More than 20 entrepreneurs completed the 2-day intellectual property business clinic

Great Bay:---- On June 22 & 23, more than twenty entrepreneurs completed the two (2) day intellectual property business clinic, IP IMPACT held on June 22 & 23 at Holland House Beach Hotel, the facility partner. Within three (3) days of announcing IP IMPACT, the business clinic reached its capacity and a waiting list was created. Attendees included both start-ups and established businesses as well as teachers and creative entrepreneurs. The number of responses shows a high interest in the related topic.
The facilitator, Ms. Kayanne Anderson, the premier specialist on intellectual property in the region, is also a lawyer, and founder of IP Exchange Caribbean. Ms. Anderson emphasized the various intellectual property assets that exist and how to leverage these assets to grow and scale businesses.
The focus of the IP IMPACT was not only on how to register intellectual property but also on understanding the economic benefits of adequately incorporating intellectual property into one’s business. The discussion included valuation of intellectual property as a (financial) asset, as well as having an IP strategy. The interactive sessions included conducting trademark and patent searches, as well as group exercises. Office World supplied INFOBIZZ with prizes such as phones for these sessions.
IP IMPACT could not have been possible without COSME. This organization is focused on strengthening small, medium enterprises in the overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean. The EU Commission has made funding available to further this aim. Foundation INFOBIZZ hosted IP IMPACT through this program.
Other key partners include the Bureau of Intellectual Property of Sint Maarten (BIP) and the Department of Economic Affairs, Transportation, and Telecommunications (ETT). As the legal body incorporated, for the administration of trademarks, and providing information on all procedural aspects related to the registration of trademarks and other intellectual property rights, the Bureau for Intellectual Property of Sint Maarten partnered with INFOBIZZ for the IP IMPACT. ETT is focused on improving the economic landscape by better supporting the small medium enterprises through capacity building workshops and providing critical information.
Foundation INFOBIZZ has successfully hosted the IP IMPACT and is now diligently working towards the annual international business development experience, DOMINATE 360 which will be held on November 2-4, 2017 in Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Thousands of people throughout the region had fun experiences with birds and nature over the past month during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Dozens of festival events took place on different islands to celebrate the birds that live only here. St. Martin’s events included the Endemic Animal Festival, hosted by Les Fruits de Mer and Earth Day festivities hosted by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean.

Activities were held for pre-school and primary students to adults and families. Bird talks were held on many islands to help people understand the unique birds that live only on specific islands or only in the region. Guided bird walks brought people of all ages out into nature to see these amazing birds firsthand. For many, it was their first chance to get an up-close view of birds through binoculars or a scope.

Other activities were as diverse as the region itself. In the Dominican Republic, Ridgway’s Hawk Day celebrated the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, that lives only on Hispaniola. In Trinidad, bird education was brought to the streets with bird education stand at a local market. In Puerto Rico, a special training workshop gave teachers learning tools about birds to use in classes year-round. On St. Martin, festival attendees planted coconut trees and painted bird feeders.

The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is one of the Caribbean’s only regional events about birds and nature. It is organized by BirdsCaribbean each spring, and dozens of non-profits, schools, parks and other organizations develop events in their communities.

Endemic birds—those that live only on one island or within a small range—are at special risk of extinction. The Caribbean is home to many endemic species, and many are already in danger.

For more information about the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, visit birdscaribbean.org or find BirdsCaribbean on Facebook.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit Sint Maarten), and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) will be working together in the “non-reporting project”. The aim of the “non-reporting project” is to provide more, timely and better reports of unusual transactions to the FIU.

The FIU is on Sint Maarten the supervisor carrying out investigations into mandatory institutions and compliance with the National Ordinance reporting unusual transactions (LV MOT) and the National Ordinance Identification Service (LV-ID). The Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBP) on the island include notaries, accountants, jewelers, car dealers, administrative offices and real estate agents.

The FIU on Sint Maarten has been diligently working on the registration and providing information to the DNFBP and the Financial Institutions on the island when it comes to reporting unusual transactions and performing client due diligence. A large majority of these businesses and professions adhere to the registration and information requirements, however, a small group of DNFBP do not comply or do not fully comply.

Information of the DNFBP who do not adhere to the registration requirement of at the FIU can be transferred to the OM for criminal investigations. This is based on article 23 of the LV MOT. In a later stage of the project the results of the FIU audits will be discussed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine if this should be followed up by criminal investigation in case reports are not submitted, or submitted incomplete, or no client due diligence was conducted.

The approach to money laundering and terrorism financing is a global initiative. It is very important for the effectiveness of combating all forms of serious crime as well as the protection of the integrity of the financial and economic market. Capturing the criminal origin of crime proceeds prevents the perpetrators of these crimes from staying out of the reach of the investigating authorities and enjoy, without any obstacles, their criminal proceeds.

The DNFBP are obliged to report unusual transactions to the FIU. These so-called 'gatekeepers' are indispensable in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing and it is therefore important that they comply with their obligations under the LV MOT and the LV-ID.

The FIU then assesses whether the unusual transaction is suspicious. If the transaction is considered suspicious, it can be investigated by the authorities. If institutions fail to report unusual transactions or if they intentionally do so late then this will work undermining in relation to national and global financial integrity. and In addition, thereto it can be considered as unfair competition to parties who comply with all relevant laws in this respect. In case of such failure, OM has the authority to initiate a criminal investigation.

For more information on FIU and the notified project go to www.fiu-sxm.net

PHILIPSBURG:--- Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Rolando Brison (left) and Senior Policy Advisor at the Cabinet of the Minister of Tourism Julian Lake (right) are in Miami, Florida attending the Route Development for Tourism and Destinations course hosted by Routes Latin America. This course shows destinations and tourism authorities how to boost tourist numbers through route development. Tourism authorities and destinations have an important role to play in route development. Airlines have said that the support offered by destination partners is one of the most important factors when deciding whether to launch a new route, and they prefer to deal collectively with stakeholders who have a unified approach. The course shows participants how to utilize their collective resources to beat the competition and win new air services. Brison and Lake are pictured here with instructor David Appleby of Routes Latin America.

POINTE BLANCHE:---  On Tuesday morning, a family of five out of Miami, Florida, were selected as the one millionth cruise passenger milestone for 2017, which is also the 16th annual one millionth milestone for the destination.

During the months of June and July, the destination surpasses the one millionth cruise passenger which signifies the growth of the country’s cruise sector over the years.

Family Barril, on their first cruise visit to the destination onboard Harmony of the Seas, were greeted by St. Maarten Carnival Queen Shanice Powell, the Mighty Dow, representatives from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and Port St. Maarten, as they walked towards the Cruise Terminal Building to enjoy their time on the island.

The Barril family were looking forward to their tour and spending time down at Maho to watch the planes land at one of the world’s top 10 scenic airport landings. The approach of aircraft to the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport) has been described as iconic and for those standing on the beach as breathtaking.

The family received a complimentary one-week stay at Oyster Bay Beach Resort from General Manager Ricardo Perez who was on hand to present the certificate; gift bags from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau containing promotional and gift items; a gift certificate from Little Switzerland on behalf of Port St. Maarten; and a CD from the Mighty Dow group.

Port St. Maarten has been celebrating the one millionth cruise passenger mark since 2002 when the nation for the first time catered to 1,066.033.

Port St. Maarten has been receiving over 1.5 million cruise passengers since 2010 (1,512,618) and has sustained over 1.5 million over the past six years with the exception of 2014 when the destination catered to 2,000,864 cruise passengers.

Port St. Maarten is diligently working to convert cruise passengers into land-based vacationers. The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) in the past has urged all cruise oriented destinations to consider implementing a cruise conversion program.
Cruise tourism contributions to St. Maarten as a destination is very prominent and represents one-third of the country’s gross domestic product.
The country’s cruise industry plays an important role in the economy and makes a considerable contribution. According to the BREA (Business Research & Economic Advisors) Report, which is a survey-based analysis of the impacts of passenger, crew, and cruise line spending, that was prepared for the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and Participating Destinations, October 2015 edition, destination Sint Maarten led all destinations with nearly US$423 million in cruise passenger spending for the 2014/15 cruise season, generating an estimated 9,259 jobs paying $189 million in wage income during the 2014/15 cruise year. This placed Sint Maarten with the highest income impact and the second highest employment impact.

Average per passenger expenditures ranged from a low of $42.58 in Trinidad to a high of $191.26 in Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten with $355 million in total passenger expenditures led all destinations and accounted for 14 percent of total passenger spending among the 35 destinations in the FCCA survey.

Great Bay:--- St. Maarten is among Caribbean countries represented at Caribbean Action 2030, a regional conference seen as a major event for Caribbean countries, particularly the 18 countries, including St. Maarten, which are signatories of the United Nations Multi-country Sustainable Development Framework (UNMSDF) for the Caribbean region.

Government representatives from the Caribbean will deliberate in plenary, panel discussions and solutions workshops, and will be joined by delegates from civil society, academia, youth and non-governmental organizations.
More than 30 local, regional and international academics and experts in their field are expected to present papers highlighting research, national experiences, and opportunities in implementing the United Nations long-term Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region, being held in Kingston, Jamaica, from June 28 to June 30. St. Maarten is attending at the invitation of the Jamaican government.

The objective is to reaffirm the commitment amongst countries in the Caribbean region through a Partnership Framework, which would promote cooperation and coordination in achieving the SDGs, Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities for Action (S.A.M.O.A pathway), the Paris Agreement on climate change and Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development. These are all aimed at strengthening regional policies in support of the preservation of so-called global public goods, which are essential to all countries, people, and generations. Examples of global public goods are clean air and drinking water.

The 3-day meeting wants to step up intergovernmental cooperation to advance its cause, supported by the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (MSDF) that has been agreed between Caribbean governments and UN partners as one appropriate platform for the coordination and focus of our further efforts.

Countries worldwide have agreed on a series of bold measures to overhaul global finance practices and generate investments for tackling a range of economic, social and environmental challenge. That commitment was made at the United Nations Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa in 2015.

In support of implementation of the sustainable development goals, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda contains more than 100 concrete measures. Importantly, it addresses all sources of finance.

At this week’s conference in Jamaica, participants look forward to a final report with recommendations for policy implementation and follow-up.

Recognizing that this will require long-term commitment and partnerships, the conference looks, for instance, at the establishment of a regional online platform that takes due consideration of existing efforts in the region and that will enable the academic community, civil society and policy makers to engage in ongoing dialogue on the basis of evidence-based research, open data and exchange of good policy practice.

Not being overlooked is the importance of national and regional multi-stakeholder partnerships that are imperative for national and regional sustainable development implementation. These require creative efforts to increase financial resources.

The United Nations has been approached to seek further advice and support from within and outside the Caribbean region, including from international financial institutions to explore ways to best address the special capacity needs and policy challenges facing middle income countries in the Caribbean. The idea is to have the UN assist Caribbean countries in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The mobilization of domestic resources and the access to funding in the international community continues to be a challenge by members of the Caribbean region.

Financial sustainability is a vital element in ensuring not only that the SDGs are achieved but also that the accomplishments have a positive impact, particularly for the most vulnerable ones of the population. The exclusion of countries within the region from concessional and grant resources, based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita can result in the erosion or hindrance of gains impeding sustained development, for all.

St. Maarten has a relative strong economy and high GDP compared to other Caribbean nations. But still the island faces challenges that she cannot overcome without support like dealing with the effects of climate change and the resulting sea level rise and more frequent and more severe weather events.

Attending the conference, on behalf of St. Maarten, is Andrea Ortega-Oudhoff, Senior Project Manager at the St. Maarten government’s Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. She is joined by Tom Woods, a UN appointed projects leader, presently assisting the St. Maarten government.

The conference is being hosted by the Jamaican Government in partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the United Nations, which is funding the event.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Soualiga Infrastructure Company BV was contracted by the Ministry of VROMI to paint the road markings on the A.J.C Brouwers Road. So far the roundabout at the top of Cole Bay Hill down to the old cake house intersection has been completed.
Wednesday night the contractor will continue from the old cake house to the roundabout on Bush Road. On Thursday the painting of the road markings will continue to the Osborne Kruythoff roundabout.

Minister of VROMI, Christopher Emmanuel is proud to have local Sint Maarteners contracted to paint the road. They worked until late hours in the morning to get the job done.

The schedule will continue as mentioned once the weather permits. Drivers are asked to practice caution while taking the A.J.C Brouwers route during these times.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee will meet in a session on June 28, 2017. Shareholder Representative of PJIA will be present.
The Central Committee meeting has been set for Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 14.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda point is:
Deliberation on the current state of affairs of PJIA.

This meeting was requested by MP F.A. Meyers, MP T.E. Heyliger, MP S.M. Bijlani, MP T.E. Leonard and MP C.M.M. Connor. This is a continuation meeting of the meeting held on April 3, 2017.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.sx and via www.sxmparliament.org.

POINTE BLANCHE:--- On Tuesday morning, a family of five out of Miami, Florida, were selected as the one millionth cruise passenger milestone for 2017, which is also the 16th annual one millionth milestone for the destination.

During the months of June and July, the destination surpasses the one millionth cruise passenger which signifies the growth of the country’s cruise sector over the years.

Family Barril, on their first cruise visit to the destination on-board Harmony of the Seas, were greeted by St. Maarten Carnival Queen Shanice Powell, the Mighty Dow, representatives from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and Port St. Maarten, as they walked towards the Cruise Terminal Building to enjoy their time on the island.

The Barril family were looking forward to their tour and spending time down at Maho to watch the planes land at one of the world’s top 10 scenic airport landings. The approach of aircraft to the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport) has been described as iconic and for those standing on the beach as breathtaking.

The family received a complimentary one-week stay at Oyster Bay Beach Resort from General Manager Ricardo Perez who was on hand to present the certificate; gift bags from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau containing promotional and gift items; a gift certificate from Little Switzerland on behalf of Port St. Maarten; and a CD from the Mighty Dow group.

Port St. Maarten has been celebrating the one millionth cruise passenger mark since 2002 when the nation for the first time catered to 1,066.033.

Port St. Maarten has been receiving over 1.5 million cruise passengers since 2010 (1,512,618) and has sustained over 1.5 million over the past six years with the exception of 2014 when the destination catered to 2,000,864 cruise passengers.

Port St. Maarten is diligently working to convert cruise passengers into land-based vacationers. The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) in the past has urged all cruise oriented destinations to consider implementing a cruise conversion program.
Cruise tourism contributions to St. Maarten as a destination is very prominent and represents one third of the country’s gross domestic product.
The country’s cruise industry plays an important role in the economy and makes a considerable contribution. According to the BREA (Business Research & Economic Advisors) Report, which is a survey-based analysis of the impacts of passenger, crew and cruise line spending, that was prepared for the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and Participating Destinations, October 2015 edition, destination Sint Maarten led all destinations with nearly US$423 million in cruise passenger spending for the 2014/15 cruise season, generating an estimated 9,259 jobs paying $189 million in wage income during the 2014/15 cruise year. This placed Sint Maarten with the highest income impact and the second highest employment impact.

Average per passenger expenditures ranged from a low of $42.58 in Trinidad to a high of $191.26 in Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten with $355 million in total passenger expenditures led all destinations and accounted for 14 percent of total passenger spending among the 35 destinations in the FCCA survey.

Toll fees or Road Fund may have to be paid – PM Marlin.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Prime Minister William Marlin announced at the weekly press briefing on Wednesday that his government is making strides and that they are working on several projects to improve the financial, economic and environmental situation that exists on the island.
Marlin said some Chinese investors are interested in improving the road infrastructure on St. Maarten, one being the construction of the tunnel to better facilitate the users of the causeway. He said the government of St. Maarten would not have to make any investments, neither will they have to sign any agreements. However, the investors will use funds from the Belt Road funding and government will grant a concession. The investors he said could either regain their investments through the implementation of a Toll Fee of the establishment of a Road Fund.
Marlin said that he specifically told the Chinese investors not to look at the tunnel alone but to look into constructing more roads based on the infrastructure plans that government has in place.

VIDENOVA Investment for Affordable Homes.

The Prime Minister also applauded the Minister of VROMI for convincing VIDENOVA to invest in affordable homes on St. Maarten. Marlin said VIDENOVA will not be making any profit from the investments they make on St. Maarten, however, they are simply making the investments to assist the country since they are collecting pension funds from companies in St. Maarten such as GEBE and TELEM. The Prime Minister said that while the Minister of VROMI is young he has been working on several projects that will improve the living conditions on St. Maarten.
He also shared the same sentiments made by Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel on the dump fires which diminished 3 months now. Both Marlin and Emmanuel said that they conducted an investigation which showed that the fires were man-made and as such the security on the dump was re-enforced while those responsible for setting the fires will face the fullest extent of the law.
Marlin said a permanent solution will take about two and half years before it is realized, however, as a government they took all the necessary measures to offset the fires and provide more machinery on the dump site in the interim.

Forensic Investigation on ICT issues completed.

As for the ICT issues the government of St. Maarten have been facing these past months the Prime Minister said that government had a forensic investigation conducted to determine the exact causes. He said while the investigation has been completed, government is now waiting on the report prior to taking action.
Marlin said he is not downplaying the ICT issues on St. Maarten but indicated that several countries including the Netherlands had to deal with ICT problems due to the Wanna cry Ransomware.
He said the ICT issues on St. Maarten affected the finance department as they are busy with the 2018 budget.
The Prime Minister went on to explain that he is happy with the team he is working with because even the pension age they increased from 60 to 62 and soon it will be 65. He said this has to be done to secure the pension funds.
Marlin said government is busy working on a legislation to increase the age for people on the Councils of State because due to the age limit St. Maarten is running of its experts and since these people could work longer as they are living longer he sees no reason not to amend the law on the high council of states.
Marlin to lead delegation for hearing on the Establishment of Integrity Chamber and Quartermaster.
Prime Minister William Marlin will be leaving the island with a delegation to attend the hearing on the establishment of the Integrity Chamber on St. Maarten and the appointment of a Quartermaster. Marlin said he will depart St. Maarten on July 4th while the hearing will be held on July 6th and possible on July 7th.
The hearing Marlin said stemmed from a complaint St. Maarten filed against the Dutch Government for imposing their will on appointing a Quartermaster for the Integrity Chamber while the Constitutional Court ruled against it.

Marlin to lead the delegation for hearing on the Establishment of Integrity Chamber and Quartermaster.

Prime Minister William Marlin will be leaving the island with a delegation to attend the hearing on the establishment of the Integrity Chamber on St. Maarten and the appointment of a Quartermaster. Marlin said he will depart St. Maarten on July 4th while the hearing will be held on July 6th and possible on July 7th.
The hearing Marlin said stemmed from a complaint St. Maarten filed against the Dutch Government for imposing their will on appointing a Quartermaster for the Integrity Chamber while the Constitutional Court ruled against it.

PHILIPSBURG: ---Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr. was all smiles on Wednesday now that the committee that was working on the establishment of a law school has completed their assignment and that the law school on St. Maarten could begin as early as September. Gibson Sr said this project is something he worked on because it is close to his heart. He said that people have to be judged by their peers. The law school will be accredited as it will be aligned to the law school in Curacao, and that students will not have to pay high tuition fees.
Minister Gibson said there are enough funds in place for the establishment of the law school which could take them for the next four years, and since students that are interested in studying law will have to pay tuition it will sustain the school. The courses will be given in English and Dutch but students that are interested will have to be able to speak and read and comprehend Dutch fluently. Courses he said will be provided also for students to sharpen their Dutch.
The Minister of Finance who is also an attorney said that they are a number of students that already show interest in studying law. Some of them he said are qualified to start the program immediately while some are not fully ready.
For the students that are not fully ready, courses will be given to them to bring them up to par. He said the program will have students in three phases.

1. Students that have the required diplomas to start as soon as the school opens its doors.

2. Those that need some more diplomas to fully comply would be given courses

3. The last group will consist of students that are desirous of becoming lawyers but have to study much longer before they could comply to enter full-fledged law courses.

Council of Ministers approved legislation to repatriate funds.

Establishment of Development Bank on St. Maarten.

The Minister of Finance also announced on Wednesday that the Council of Ministers has approved the legislations to repatriate funds from people and or businesses that did not fully declare their taxes but took it overseas. The Minister of Finance has been calling on the residents to come clean and fully report their income which will give them an incentive such as paying back less to government and also which would give them the opportunity to buy shares in the St. Maarten Development Bank.
Those persons who did not take heed will have to face the full measure whereby their funds will be brought back to St. Maarten and they will have to pay government that is owed to them.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel sounded the alarm bell on Wednesday when he announced that companies that have been littering the roads with cement they transport will be fined.
The Minister said just recently he was on the streets at 1 am in the morning with the workers that were busy cleaning the roads to conduct repairs. Minister Emmanuel said the workers had to use jackhammers to remove the concrete on the road, mess which other companies created.
He called on residents on St. Maarten to download VROMI app and send photos to the department of VROMI when they see trucks or anyone damaging government properties. The Minister described the actions of the truck drivers as callus and as such, they will be fined if they do not clean up their mess.

More monies needed for completion of Back Street --- Emmanuel

Things take time to process, there is no magic wand to get things done.

Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel told members of the media that government does not have a magic wand to fix all their needs from one day to the next. He made the statements when he was asked about the completion of Back Street.
The Minister said that the monies that are being used to fix Back Street did not come from the budget of the Ministry of VROMI instead that money came from the Ministry of TEATT and the money that was set aside for the project is not enough to install drainage which would give businesses the opportunity to connect to government main lines. There was not enough monies to remove the Amsterdamers and the electrical posts with huge blocks around them.
The Minister said he is busy getting the funding that is needed for the completion of the project but when it is completed it will have the necessary infrastructure such as drainage and the obstructions on the sidewalks will be removed.

Willemstad:--- On Thursday, June 22nd there was a special Cft symposium on the occasion of bidding farewell to the chairman and two members of the Board of financial supervision. Former Governor and Minister of State Jaime Saleh and former member of the Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer) and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Kingdom Relations Jeroen Recourt gave an explanation on the ‘Further together in the Kingdom’ theme.
Rector Magnificus of the University of Aruba Glenn Thodé opened the symposium by emphasizing the importance of financial supervision. Next Mr. Saleh gave a lecture on the added value of the Kingdom and how this should be implemented in a concrete way. Saleh indicated that within both the public and the private sector a ‘wake-up call’ is required to introduce a common vision on the added value of the Kingdom. Not only the government but also ‘the man in the street’ must play a central role herein. Mr. Recourt also left a deep impression on the attendants with his contribution ‘you have to tell your children’. He emphasized the importance of telling ‘the story’ of our Kingdom, and the need to develop a common vision for the future of the Kingdom. A necessary condition for this vision is the reversal of the negative ‘underflow’, which is felt on both sides of the ocean. Recourt praised the Cft on the fact that it has proven to be very successful as a supervisor and an adviser, ‘the doctor for the financial health of the countries’. The symposium was concluded with a special word of thanks to Chairman Age Bakker by Ms. Sybilla Dekker, Cft member on behalf of the Netherlands.
The direct occasion for this special symposium was the farewell to both chairman Age Bakker and two members of the Board of financial supervision, Mr. Alberto (Chos) Romero and Hyden Gittens. Attendees had the opportunity to meet the new chairman Raymond Gradus. Parting chairman Bakker said to be pleased that he could conclude his term at the Cft in this manner. He expressed his special thanks to the secretariat, his fellow board members and to the valedictory board members Alberto 'Chos' Romero and Hyden Gittens.
The lectures will be posted on the Cft website, www.cft.cw.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The St Maarten Nature Foundation started their queen conch (Lobatus gigas) research with a survival experiment to determine if the survival of juvenile queen conchs, which in many parts of the Caribbean are primarily associated with native seagrass beds, differs between native (T. testudinum) versus invasive seagrass (H. stipulacea). The Nature Foundation is collaborating with and supported by Ecological Professionals, Wageningen University and the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute for this project (CNSI). The project is funded by Statia Terminals, NuStar Energy L.P. and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ).

The invasive seagrass H. stipulacea is native to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and was first sighted in Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean in 2002 and subsequently recorded on Sint Maarten in 2011. The species has since spread rapidly throughout the Eastern Caribbean. The invasive seagrass is known to be more competitive, have higher production rates and be less sensitive to environmental disturbance than native seagrass and is expected to spread even further throughout the region in the coming years. Current information regarding the effects off the invasive seagrass on our marine life and their survival, including juvenile queen conch, is very limited.

“The queen conch has a high cultural and economic value for local people and is an iconic species in the Caribbean region. However, the species has been heavily exploited throughout large parts of its natural range which have resulted in concerns for the species’ future. A critical part of the survival of the species is determined by the success of juveniles which often use native seagrass beds. Therefore it is important to gain more information into the ecological function of the invasive seagrass and its effects on the life history of queen conch in order to be able to implement the necessary management actions if required. With this specific research, we will compare the survival of juvenile conchs in native versus invasive seagrass beds” stated conch scientist PhD candidate Erik Boman from St Eustatius.
The Nature Foundation is looking forward to a successful collaboration and in determining whether invasive seagrass can cause a change in survival of juveniles and affect the regrowth of the conch population on St Maarten. The results will be of great importance to what possible effects invasive seagrass can have for the resilience of queen conch populations in the wider Caribbean.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Preparatory workshops are being conducted for study financing recipients who will be pursuing their studies in the Netherlands. These sessions are being held at NIPA during the hours 9.00 A. M. -1.00 P.M. Various topics are being presented such as Academic accountability, Dutch rights & obligations, Do’s Don’ts & dangers of life in the Netherlands, budgeting and understanding the educational system among others.
The students who are scheduled to pursue their studies in the Netherlands will depart on July 30, 2017. Two staff members of Division Study Financing will accompany them.
An orientation week is being organized for the students in the Netherlands during the period July 31-August 5. Various activities and sessions will take place in order to ensure a smooth transition from St. Maarten to the Netherlands.

On Wednesday, July 05, 2017 the Division Study Financing will be conducting a preparatory workshop for study financing recipients who will be pursuing their studies in the USA, Canada, England, Curacao, St. Maarten at NIPA.
The main goal of the preparatory workshop is to ensure that study financing recipients are well prepared for living and studying abroad, to promote financial responsibility and good study habits.
Attendance to these preparatory workshops is mandatory.

This session will be held during the hours 08.45 A.M. – 12.30 P.M

The dates of departure for the students leaving for the USA and other countries/islands within the region may vary. However, students who will be pursuing their studies at Tallahassee Community College are scheduled to leave on August 8th, 2017.

The Division Study Financing has also organized the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) preparatory workshops for study financing recipients who will be pursuing their studies in the United States.
The main goals of these workshops are to ensure that study financing recipients are well prepared for the P.E.R.T. test.
The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) is Florida’s common placement test. The purpose of the P.E.R.T. is to determine accurate course placement based on the student's skills and abilities. It is aligned with the Postsecondary Readiness Competencies identified by Florida faculty as necessary for success in entry-level college credit course work. The P.E.R.T. assessment system includes Placement and Diagnostic tests in mathematics, reading and writing.

Attendance to these preparatory workshops is mandatory.

The P.E.R.T. workshops will be held from Monday July 10th 2017 through July 14th 2017, from 8:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at St. Dominic High school.

For more information, please contact the Division of Study Financing at +1721 542 5497 or at info@study-sxm.org

PHILIPSBURG:--- Congratulations to His Excellency drs. Eugene Holiday for hosting a timely, well-organized, informative symposium entitled “ICT Governance: Shaping our Future”. The world of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is ever expanding and Sint Maarten needs to get on board before we are left behind. ICT is not only about having faster internet and more computers and smartphones in our society. Rather, it is more about planning, implementing and managing technology in order to promote and enhance the flow of information to and from citizens and to provide efficient service to citizens and to businesses.

Where does Parliament stand in terms of ICT? Very poorly! A few months ago, when reviewing Parliament’s website in terms of the information it provides and how it interacts with the people, it was obvious that in both instances Parliament failed dismally. On March 27th of this year, a letter was delivered to the President of Parliament offering suggestions as to how to improve Parliament’s website so that the people could be better informed and served. Having received no response or even a confirmation from Parliament, this letter was resubmitted on June 13th, 2017.

To the Honorable Member & President of Parliament. As a concerned citizen, profoundly interested in the role and functioning of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, it is my belief that Parliament, as the direct representative body of the people of Sint Maarten, should be more transparent, accountable and communicative towards the people of this country. It behooves Parliament to disseminate as much information as possible in order to raise the level of awareness of the people concerning this new and August co-legislative and supervisory body in Sint Maarten. Consequently, I would like, via this letter, to draw your attention to the following concerns and suggestions that would serve to raise the transparency level between parliament and the people of Sint Maarten. The following suggestions also address the question raised by the St Maarten 2015 National Integrity System Assessment on page 32 and issued by Transparency International namely: to what extent can the public obtain relevant and timely information on the activities and decision-making processes of the legislature in practice?

As Parliament’s website is the main source of information at this time, it should be relevant, user-friendly and easily accessible to the people. Please note that the current website is in urgent need of a general overhaul. The audio archives need some serious updating. The last audio recording dated back to January 26th, 2016. Note also that not all of the parliamentary meetings are available in the audio archives. Furthermore, the audio files need to be labeled better so that one can easily find the meeting one is looking for.

The video archives are in need of some serious updating and overhauling as well. These need to be complete because several video recordings of parliamentary meetings have not been taken up in the archives and consequently, people who go to the archives are unable to find what they are looking for. For example, the first meeting of the NA/UP Government held on October 31st is missing; also, the budget meetings held in December 2016 are incomplete. In addition, the meeting concerning the establishment of parliamentary committees is also missing. These are but a few examples of missing videos on the website. Furthermore, the videos also need to be clearly labeled and identified so that one can find a particular meeting with much greater ease than now is the case.

The telephone numbers, email addresses and office hours of the MPs should be listed. I hereby also suggest that a brief Bio of each MP be given as well as the various committees that an MP is a member of.

I tested parliament’s email address that is listed on the website (info@sxmparliament.org) by submitting a question to parliament. To my surprise and joy, I received an immediate reply stating that I would receive an answer within one business day. Three months have since passed and I am still awaiting the promised reply from Parliament. I suggest that someone of the administration is assigned to check Parliament’s emails and to ensure that the necessary follow up is carried out expeditiously.

I have noticed that the Parliament of Curaçao posts all the documents related to the agenda points of a meeting on their website. Is it possible for the Parliament of Sint Maarten to also post the same on its website?

Minutes of public and committee meetings are not available on the website. Will these be posted soon on the website?

These are just a few of the observations and suggestions that I submitted in writing to the President of Parliament. I ended my letter by stating that in the interest of ensuring that the people of Sint Maarten receive accurate, relevant and timely information, “I kindly request that you look into the above-mentioned issues and problems so that the people will be kept abreast of what is taking place in Parliament with their elected representatives.

Trusting that you will be able to improve the communication and information flow between parliament and the people in the near future, I remain”,

Wycliffe Smith
Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party

PHILIPSBURG:---The Public Prosecution Office released 46-year old M.M. today, on Wednesday, June 28th 2017. His detention is no longer necessary for the investigation. The suspect was arrested in the Emerald investigation on June 7, 2017. Since that time he was detained. He remains a suspect and the investigation in this case continues.

The Emerald investigation started in April 2016 and revealed that some companies in Sint Maarten have allegedly sent fictitious or greatly increased bills to the port. These invoices were then paid. However, the work on these invoices were probably never, or only a small part executed. The involvement of the suspects M.M. and O.A. , but also others, is currently under investigation.

The port and its subsidiaries are not a suspect in this investigation

Presumably this form of fraud has been going on for years. The first estimate is that in this way the port and the country Sint Maarten were disadvantaged for at least 7 million US Dollars. From that money, for example, a large number of social housing could have been built. For half of that amount, the country could have refurbish all school buildings this year or could have been used for the construction of the new hospital.

More information will follow on this case as soon as there is more clarity about the extent of the fraud and the role of the suspects in this investigation.

The investigation is part of a joint, intensive approach to cross-border corruption and fraud, also called the anti-corruption unit (Team Bestrijding Ondermijning). Corruption and money laundering pose a serious threat to the security and economies of the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom. The TBO of the RST, and the National detectives of Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the Public Prosecution Office are partners in the fight against undermining.

For more information see and like our Facebook page: @TBOAnticorruptionWatch

Prosecutor's Office Press Release

Mingo's Attorney Responds

This afternoon (Wednesday) Mark Mingo, the St Maarten Harbour's CEO, has been released from pretrial detention. The Public Prosecutor's office has issued a press release concerning alleged fraud. Mr. Mingo strongly denies the correctness thereof. No criminal offense whatsoever has been committed. He has full confidence in the outcome of the pending investigation. It is regretful that the Public Prosecutor draws conclusions before the investigations are completed and issues irrelevant insinuations and suggestive remarks.

Hans de Jong
ATTORNEY of Mark Mingo

.

PHILIPSBURG:--- National Institute of Arts is proud to announce Summer camp to 2017. This year our summer camp will be introducing the circus arts. As the main activity for children as young as 5 to 15.
Nia circus arts will feature aerial training, juggling, balancing acts, acrobatics, basic tumbling skills and many more fun activities for children and teens.

the classes will be conducted by Circus performing artists Olga Subbota and husband Alex Shilai world travelers who have chosen to make St. Maarten their home.
Already Alex and Olga have been impacting the St. Maarten entertainment industry with their new brand of artistry by coaching St. Maarten youth in the Carnival queen show arena and performing on the road during the grand parade.

Registration for NIA circus camp begins Friday-Thursday, June 29 at NIA located at the John Larmonie Center from 10 am until 5 pm. Circus camp begins Wednesday, July 5 and continue to August 4 and will take place at the Asha Stevens Campus Christian Hillside School on Cay-hill for more information please contact NIA 1-721-543-0600 or Olga 1-721-587-1476.you can also email NIA niasxm@gmail.com.

The classes are available to children as young 5 to teens of 15 years of age. Circus Arts is a relatively new addition to the performance arts industry offering much learning and physical training in fun and safe environment and

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee will meet in a session on June 29, 2017. Representatives of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten will be present.
The Central Committee meeting has been set for Thursday, June 29, 2017, at 15.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:

Hearing with Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten on:
1. Draft national ordinance amending the national ordinance supervision of banking and credit, the national ordinance monitoring insurance business, the national ordinance monitoring stock exchanges, the national ordinance supervision of investment institutions and administrators, the national ordinance monitoring trust, and the national ordinance insurance broking business (National Ordinance monitoring, updating and harmonizing Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten).
2. Draft national ordinance regulating rules for the supervision of money transaction offices (National Ordinance Monitoring Money Transaction Offices).

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.sx and via www.sxmparliament.org.

Central Committee meeting reconvenes about national ordinance on harmonizing Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten and national ordinance on Monitoring Money Transaction Offices on Thursday

 The Central Committee will meet in a session on June 29, 2017. The Minister of Finance will be present.

The Central Committee meeting which was adjourned on has Thursday, May 18, 2017, will be reconvened on Thursday, June 29, 2017, at 16.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:
1. Draft national ordinance amending the national ordinance supervision of banking and credit, the national ordinance monitoring insurance business, the national ordinance monitoring stock exchanges, the national ordinance supervision of investment institutions and administrators, the national ordinance monitoring trust, and the national ordinance insurance broking business (National Ordinance monitoring, updating and harmonizing Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten).
2. Draft national ordinance regulating rules for the supervision of money transaction offices (National Ordinance Monitoring Money Transaction Offices).

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.sx and via www.sxmparliament.org.

Central Committee meeting about hearing with St. Maarten Bankers Association on Thursday

 The Central Committee will meet in a session on June 29, 2017. Representatives of the St. Maarten Bankers Association will be present.
The Central Committee meeting has been set for Thursday, June 29, 2017, at 10.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:

Hearing with St. Maarten Bankers Association on:
1. Draft national ordinance amending the national ordinance supervision of banking and credit, the national ordinance monitoring insurance business, the national ordinance monitoring stock exchanges, the national ordinance supervision of investment institutions and administrators, the national ordinance monitoring trust, and the national ordinance insurance broking business (National Ordinance monitoring, updating and harmonizing Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten).
2. Draft national ordinance regulating rules for the supervision of money transaction offices (National Ordinance Monitoring Money Transaction Offices).

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.sx and via www.sxmparliament.org.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The National Coordinator fHumanman trafficking, has the lead in combating human trafficking and human smuggling in Sint Maarten.

The Director of Immigration & Border Protection Service (IBP) is tasked in overseeing these responsibilities. The National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking (NRB), is the executing agency for prevention & protection on Human Trafficking.

On Monday, June 26 marked International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. It is also an international recognized day in support of Victims of Torture.

In December 1987 the UN General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Sint Maarten has been paving its way to address the aforementioned problems, as part of the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 16, on Peace, Justice and strong Institutions, from a local perspective.

The establishment of the NRB is a major step in combating Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling in Sint Maarten, using an organized and structured approach.

Since its inception in September 2013, the NRB has worked intensively to present themselves to the public and its stakeholders and thus creating support in the execution of its duties. The NRB has been actively engaged during this period with the implementation of the agreements set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling as well as the actions to be implemented within the framework of the U.S. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) reports.

In its short existence the NRB has acquired results from its intended objectives. The number of comments and messages received by the bureau so far testify to the successful approach of this organization.

For crimes against personal freedom, including human trafficking, the Penal Code provides heavier penalties compared to the old Penal Code of the former Netherlands Antilles.

Moreover, the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings of May 16, 2005 has led to strengthening of the criminal law in Sint Maarten on the subject of human trafficking.

The change in the new Penal Code expressly addresses the criminal offence, different forms of participation, and penalties as well as aggravating circumstances. This broadened legal blanket ensures that a perpetrator at every level and degree of involvement in trafficking of persons is able to be held accountable for the role they play in this heinous practice. In addition special attention is given to the protection of child victims of trafficking.

It is worth mentioning that in the US TIP report 2016, St. Maarten fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and has been elevated from tier 2 Watch list to tier 1.

The Government of Sint Maarten is extremely proud of this, particularly because of the large amount of effort that has gone into combating and addressing any issues related to human trafficking. In addition, a number of workshops bringing together relevant stakeholders including senior law enforcement, Red Cross, and medical officials have taken place on Sint Maarten to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking.

The different aspects of Human Trafficking can be broken down in: Domestic Servitude; Forced Labour and Exploitation and Sexual Slavery.

A major accomplishment was the implementation of the “Temporary Residency”- policy guideline by the Minister of Justice in December 2015. The National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking granted the first temporary residence permit to an exploited victim and his family while their case was under investigation.

The temporary residency regulation serves as a way to encourage the victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of offenders of human trafficking.

In 2015/2016, several investigations in Human Trafficking was conducted in brothels, targeting the owners. Appeals were made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to Government requesting that administrative measures be taken against establishments which were involved in Human Trafficking violations, such as revoking their licenses.