SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – The 21^st Annual National Day of Prayer will take place on January 11^th at the Government Administration Building in Philipsburg, with the theme “Holding fast to the Lord with hands that serve and hearts that pray”.

The National Day of Prayer is held every year on the second Sunday in January and all persons residing or visiting Sint Maarten are cordially invited to pray and worship at the National Day of Prayer.

The National Day of Prayer begins with Praise & Worship at 4:30 pm and the official service and program begins at 5:00 pm and will feature numerous contributions of prayers, song and dance renditions.

“The National Day of Prayer calls us to pause as a nation and remember that our true strength lies in faith, unity, and service. I invite our youth, families, and public servants to come together in prayer—seeking wisdom, renewing hope, and recommitting ourselves to building a Sint Maarten rooted in compassion, integrity, and shared responsibility. As we hold fast to the Lord, may our hands serve and our hearts remain steadfast in prayer,” said The Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina.

The National Day of Prayer was decreed in 2005 by the Executive Council of the Island Territory of Sint Maarten and serves as an ecumenical service for persons of all faiths and religions to pray for a prosperous and healthy new year for the nation.

The St. Maarten Christian Council, St. Maarten United Ministerial Foundation and the Seventh Day Adventist Church in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten hosts the annual prayer service.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Fire Department of Sint Maarten, which falls under the Ministry of General Affairs, has approved six permits for firework displays to ring in the New Year.

The displays will take place at the following locations: Great Bay; Indigo Bay; Pelican/Lay Bay; Maho/Beacon Hill; Mullet Bay and Cupecoy.

A permit to import, transport and sell consumer fireworks has been granted to SXM Fireworks and Skyfall Fireworks based on the Vuurwerkbesluit AB2013 GT no18.

Individual firework sales started on Monday, December 29 until the 31st of December 2025.

It is prohibited to ignite consumer fireworks without a permit provided by the Minister of General Affairs, unless this occurs from December 29^th to 31^st or on January 1^st, 2026.

The Fire Department advises all consumers to use caution when lighting consumer fireworks:

-              Read the instructions and warnings before usage. The vendor will share these with all customers.

-              Protect yourself and those around you. Wear proper eye protection and clothing, also keep the fireworks on a safe distance from flammable material and spectators.

-              Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them, combine them nor relight after failure.

-              Choose an open area away from gas stations, bulk stations, churches, hospitals, and senior citizens homes.

-              Never light fireworks indoors and point it away from homes, brushes, dry grass, and flammable substances.

-              Think about your pets.

In the event someone gets injured by fireworks, the person should immediately go to a doctor or the hospital.

The Fire Department is cautioning all persons about the risk of buying and lighting fireworks from any unauthorized vendor as these have not been screened by the Fire Department and therefore may not meet the safety requirements.

Fireworks not sold by a certified vendor are considered illegal fireworks and may not meet the criteria of ignition delay and may have larger explosions or effects than allowed.

Such fireworks can cause severe burns and loss of fingers, the loss of limbs and life. These illegal fireworks, if ignited too close or inside a building may cause severe damage or the collapse of the aforementioned.

The Police will not hesitate to act accordingly in the case of usage, storage, or sale of illegal fireworks.

The Fire Department together with the Police, Customs and the Coast Guard will be vigilant to ensure that all firework activities at the closing of 2025 are according to the granted permits and used in a safe manner.

The Fire Department would like in advance to thank everybody who has prevented harm or damages by acting responsibly and safe on Sint Maarten and beyond.

The Fire Chief and the entire staff wish you a healthy and safe 2026.

For any emergencies call: Fire Dept. 919; Police 911; Ambulance 912; Coast Guard 913.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Department of Communication (DCOMM) hereby informs the general public that the official Government of Sint Maarten website, www.sintmaartengov.org, is now fully restored and accessible to the public for all information and digital services.

The recent downtime was the result of a scheduled operating system update that encountered unforeseen technical complications, necessitating a comprehensive rebuild of the server by the technical team.

This process has been successfully completed, and all systems have been verified to be operating at full capacity.

To prevent a recurrence of this situation, technicians are currently implementing additional safeguards and enhanced security protocols.

These measures are designed to bolster the infrastructure’s overall resilience and minimize the risk of similar disruptions in the future.

DCOMM thanks the public for their patience during this restoration period and remains committed to providing reliable, uninterrupted access to its online platforms.

ARCHIVED - ISSUED: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2025 - SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Department of Communication (DCOMM) hereby informs the general public that the official Government of Sint Maarten website, www.sintmaartengov.org, is currently offline due to unforeseen technical challenges.

DCOMM adds that a technical team is working diligently to resolve the matter and restore full functionality as quickly as possible.

DCOMM understands the inconvenience this disruption causes.

While the website remains inaccessible, the public is advised to rely on the official Government of Sint Maarten social media channels and local media outlets for all urgent news, public advisories.

DCOMM would like to thank the public for their patience and cooperation as we work to bring the digital portal back online.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The public is herewith reminded that December 25th, 2025 (Christmas Day), and January 1st, 2026 (New Year's Day) are official public holidays.

In accordance with the National Ordinance on Shop Closure (Landsverordening winkelsluiting, AB 2013, GT no. 542), all places of business, including all stand-alone casinos and lottery establishments must be closed on these days.

The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic, and Telecommunication (TEATT) hereby informs the public that, due to the number of cruise ships that are scheduled to visit our port on Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, an exemption is granted to allow shops in Philipsburg to operate and be open between 6:00 AM and 6:30 PM on December 25th, 2025, and on January 1st, 2026.

This decision is intended to enhance the visitor experience and to support our economic activity during the holiday season. Businesses opting to operate under this exemption are reminded to comply fully with all applicable labor regulations.

The aforementioned does not apply to the following businesses that may continue operate as is regulated in article 3 of the National Ordinance on Shop Closure (Landsverordening winkelsluiting, AB 2013, GT no. 542) to Pharmacies, as long as it concerns the sale of medicine and medical products; Bars and restaurants Hotels and guesthouses; Stores located in hotels, on the airport and on the harbor premises. Funeral parlors; Gas stations; Bakeries selling pastries, milk, and/or milk products.