Email Newsletter
Ombudsman rules complaint of the marketplace vendors valid

Philipsburg - In the case filed by a group of thirty marketplace vendors, the Ombudsman considered the complaint founded, and ruled that the standards of Reason, Active and Adequate Information Provision, and Reasonableness and Proportionality...

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stmaartennews.com
Dear Reader

Yesterday, the marketplace vendors were seeing back in their old location selling their wares to the tourists and shoppers visiting their island.

A concerned citizen sent us the above photo of the Philipsburg Marketplace being destroyed by order of the ' St. Maarten government' ministers following hurricane Irma [9.6.17] without notifying the small businesswomen who made their livelihood at the market, many of whom had just lost their homes and with traumatized children, as stated in the message shared with us.

The writer further stated that the government in Great Bay must do the right thing and rebuild the market by consulting the licensed tax-paying vendors about design and product diversity and return the women to the unique place of their livelihood as ' micro-economic' stakeholders of St. Martin's hospitality industry, while conducting the proper inspections, which more than one of the women have expressed concern about over the years to the appropriate department.

We thought it fitting to republish the ruling of the Ombudsman in regards to the complaint of the Marketplace vendors. The original publication of the ruling on the website of the Ombudsman can be found online here. We recommend officials study and take the ruling to heart.

Why?

Because our issue is this...

Besides the procedural issues involved that has been found to be incorrectly followed by the Ministry of TEATT in this matter of the destroying and the relocating of the Philipsburg Marketplace for a new redesigned and redeveloped marketplace, our main concern is why would government initiate a project of this magnitude without proper political and public backing and support?

Political backing because we have yet to see any government last more than 16 months in office, much less a full term of four years and most projects of this nature take at least two years to complete.

Public support because at no time were the stakeholders involved consulted prior to the decision to destroy the marketplace and displace the vendors.

Now we have a caretaker minister of TEATT on her way out and no end in sight whether this project will commenced any time soon.

Government might as well just rebuild temporary stalls for the marketplace vendors with ample roofing to provide shade and shelter for the women and their wares from the elements of the hot sun, wind and rain.

Like our writer wrote.... the government in Great Bay must do the right thing.

We agree.

Until then, do enjoy the rest of the newsletter and have a great day as we continue the count down to the new year.

The Publisher,
StMaartenNews.com

PS: Please email all your letters to the editor via info@stmaartennews.com.
StMaartenNews.com Headline News
Gibson gives presentation on budget 2017 amendment

Philipsburg -- The Minister of Finance, Richard Gibson, gave a presentation on the draft National Ordinance to amend the National Ordinance Budget 2017 in connection with changes to the Ordinary Service.

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StMaartenNews.com Livestream Video
Parliament Central Committee Meeting #15

Watch St. Maarten Parliament's Central Committee Meeting #15 on Livestream.com. The agenda point is: Ontwerp van Landsverordening tot wijziging van de Landsverordening begroting 2017 in verband met wijzigingen van de Gewone Dienst. Draft National ...

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StMaartenNews.com Carnival News
SCDF release Carnival 2018 schedule on Christmas Day

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) released the official schedule of events for Carnival 2018 on Christmas Day. Framing the release of the schedule as a gift to Carnival lovers on Christmas, the foundation erased all doubt...

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stmaartennews.com
StMaartenNews.com Local News
Consumers Coalition SXM issues statement on SMMC tariffs ...

Philipsburg - The Sint Maarten Consumers Coalition consisting of the Windward Island Chamber of Labor Unions (WICLU), the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association (SMSPA) and the Sint Maarten United NGO Federation (SUNFED) are requesting...

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stmaartennews.com
NAGICO receives 12,000+ claims. Settlements amount $400M

PHILIPSBURG - NAGICO is backed by a suite of the world's largest and strongest reinsurers, each of whom maintains a rating of at least A- from AM Best or Standard & Poors.

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www.soualiganewsday.com
StMaartenNews.com Dutch News
Local contractors start with renovation of homes on Saba

THE BOTTOM - The Public Entity Saba received speedily funds to see to that damaged homes after hurricane Irma are renovated quickly. With strong winds from Irma, the island's capital The Bottom and nearby village St. Johns suffered the most...

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caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl
StMaartenNews.com Online News Stories
NA invites its membership to a special meeting Jan 3rd

The Board of the National Alliance hereby invites its membership to a Special Membership Meeting to be held on Wednesday January 3rd, 2018 at the Belair Community Center. Registration starts at 5.30...

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Venezuela's oil giant is struggling in Caribbean Sea

CARACAS - The misfortunes of Venezuela's state-owned oil company are now roiling the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea.Once the region's driving force, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, as it is known, faces the prospect of losing its...

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curacaochronicle.com
PAWA Dominicana is recognized as "Airline of the Year"...

MIAMI - The airline PAWA Dominicana, was awarded as "Airline of the Year" at the XVII edition of the 2017 South Florida Leadership for Excellence Gala Awards, held on Wednesday night at the Reinassance banquet hall in Miami, Florida. The award...

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curacaochronicle.com
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Let's Cruise - Eastern, Western, Southern Caribbean...

Lets-Cruise.co is offering cruise vacations on the best and biggest cruise ships in the world with brand name cruises and destinations in the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and the Mediterranean, ...

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Oil hits $60 a barrel for the first time in 2.5 years

HOUSTON - Oil prices spiked to their highest level in two and a half years after a pipeline exploded in Libya. Libya's state-run National Oil Corporation said the explosion jeopardized output by up to 100,000 barrels a day. The cause of the blast ...

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curacaochronicle.com
InselAir launches Suriname ops, has 14 days to repay debt

WILLEMSTAD, PARAMARIBO - InselAir launched direct flights to Paramaribo Int'l, Surinam, on Monday, December 18 after securing a temporary permit from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Suriname (CASAS), but has to repay a nearly USD1 million...

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curacaochronicle.com
General Pension Fund is improving

WILLEMSTAD - The coverage ratio of the General Pension Fund (APC) remained at 105% in the third quarter of this year. This means that in any case there is enough money to pay all pensions. The assets of the pension fund rose in the third quarter...

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curacaochronicle.com
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National budget approved by parliament without debate

WILLEMSTAD - After just two days of hearing the nine ministers of the government, the national budget for the year 2018 was adopted with 12 votes in favor and no votes against. The entire opposition was not present during the treatment of the...

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curacaochronicle.com
StMaartenNews.com Column
Happy Holidays

A column is not a journalistic report but an opinion and does not require extensive evidentiary support. Readers who get emotionally involved sometimes forget this. Everybody is entitled to his opinion, but nobody to his own facts. Facts are....

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