August 13, 2026 No comments
GEBE supports families back-to-school shopping vouchers
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - NV GEBE is helping families prepare for the new school year with a Back-to-School Shopping Voucher initiative, offering customers an opportunity to receive an XCG 100 shopping voucher to assist with the cost of school supplies and other essentials. The initiative forms part of GEBE’s continued effort to give back to its customers and provide practical support to households at a time of year when families often face additional expenses. Customers can visit GEBE’s Branch Office in Simpson Bay or Main Office in Philipsburg and make a payment toward their utility bill for an opportunity to receive a back-to-school shopping voucher. With the start of the school year approaching, expenses can quickly...
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August 13, 2026 No comments
Caribbean Research Platform Foundation receives NWO grant. Search on for board members
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The new Caribbean Research Platform Foundation (stichting CaRP) is receiving a grant of 1.4 million euros from the Dutch Research Council (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO) to provide support services to the research community in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. A request for applications for CaRP board members started today, with at least one board member being sought from each of the six islands. Support for researchers and knowledge utilisation The CaRP Foundation was founded on Bonaire in April 2026. The grant will be used to support the regional research community on several fronts through work packages. The platform assists, for example, with (training in) applications for research funding and encourages the translation of...
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August 12, 2026 No comments
MP JANSEN-WEBSTER: WHEN A SOCIETY BECOMES A PRESSURE COOKER
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – An Open Letter to the People of St. Maarten. Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed one disturbing incident after another. Reports of violence, armed robberies, assaults and senseless acts of aggression have become increasingly common in our daily news. Every one of these incidents leaves another family traumatized, another community shaken and another scar on the soul of our country. It forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: What is happening to us? St. Maarten has always faced challenges. We have survived hurricanes, a global pandemic, economic downturns and political uncertainty. But today many people feel they are carrying a burden that becomes heavier every single month. Families are struggling with the rising cost of groceries. Fuel prices continue to...
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August 12, 2026 No comments
GOVERNOR’S SYMPOSIUM 2026 TO FOCUS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
SINT MAARTEN (HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG) — His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, Ajamu G. Baly, will host the 2026 Governor's Symposium on Friday, September 25, 2026, with the theme “Youth Development: Building Our Future, Building Our Youth”. The Governor’s Symposium is an annual event initiated by the Governor of Sint Maarten to promote dialogue, innovation, and collaboration on issues critical to the country’s development. It serves as a platform for invited stakeholders — government, civil society, and the private sector — to focus attention on, raise awareness of, and generate discourse on issues affecting the Sint Maarten community. This year’s Symposium will examine how Sint Maarten can strengthen the environment in which young people learn, develop, participate, and prepare for adulthood....
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August 11, 2026 No comments
CAY BAY CEMETERY CLEANUP TO BEGIN
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), in collaboration with the Cay Bay Community Council and SOL commenced cleanup of Cay Bay Cemetery yesterday August 11th. The works follows from well over 13 years of unanswered complaints from the Cay Bay Community Council following the destruction of the cemetery in 2013. The Cay Bay Community Council first approached the Minister in 2024 with their concerns about the state of the Cay Bay cemetery following their calls for persons to identify the grave sites of their loved ones. As part of the Ministry’s efforts to address burial shortages, Minister Gumbs supported the community’s call and brought SOL to the table to jointly carry out...
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