van Lienden has made on this is currently a topic of controversy. At the time, Van Lienden said he wanted to help ‘selflessly’. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport spent a total of 5.1 billion euros on protective equipment, breathing equipment and test equipment.
According to the Court of Audit, 2.48 percent of the commitments (expenditure that have been committed) were unlawful and therefore not according to the rules. A margin of 1 percent in errors and uncertainties is still acceptable. Overruns have not happened since the financial crisis of 2008, when the government had to keep the banks and the economy afloat with billions.
This concerns an amount of 9.1 billion in commitments, two-thirds of which were related to the fight against the virus. Of the expenditure that has already been made, 4.3 billion (1.52 percent) did not go according to the rules. Half of that was expenses for the corona crisis. This concerned, for example, support schemes for companies or for the economy in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. About 22 billion euros of the corona support went to companies – most of the amount was spent by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Things also went well, says the Court of Audit. The repatriation of thousands of Dutch people at the start of the corona crisis went well. And despite ongoing government IT problems, 175,000 civil servants were able to work from one day to the next.
Apartment Owner allegedly stabs tenant with a knife twice in the shoulder
Police dispatch received several calls on Monday, May 17, around 9:30pm about a stabbing on Tjon-Sie-Fat Road, Cole Bay, the police said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
At the location, the police patrol and ambulance personnel found a man with two stab wounds to his shoulder. The victim was treated at the scene and transferred to Sint Maarten Medical Center. He has no life-threatening injuries.
The preliminary investigation found that the suspected perpetrator is the owner of the apartment the victim resides in. He allegedly assaulted the victim, one of his tenants, with a knife in an altercation.
The suspect with initials N.F.B., who was still on the scene, was arrested by the patrol and transported to the Philipsburg Police Station where he is held for further questioning.
The investigation into this assault is still ongoing. (KPSM
Suspect arrested, firearm confiscated in Cole Bay house search
The Police Uniform Division and Detective Department executed a house search in Cole Bay in connection with firearms possession on Wednesday, May 19, around 5:20am, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.
A firearm was found and confiscated during the search.
The suspect with initials A.D. was arrested and taken to the Philipsburg Police station pending further investigation. (KPSM)Rate this item
Dutch Funds To Sint Maarten Unlawful According To Court Of Audit
The Court of Audit in the Netherlands wants the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) to request prior approval from the House of Representatives for future new loans. This should be done through a regular budget law.
For new loans, a minister must draw up a risk analysis and share it with parliament. In 2020 the House of Representatives did not receive this information on time. You should have.
For example, in 2020 the Netherlands lent 621 million euros to Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten to strengthen the liquidity position of these countries. In 2020, for the budget adjustments required for these loans, the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations always made use of the option offered by the Government Accounts Act 2016 to issue the expenditure in emergency situations before the Dutch parliament has approved the expenditure.
In fact, the Court of Auditors is of the opinion that the first tranche of the loans to Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten was unlawful. The House of Representatives was not informed in writing by the Minister in time, but the money was transferred.
De Rekenkamer in Nederland wil dat de minister van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties (BZK) bij toekomstige nieuwe leningen De Tweede Kamer vooraf om goedkeuring vraagt. Dat zou moeten gebeuren door middel van een reguliere begrotingswet. Bij nieuwe leningen dient een minister een risicoanalyse op te stellen en die te delen met het parlement. In 2020 heeft de Tweede Kamer deze informatie niet tijdig ontvangen. Dat zou wel hebben gemoeten. Zo heeft Nederland in 2020 621 miljoen euro geleend aan Aruba, Curaçao en Sint-Maarten om de liquiditeitspositie van deze landen te versterken. Voor de begrotingsaanpassingen die nodig waren voor deze leningen heeft de minister van BZK in 2020 steeds gebruik gemaakt van de mogelijkheid die de Comptabiliteitswet 2016 biedt om in noodsituaties de uitgave te verstrekken voordat het Nederlandse parlement de uitgave heeft goedgekeurd. De Rekenkamer is zelfs van mening dat de eerste tranche van de leningen aan Aruba, Curaçao en Sint-Maarten onrechtmatig was. De Tweede Kamer was niet tijdig schriftelijk is geïnformeerd door de minister, maar het geld werd wel overgemaakt.
⬛️ Two fatal accidents in 3 days: Be careful on the road!
We deplore the death of a young man, then of a young girl three days apart, both victims of a traffic accident while driving a two-wheeler.
The first crash happened near the entrance to Baie Rouge on Sunday, May 16, and the second on the Sandy Ground road today. Each time, the emergency services found that the driver was not wearing a protective helmet. Two young people whose lives were cut short, two families plunged in mourning to whom all our thoughts go and to whom we send our condolences.
The road is dangerous by definition, let’s be vigilant, respect the speed limits and safety instructions. They have been put in place to protect you.
Wearing a helmet and safe and responsible behavior on the road can make a difference.
🔺 Think about it! 🔺 Protect yourself! 🔺 Protect others!
Serious accident – The girl died
A serious accident occurred this morning around 11:30 am on the road to Sandy Ground. According to information communicated by the gendarmerie, a young moped rider (19 years old) was overtaking and collided with a van coming in the opposite direction. The gendarmerie specifies that the victim was not wearing a helmet. Transported in serious condition to the Louis Constant Fleming hospital, she died of her injuries. In 3 days, this is the second dramatic motorcycle accident, two deaths.
Update New Killer Brothers 25 Years Reduced Latest
New Killer Brothers 25 Years Is Reduced Latest. There is a lot of backstory being updated below. Click back, a lot of info to post. Brothers Hasantley Fulgencio Martina, and Hensley Hilarion Martina.
Why are serial killers, assassins and hitmen getting reduced sentences? Below are updates. There are a lot more court transcripts to upload. These brothers were involved in multiple murders. They would be labeled as serial killers in a real country
No New Aid Because Airport Latest Video St Maarten News stmaartennews.org
No new aid for St. Maarten from the Netherlands, because airport management is not in order.
“Sint Maarten will not receive corona support for the time being, this time because the government of the island has still not addressed the maladministration of the airport…”
These are the headlines coming from the Netherlands today. Some in the St Maarten government feel that Knops is trying to get back at St Maarten for the racism Petition.
The Dutch St Maarten government is completely tarnished. Internationally, St Maarten has a bad reputation since 2010, it became a semi autonomous country.
Ever since 10-10-10, when Sint Maarten became semi automous along with Curacao, there has been growing animosity within the Dutch Kingdom.
Tit for tat spats, like a bunch or brats, that’s our so called Kingdom Government.
Below is posted the translation of one article, sources are cited below.
If Knops cannot figure out that he cannot attach chaos at the Airport to Covid Assistance, then Knops is not a very smart man. Everyone believed Plasterk was a complete idiot… But here comes Knops.
Whether Knops knows or cares, his legacy is trash Internationally. The Netherlands calls the Antillian government thieves. The Antillian governnments always prove them right.
The Antillian Governments call the Netherlands racist, and Holland Continues to PROVE them right…
To a worldwide audience, on an international stage.
The Netherlands has all the money and power, but that’s just within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Of course Holland can play big and bad, against six tiny volcanic islands. In the real world, Holland is less than a blip. Even in Europe, Belgium is ahead of them in the game.
Right now, St Maarten is making the Netherlands look very bad internationally.
This is what outgoing State Secretary Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) writes in a letter to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. It concerns an amount of approximately 18 million euros that Sint Maarten is not yet receiving.
Kingdom Civil War
The problems at Princess Juliana International Airport have been around for some time and solving them was a prerequisite for further support. A director would not have been fired according to the correct procedures and for no apparent reason. The appointment of three supervisory directors would also not have gone according to the rules. Due to the abuses, the Royal Schiphol Group is considering stopping support for the airport, which endangers its survival.
Sint-Maarten is a shareholder of the airport and has been warned several times in vain to solve the problems, Knops writes. According to him, “under these circumstances, the Netherlands cannot be expected to continue to invest tens of millions of euros in this economic recovery”. He travels to the island next week and hopes that the government will come up with a proposal to solve the problems.
Earlier, the money was not transferred to the island because the government had filed a racism complaint against the Netherlands at the United Nations. The reforms demanded by the Netherlands in exchange for support are said to be neo-colonial and affect the autonomy of St. Maarten. Knops called the charge “nonsense” and “very painful”. Two weeks ago, Sint Maarten seemed to receive the money after it had given text and explanations about the complaint.
No Dutch Aid
Nog geen coronasteun voor Sint-Maarten, bestuur vliegveld niet op orde Sint-Maarten krijgt voorlopig toch geen coronasteun, dit keer omdat de regering van het eiland nog steeds niet het wanbestuur van het vliegveld heeft aangepakt. Dat schrijft demissionair staatssecretaris Raymond Knops (Koninkrijksrelaties) in een brief aan de minister-president Silveria Jacobs. Het gaat om een bedrag van ongeveer 18 miljoen euro dat Sint-Maarten vooralsnog niet krijgt.
De problemen bij Princess Juliana International Airport spelen al langer en het oplossen ervan was een voorwaarde voor verdere steun. Een bestuurder zou niet volgens de juiste procedures en zonder duidelijke redenen ontslagen zijn. Ook de benoeming van drie commissarissen zou niet volgens de regels zijn gegaan. Door de misstanden overweegt de Royal Schiphol Group steun aan de luchthaven te stoppen, wat het voortbestaan ervan in gevaar brengt.
Sint-Maarten is aandeelhouder van de luchthaven en meermaals tevergeefs gewaarschuwd om de problemen op te lossen, schrijft Knops. Volgens hem kan “onder deze omstandigheden niet van Nederland verlangd worden dat wij tientallen miljoenen euro’s in dit economisch herstel blijven investeren”. Hij reist volgende week af naar het eiland en hoopt dat de regering daar met een voorstel komt om de problemen op te lossen.
Eerder werd het geld al niet overgemaakt aan het eiland omdat de regering een racismeklacht tegen Nederland had ingediend bij de Verenigde Naties. De hervormingen die Nederland eist in ruil voor de steun zouden neokoloniaal zijn en de autonomie van Sint-Maarten aantasten. Knops noemde die aanklacht “onzin” en “heel pijnlijk”. Twee weken geleden leek Sint-Maarten het geld toch te krijgen, nadat het tekst en uitleg had gegeven over de klacht.
Saving Face Netherlands Restarts Corona Aid To Sint Maarten Holland decided to give this battle to Sint Maarten because it is unwinnable. But the Civil War carries on.April 29, 2021
State Secretary Knops To visit St Maarten, Saba Statia
State Secretary Knops To visit St Maarten, Saba Statia
On May 17, the State Secretary will arrive on Saba, where he will meet with Lieutenant Governor Jonathan Johnson and Island Secretary Tim Muller, the members of the Executive Council, the Island Council and the OMT.
The program also includes talks about the Saba Package and a visit to a number of related projects. A meeting with the Youth Council has also been scheduled.
At the end of the day, the State Secretary will travel on to St. Maarten on May 18, where he will speak with Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs about political and administrative developments. He also visits a vaccination location and a number of projects.
State Secretary Raymond Knops in November on Saba
The Hague – State Secretary Raymond Knops (Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations) will pay a working visit to St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten from 16 to 20 May.
On St. Eustatius, the State Secretary holds talks with deputy deputies, among others. government commissioner Alida Francis and island secretary Malvern Dijkshoorn-Lopez, the members of the island council and church leaders.
Knops visits a number of projects in the field of roads, nature conservation and water supply and speaks there with various stakeholders.
State Secretary Knops To visit St Maarten, Saba Statia
Staatssecretaris Raymond Knops bezoek Sint Eustatius, Saba en Sint Maarten
Op 17 mei komt de staatssecretaris aan op Saba waar hij een ontmoeting heeft met gezaghebber Jonathan Johnson en eilandsecretaris Tim Muller, de leden van het bestuurscollege, de eilandsraad en het OMT.
Verder staan op het programma gesprekken m.b.t. de Saba Package en een bezoek aan een aantal projecten die daarmee verband houden. Ook is er een gesprek met de Youth Council ingepland.
De staatssecretaris reist 18 mei aan het eind van de dag door naar Sint-Maarten, waar hij onder meer spreekt met Premier Silveria Jacobs over politiek-bestuurlijke ontwikkelingen. Verder bezoekt hij o.a. een vaccinatielocatie en een aantal projecten.
Staatssecretaris Raymond Knops in november op Saba
Den Haag – Staatssecretaris Raymond Knops (Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties) brengt van 16 tot en met 20 mei a.s. een werkbezoek aan Sint-Eustatius, Saba en Sint-Maarten.
Op Sint-Eustatius voert de staatssecretaris onder meer gesprekken met plv. regeringscommissaris Alida Francis en eilandsecretaris Malvern Dijkshoorn-Lopez, de leden van de eilandsraad en kerkelijke leiders.
Knops bezoekt o.a. een aantal projecten op het gebied van wegen, natuurbehoud en watervoorziening en spreekt daar met diverse betrokkenen.
update-shooting-dawn-beach-one-dead-oswald-meyers-car-accident Crime St Maarten Sint Maarten Saint Martin SXM, St Maarten News Police Update Oswald Meyers Shot Dead Also Video Accident By St Maarten News , May 9, 2021 Police Report Update 2 French European arrested in the shooting death of Mr Meyers. Mr Meyers installed security, and was well known Dawn Beach for the security work thar he did in the area.
The shooting occurred at approximately 9:30 pm, by 10:00, residents reported that police had already swarmed the area.
POLICE STATEMENT: when police and ambulance personnel reached the scene they found a man in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds in his lower extremities.
The preliminary investigation reveals that the victim had suffered a gunshot wound after engaging in a scuffle with the suspect. During the course of the brawl, the victim was wounded and got into his car, and attempted to drive away from the scene but didn’t get very far. Reasons for which the two men were fighting are so far unclear to the police. Ambulance personnel attended to the victim at the scene and later rushed him to St. Maarten Medical Center in critical condition. After conducting a quick investigation, the police were able to determine who the alleged suspect was. The suspect who was still in the area was immediately arrested and handed over to the detective department for further investigation. Later in the evening, the police were notified by the personnel of the Sint Marten Medical Center that the victim Oswald Myers had passed away from the injuries. The Sint Maarten police force would like to express its condolence to the family of the deceased.
RIP to victim, condolences to FAMILY.
Police squad cars rushed to the area earlier. We were contacted by frightened residents in the area about the sounds of gun shots,and then presence of police vehicles. The shooting took place on Trumpet Shell roads and the shots could be heard Ocean View.
This area is Dawn Beach Estate, and although police rushed to the scene, and got Meyers to the St Maarten Medical center, he did not make it.
Reports are coming in that the shooter has been nabbed by police.
With the accident video. I just spoke to my source at the Herald. Once there is another update or police report, I will add here
The accident is not related to the shooting to my knowledge. Click back more video and info coming in
Also video footage, another bad night for accidents. This is what happens at three in the morning.Like everyone else, I will wait for the official statement or something verifiable. The police have been busy this weekend, so stay tuned, no doubt there will be more. Any other police incendents this weekend will be posted below. https://www.stmaartennews.org
