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Lofty words but hardly any deadlines in policy plan for 2022

PHILIPSBURG - The draft 2022 budget closes with a deficit of 124.1 million guilders ($69.3). No surprises there. Revenue is projected to be 409.3 million ($228.7 million) and expenditures 533.5 million ($298 million). More interesting than these...

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CX Pay B.V. partners with Cybersource for growth

MIAMI/WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao based CX Pay B.V. announced that the FinTech company has selected the payment and anti-fraud platform CyberSource, a Visa solution, to broaden its service offering, while further increasing its application's...

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THE ILLIS SISTERS REPRESENTING ST. MAARTEN

The 15th FINA World Swimming Championships 2021 starts today in Abu Dhabi. The competition runs from December 16th through to the 21th.

The Illis sisters Tatiana and Niobi are representing St. Maarten. Tatiana (seen right in the above photo) will be swimming 50 Fly on December 18th and 50 free on December 20th. Niobi is swimming 100 free on December 17th.

You can watch the Illis sisters compete on NBC Sports, ESPN Latin America or FINA’s Youtube channel / FinaTV.

We wish these fantastic young ladies much success!!!
100 small businesses have received US $7.3M from NRPB ESP

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - It was a joyous moment when taxi driver Clyde "Boasy" Boasman came the office of the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. With wet ink still adorning his grant agreement, the...

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StMaartenNews.com Miss World News
Posh Productions denounces Miss World contestant

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - It has come to the attention of President of Posh Productions (POSH) Cassandra Weekes-Jeffers, that there is currently a Ms. Lara Mateo in attendance at the 70th Miss World International Pageant currently being hosted ...

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Government of St. Maarten does not endorse alleged SXM rep

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten - The Government of Sint Maarten hereby makes it known that it does not endorse nor support the participation of Ms. Lara Mateo at the 70th Miss World Festival which began on November 21st and ends on December 16th in...

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Chris asks who choose Lara Mateo to represent country

St Maarten's Miss World representative Lara Mateo. ~ Takes issue with delegate sitting on flag ~ PHILIPSBURG--Spain-born Lara Mateo's representation of St. Maarten in the upcoming Miss World Pageant came under question on Monday when Independent...

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Comité Miss Saint-Martin on Unknown Miss World Contestant for St. Maarten/St. Martin

Dear followers, dear public,

Because the question has often been raised we would like to address it generally:

The “Comité Miss Saint-Martin” is in no way involved in the participation of any contestant (male or female) representing Saint-Martin or Sint-Maarten in any international pageant be it Miss Universe, Miss World or any Mister pageant for the 2021-2022 season.

Concerning our participation for Miss France in December, for those who may not be aware, our region is still in rotation with the region of “Saint-Pierre et Miquelon” every other year. Our participation last year was exceptional so it’s simply not our turn this year.

We can assure you that any involvement on our part in any pageant of any kind would always and naturally include a communication that honors our destination, our potential ambassador but that also enables to continue building the relationship that we have established with you (the public) overtime to the best of our ability as it has always been the case.

In the present context that’s a bit heavy for our French West Indies regions but also for the entire French community as a whole, we are sure you will understand that this is somewhat of an “off” period for each of our team members but we really want to thank you for your enthusiasm and the attention you grant to our committee.

This is also what gives meaning to our commitment to promote our territories through the spectrum of elegance that, according to us, is also (all together now for the slogan! Lol) “a road to excellence”.

We wish you all great courage in the present times.

See you all for new adventures whenever they will be made possible again.

The “Comité Miss Saint-Martin”
Miss St. Maarten 1999 and former Miss World contestant: Ife Badejo on 2021 Miss World contestant for St. Maarten/St. Martin

Dear St. Maarten,

Early this morning I received a video that has perplexed many on this island concerning the Miss World representative for St. Maarten. The outrage has reached the highest level of this nation, Parliament. There has even been a news article and cycle about this. As Miss World St. Maarten 1999, I am compelled to make a statement.

The questions that MP Christophe Emmanuel posed in yesterday's parliamentary meeting are accurate. Who is the license holder for St. Maarten? Was there a pageant? When and where? In essence, how was this representative chosen?

It is a true honor to represent any country at this level. It has the potential to bring awareness and resources to the participating country and it's related topics with millions of viewers watching. When done correctly, can be a driver for economic growth and support causes in unique ways. Should the Miss win the pageant, it can be even more powerful to the country, having an ambassador represent it all over the world.

Countries like Venezuela and India have major fashion and film industries (economic drivers) that fuel and are fueled by these major global competitions.

I was honored and still am to show case and show off my island. To do so at the Miss World 1999, I had to be crowned Miss World St. Maarten which in my year included a local pageant.

I also had to prepare after I won for the international pageant. We got a trainer from Venezuela who trained me on how to walk, model, pose for that level of competition. I had several local experts train me on media, press, etiquette, and train my body to be prepared for that level of competition. I was also engaged with public through press junkets before I left for the competition. We even hosted a fundraising concert to ensure I had all the resources needed. The island routed for me then and I am forever grateful for the love. To this day I am in contact with many of the 93 other women who competed in our year, whatsapp chat and all.

Does the license holder need to be held accountable? Yes! These questions need to be answered. What's the role of the young woman in all of this? In my opinion, she is innocent.

So who's responsible ultimately? We are. This includes the highest levels of our nation. We can't be upset at the things we allow. This is the result of a lack of national support for these international pageants. These women often are seen as just beauty queens instead of Ambassadors. It should never be that a person holds the license and the COUNTRY doesn't know who this person is. Especially when the representative at the pageant, represents the country.

Here are my recommendations moving forward:

- Either we, SXM, both sides decide we are going to intentionally and financially support international pageants or we write a collective letter to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International (Big 3) and let them know that no license holder can represent the island without government endorsement.

- If we choose to participate, we need to decide how the budget will be allocated and have that money ready. This budget should be multi-ministerial and public private funded. With license, marketing, training of girls, you are looking at about USD$100 000 alone.

- We also need to be intentional about which pageant(s) would give the most return on the investment. Aruba did not take part in Miss World however was in the top 10 for Miss Universe. That could be strategic.

- There should be policy in place of who can be endorsed as license holder (preferably someone who knows about pageantry, marketing, and budgets and not in government).

- Policy on the role and involvement of government in supporting these pageants should be in place.

- An organization (3-5 ppl) should be created to monitor the process and ensure that the girls are being properly trained (include history, culture, media, etiquette, modelling, etc) and that the money is spent wisely. Reporting should be mandatory from the organization to government.

There are other queens and pageant coordinators who are professionals, engage us and get our feedback.

I understand the outcry, I truly do. Still, we are responsible for this and so many other things we allow to happen right under our noses.

The good news is that now we have the opportunity to do so something about it.

Why should we care?
The role of pageants in shaping culture, beauty, and economy is unquantifiable when done correctly. On the flip side, pageantry can be nefarious business. Let's make sure that we do it right on behalf of everyone.
StMaartenNews.com - Publisher's Note
Is SXM a real place?

Is St. Maarten a real place? If so, how big it?

Not only has our identity as a country been called into question and who is allowed to represent our island, the question now has arose exactly how big our island is.

Is it 34 or 37 square miles? Forget about how big it is in square kilometers. That is even more confusing. Time to set the record straight.

Who is responsible for measuring the land mass area of St. Maarten? Kadaster or VROMI?

It is time one of these official St. Maarten government authorities set the record straight and inform all of these online websites about St. Maarten/St. Martin, Wikipedia and even Google what the correct and official land mass area of St. Maarten is.

And while we are at it, also set the record straight what the official name of the island is: St. Maarten, Sint Maarten or St. Martin. That's another source of confusion. No wonder we have strangers hijacking our identity on a world stage. We don't even know who we are ourselves, how big our island is, whether SXM is a real place or who is even a St. Maartener? Or St. Martiner? Sint Maartener?
StMaartenNews.com Police News
Serious traffic accident on Welfare Road

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten - At 7:15am on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 , Central Dispatch received several calls about a serious accident on Welfare Road. Based on information recieved, a motorcycle rider was struck and badly injured near Domino's ...

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sxmislandtime.com
Vessel with 27 persons on board rescued. Investigation...

SINT MAARTEN (SIMPSON BAY) - On Tuesday morning the Coast Guard received a distress call that a vessel was having engine problems near Saba, the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCA) said in a statement on Tuesday evening. Onboard of the vessel were ...

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soualiganewsday.com
Saba played large role in Dec. 14 sea rescue

SABA (THE BOTTOM) - In response to a press release that the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard issued on Tuesday, December 14 about the sea rescue close to Saba, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson added that Saba played a major role in bringing the yacht, ...

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StMaartenNews.com Government News
The Department of Communication will premiere a short video

DCOMM spoke to the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, Customs Department, and the Coast Guard on the conservation and protection of sea turtles. The 10-minute, informative video, that will be uploaded on Facebook and YouTube, provides illuminating...

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Minister Ottley and Simpson Bay Resort signs off on Training

SINT MAARTEN (PELICAN) - On Monday December 13th, the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Omar Ottley was invited to deliver a speech at the launching of the Simpson Bay Resort's food and beverages training center. Minister...

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GAC Focuses on SSRP 2020

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - The General Audit Chamber (GAC) submitted its report entitled "Focus audit: Sint Maarten Stimulus and Support Program (SSRP) for 2020." The Audit Chamber issued its report based on research into the program's...

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StMaartenNews.com Local News
2021 Christmas Scramble at Mullet Bay Golf Course

MULLET BAY, Sint Maarten - It was a peculiar sight on Saturday on the Mullet Bay Golf Course with 84 golfers scattered over Mullet Bay Golf Course in decorated carts, wearing Santa hats and dressed in colorful Santa outfits. But it was a great...

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sxmislandtime.com
Mid Isle donates to Island Hoops Foundation

SINT MAARTE (PHILIPSBURG) - On December 11th, 2021, the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten- Mid Isle, donated a cheque of USD $1.000 to the Island Hoops Foundation. Island Hoops is a not-for-profit Foundation, which was founded in 2015. Island Hoops is...

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soualiganewsday.com
Philipsburg Property For Sale

Photo caption: Property located on the Backstreet no.18 in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Property located on the Backstreet no.18 in Philipsburg, St. Maarten and is registered at the Cadastre office with Certificate of Admeasurement number PB...

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StMaartenNews.com News in Dutch
Kamercommissie: Hoe staat het met het COHO?

Den Haag - De Tweede Kamercommissie voor Koninkrijksrelaties wil van het nieuwe (begin januari te beëdigen) kabinet een brief over de stand van zaken met betrekking tot de landspakketten van Curaçao, Aruba en Sint Maarten, het Caribisch Orgaan...

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dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl
Groeiend optimisme bij Voortgangscommissie Sint Maarten

Philipsburg - In de 42ste rapportage van de Voortgangscommissie Sint Maarten, die vandaag door staatssecretaris Knops (BZK) naar de Tweede Kamer is gestuurd, klinkt groeiend optimisme door. "Het beeld voor de politie blijft hoopgevend; het...

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dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl
Nieuwe tranche van 86 miljoen voor wederopbouw Sint Maarten

Den Haag - Nog deze maand maakt Nederland een vierde tranche van ruim 86 miljoen euro over naar de Wereldbank ten behoeve van het wederopbouwfonds voor Sint Maarten. Dat schrijft staatssecretaris Knops (BZK) vandaag aan de Tweede Kamer. Nadat...

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dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl
OM 'volgt' Ansary-zaak

Geen antwoorden op vragenreeks over aangiftes CBCS Van een onzer verslaggevers Willemstad - Het Openbaar Ministerie van Curaçao volgt de civiele Ansary-Ennia-zaak 'met belangstelling'. ,,Verder kunnen we er geen uitspraken over doen." Dat is het...

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antilliaansdagblad.com
Premier Aruba overleeft motie van wantrouwen over...

Door Sharina Henriquez/Caribisch Netwerk Oranjestad - 'Gebrek aan transparantie, schijn van nepotisme en vriendjespolitiek' om een omstreden gasdeal die Aruba 20 jaar bindt, mogelijk te maken. Dat werd de Arubaanse premier Evelyn Wever-Croes...

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Knops: Vertraging Bovenwindse ferry niet door ministeries

Den Haag - De vertraagde start van de veerdienst tussen Sint Eustatius, Saba en Sint Maarten is niet veroorzaakt door de betrokken ministeries en was ook niet het gevolg van gebrek aan samenwerking tussen deze departementen. Dat stelt...

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Bedragen wettelijk minimumloon en uitkeringen Caribisch NL

Den Haag - De bedragen van het wettelijk minimumloon en de uitkeringen in Caribisch Nederland per 1 januari zijn vandaag in de Staatscourant gepubliceerd. Voor een aantal overige bedragen geldt de reguliere indexatie. Hieronder de toelichting van ...

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dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl
Jorien Wuite (D66): Caribisch Nederland wordt klimaattopper

Den Haag - Tweede Kamerlid Jorien Wuite (D66) is enthousiast over wat er in het coalitieakkoord is opgenomen over het Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk. D66, VVD, CDA en ChristenUnie pakken klimaatverandering en armoede op Bonaire, Sint Eustatius ...

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'Wet topinkomens te laat'

Deadline van 1 januari wordt waarschijnlijk niet gehaald Van een onzer verslaggevers Willemstad - Curaçao heeft weliswaar wijzigingen doorgevoerd in de wetgeving die gaat over de topinkomens bij overheids-nv's en overheidsgelieerde instellingen,...

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StMaartenNews.com Bulletin Board News
Minister of Labour Ottley Encourages Job Seekers ...

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - On Saturday December 18th, Ballast Nedam International Projects in collaboration with the Ministry of VSA, the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and the National Institute for Professional Advancement...

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T-MO & Bell to highlight "Philipsburg Becomes Magical" event

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - Philipsburg will come alive this upcoming weekend when the "Philipsburg Becomes Magical" holiday event is expected to instill special seasonal energy in the capital of St. Maarten. With legendary singer King T-MO...

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This Holiday Season: Shop Smart, Shop Safe

Every year the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), as part of its annual calendar of observances, highlights and creates awareness about safe...

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AirSXM.com now offering shared charters to St. Kitts & Nevis

Shared charter rates from $260 US Dollars per one-way and up for groups of up to seven (7) passengers + one piece of checked luggage and one carry-on each. Submit a reservation request online at http://www.airsxm.com/request.php.

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St. Maarten/St. Martin Babe Ruth Baseball Christmas Clinic

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The St. Maarten/St. Martin Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball Association is hosting its first 'Babe Ruth Christmas Clinic' starting Saturday 18 December 2021 thru Friday 24 December 2021 at the Little League Ballpark, the ...

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soualiganewsday.com
Weather Forecast: Thursday to Saturday

PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST FOR ST. MAARTEN DATE ISSUED: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 @ 18:00 LST (22:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Thursday evening (18:00 LST) December 16, 2021 ...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ST. MAARTENUNTIL FURTHER NOTICE......

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StMaartenNews.com Dutch News
New cabinet plans more homes and free child care

The new Dutch government plans to tackle climate change, build 100,000 new homes a year and abolish the complex system of tax allowances that caused its predecessor's downfall. The coalition agreement for the new cabinet was presented on...

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www.dutchnews.nl
Mixed reactions to new cabinet deal

Reactions to the new government agreement have been largely positive, although questions have been asked about how feasible some of the plans are. Marjan Minnesma, the director of climate organisation Urgenda, which took the government to court...

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www.dutchnews.nl
The new government's plans: what you need to know

The new coalition accord, entitled Omzien naar elkaar, vooruitkijken naar de toekomst (looking after each other, looking forward to the future) is 50 pages long.

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www.dutchnews.nl
Need a Shared Charter to Curacao?
AirStMaarten now offering shared charters to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao starting at $2000 USD per seat.
It is smarter to charter!
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