Better rehabilitation/reintegration programs needed, says MP Ottley Published: 12 April 2021
PHILIPSBURG:--- The alarming rate of major crimes in St. Maarten has the attention of United People's UP Party Member of Parliament Omar Ottley, who says better rehabilitation/reintegration programs are urgently needed to reintegrate formerly convicted persons into society.
He also has some robbery prevention tips for businesses to apply in their daily operation immediately. "Staying alert and training your staff on how to react during a robbery attempt and putting proper surveillance and security measures in place are just a few ways to protect yourselves.
The Government's need to put more uniformed officers on patrol in built-up areas is presently hindered by the global economic crisis brought on by COVID-19. But, Ottley says planning and creative policing with support from the Ministry of Justice can go a long way to reducing crime.
On Saturday, March 27
th, 2021, BPW Concordia SXM, in collaboration with BPW Barbados and BPW Dominica, hosted a discussion under the theme:
“CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE: Let’s Work Together For An Egalitarian World” to mark International Women’s Month 2021.
The word Egalitarian means:
Believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities (Bing.com).
A belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs. A social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people. (merriam-webster.com)
The objective of this event was to bring men, women, and various organizations from the Caribbean together to discuss gender equality and other forms of discrimination. The 2
Published: 31 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on April 1, 2021.
The Central Committee meeting which was adjourned on March 5, 2021, will be reconvened on Thursday at 10.00 hrs. at the House of Parliament. The Minister of Finance will be in attendance.
The agenda points are:
1. Update on the reconstruction project at the airport terminal and the operational projections for 2021
2. Structural composition of the company’s hierarchy and the reasons for the various supervisory boards, and the protection of assets of the country by removing the assets presently at PJIAE and place them correctly at PJIAH (IS/230/2020-2021 dated December 7, 2020)
Published: 31 March 2021
CAY HILL:--- St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) is pleased to announce the expansion of their Radiology services with the opening of the new, state-of-the-art MRI Suite. This is the first time that SMMC is able to offer this long-anticipated service to their patients.
Construction of the MRI Suite began in November 2020 and with the recent arrival of the MRI magnet, operations are scheduled to begin in May.
An MRI machine is a device that generates scans (or images) of the body using a strong magnetic field and radio waves. All organs and tissues (with the exception of lung and bone tissue) can be seen in the scan. MRI exams are used to determine traumatic head injuries, tumors, abnormalities, infections, and a number of other medical diagnoses which may ultimately save lives.
Published: 31 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Many countries in Europe are now in lockdown due to a third wave of COVID-19. The cases are mainly caused by the United Kingdom (UK) variant, which is both more transmissible and causes severe disease.
The UK variant is also driving the explosive transmission on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Over a few short weeks, Curacao went from a handful of cases to over 1,000 in a single week. Sadly, the numbers are still rising, and the number of active cases stands at 2,548 up to Tuesday, and there were three additional deaths.
Emergency health resources have since been mobilized and sent to all three islands to cope with the unprecedented healthcare demand, as hospitals and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) approach capacity. The situation is deeply concerning.
Published: 17 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria E. Jacobs received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, March 16th, 2021, at the White and Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF). This is a follow-up after having received her first dose of the vaccine three weeks ago at the same facility due to her close relation to two of their clients.
Prime Minister Jacobs stated, “Today, I got my second dose together with my elderly uncle; My father also received his second dose on Monday among many others. I'm happy to have had this opportunity to endorse the vaccine, not solely by mouth but in my actions - leading by example. I encourage all others, especially the elderly and other vulnerable persons, to register as soon as possible so that the most vulnerable remain safe when we are around them. The Vaccine Management Team (VMT) has confirmed that the second batch of Pfizer vaccines is scheduled to arrive on the island within one week so there should be no fear that we will run out. There are many who have already registered. You are asked to be patient and wait for that call or email informing you of your appointment."
Published: 17 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG:--- After almost a year of intermittent travel restrictions, Airbnb, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), and St.Maarten are collaborating to amplify the country's recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 by promoting responsible travel to the destination across Airbnb's vast global community.
As part of this alliance, Airbnb and the CTO are launching a campaign leveraging Airbnb's robust media platforms to market St.Maarten and other CTO member countries to millions of engaged Airbnb users.
The campaign rollout includes a series of email newsletters, a landing page, and ads on social media showcasing Airbnb listings in St.Maarten, as well as the existing protocols for safe travel during this time. The promotional landing page for this partnership will be unique to others worldwide. It will integrate multiple CTO member countries, promote homes in each destination, and links to each country's website.
Published: 17 March 2021
Willemstad/Philipsburg:--- On December 10, 2019, a moratorium was set at Girobank N.V. (Girobank), freezing all credit balances in excess of NAf 10,000 on Girobank’s current and/or savings accounts. A large part of these frozen assets will be paid out by GI-RO Settlement Holding N.V. (GSH) in short term, meaning that the majority of Girobank’s depositors will have free and full access to their funds. This, however, is not the case for depositors with a credit balance of more than NAf 1,200,000. These will be paid out to a maximum of NAf 1,200,000.
Withdrawal of the payouts by GSH can be done by transferring the funds to an account at any other commercial bank. Depositors who do not yet have an account at another bank, are urged to open such an account as soon as possible. Transferring of funds can be done through online banking. Given the current Covid-19 situation, it is not advisable to visit the Girobank branches, being Scharloo or Janwé. The funds can also be withdrawn at any ATM machine, keeping in mind the daily withdrawal limits. However, due to safety reasons, it is not recommended to withdraw large sums of cash.
Published: 17 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran said at the Council of Ministers press briefing that the procurement for the solid waste contracts has come to an end. Doran said 5 contractors were awarded 5-year contracts for the period 2021 to 2026, these contractors will begin their work on April 1st, 2021.
The Minister said that the procurement was publicly tendered on February 2nd 2021since the current contracts will be coming to an end on March 31st. Doran explained that the ministry prepared new multi-annual contracts that will cover the duration of the 5-year contracts that were awarded for the period 2021 to 2026. He said that the original 8 parcels have been reorganized to 7 parcels so that it can be better managed.’
AIRBNB and the Caribbean tourism organization collaborate to promote tourism in 2021 Published: 17 March 2021
PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of its global efforts to work with governments and tourism agencies to support responsible travel and local economic growth, Airbnb announced its partnership with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to promote its member countries across Airbnb's vast global community. This collaboration is designed to amplify the Caribbean's recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic by promoting safe, responsible travel to the region.
As part of this partnership, Airbnb is launching a marketing campaign that includes the rollout of a series of email newsletters and a landing page highlighting the CTO's member countries and their respective protocols for safe travel during this time. Airbnb has also pledged to share data with the CTO, including travel trends, to facilitate informed marketing decisions during this recovery period.