PHILIPSBURG:---- The measure is the result of laboratory testing of the water from these bottles which disclosed the presence of Coliform bacteria and possibly other non-identifiable bacteria. The group of coliform bacteria can cause abdominal pain and fever. More severe cases can lead to bloody diarrhea, dehydration or even kidney failure. People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, young children, and older adults are at increased risk for developing these complications.

The Inspectorate is conducting the necessary inspections to verify if there is not more of this product on the local market and also in contact with the producer.
Consumers who purchased this product should not drink or use the water for food preparation.

Press Release IVSA

ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA, July 18, 2017:---- LIAT wishes to advise that with the passage of Tropical Storm Don this evening, its operations to some destinations continue to be affected. Our operations in the northern part of the network have not been affected and we will continue to operate as scheduled.

Please note that the list of cancellations for the evening of Tuesday 18th July as advised by Travel Advisory #2 remains the same.

Please note the following flights are canceled for the morning of 19th July 2017: LI 392 from Guyana to Barbados LI 308 from Trinidad to Grenada

LI 308 will operate nonstop from Trinidad to Barbados.

The Argyle International Airport is scheduled to reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday 19th July. The Maurice Bishop International Airport is scheduled to reopen at 10:00 a.m. LIAT operations into St. Vincent & Grenada will commence as soon as these airports are reopened. Passengers should expect some delays on flight services in the morning as we work to normalize our schedule.

Passengers traveling on Wednesday 19th July are asked to check the LIAT website (www.liat.com), and the LIAT Social Media Pages for information on the status of their flights and further travel advisories.

Passengers who have been affected will be allowed to rebook with the next two weeks with all change fees waived. We strongly advise our passengers to contact LIAT's Call Centre for rebooking: 1-888-844-LIAT (5428) Toll Free from destinations within the Caribbean Region Call Antigua 1-268-480-5601/2 from Other Countries 1-246 434 5428 from Barbados

Passengers with onward connections are advised to contact the respective carriers. LIAT regrets any inconvenience caused as a result of this storm and looks forward to serving you.

The next advisory will be given at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday 19th July 2017.

New York/ PHILIPSBURG:--- Madam Chair, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
I bring you greetings from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and particularly from Sint Maarten one of the 4 autonomous countries of the Kingdom.
Each of the four countries wholeheartedly embraces the Agenda 2030 and has its own political reality and therefore faces its own peculiar challenges, but we all share the belief that the key to success in attaining the SDGs lies in our willingness to form partnerships at the national, regional and international levels.
We have just presented our Voluntary National Review to the United Nations, which outlines the steps we have taken in implementing the SDG’s.
St. Maarten, shares a 37 square miles island with St. Martin, a Territorial Collectivity of the Republic of France, and obviously, has the biggest challenge in ensuring the achievement of the 17 SDGs identified in the 2030 Agenda.
For us sustainability has a unique meaning; we have to keep improving the quality of life for all our citizens while functioning under the core principles of open government, integrity, accountability, transparency, sustainable development, social inclusion, and equality.
Tourism the main pillar of our economy accounts for some 80 per cent of all economic activities.

Using the Millennium Acceleration Framework, St. Maarten has introduced measures to combat poverty and hunger.
Our latest National Household Budget Survey estimated that the average household in St. Maarten spent approximately US$44,700 in 2015.
More than double the amount a decade earlier.

We have been working closely with the PAHO, the W.H.O. and the Caribbean Public Health Agency to improve health care policies and services.

A National Health Insurance scheme is now being developed while a brand new hospital is also on the books.

We offer compulsory education and lifelong learning and we are improving our vocational and tertiary education levels to meet the growing demands for skilled labor.

We are working diligently on affordable housing, to provide especially for our young professionals.

The UNDP office provides support to the St. Maarten government in integrating the SDGs into our National Development Plan and policies that are now being drafted.

I can assure you, of our unwavering commitment to achieving the SDGs for the well-being of our people.

We stand ready to continue this important work in the future, and to report our further progress to the international community.

On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, I wish each one of you much success in the implementation of your prioritized goals in the coming years and Madam Chair, I thank you for this privilege and opportunity.

Caribbean governments can turn high fuel costs for official vehicles into huge savings on public expenditure, by switching to electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This means that instead of paying close to US $3 per gallon, the fuel cost for a regular size light duty battery electric vehicle would be about 2.5 cents per mile.

More than one third or 36 per cent of the total energy consumed in the Caribbean is used for transportation, and Governments are considering alternatives to improve energy efficiency (EE) in their national fleets.

These and other findings can be found in a new report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) sub regional headquarters for the Caribbean, entitled 'Promoting energy efficiency in government transportation systems: A transition roadmap and criteria for a readiness analysis’.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are not only efficient in energy consumption, they are also environmentally friendly when used properly since they produce zero tailpipe emissions. In light of this, transitioning to EVs will benefit Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in reducing their high dependency on fossil fuels and thereby creating environments for sustainable energy projects.

The report notes that several countries in the Caribbean have started discussing alternatives to improve EE in their national fleets. However, before this can become a reality in the Caribbean, there are some challenges to the process which should be taken into consideration.

In this context, the ECLAC study offers a guide to assist policymakers in identifying the necessary data, as well as the technical, governance, infrastructure and financial conditions required to support the transition to an energy efficient government fleet.

The improvement of fleet administration practices is expected to yield benefits even before fleet electrification, which include under or over use of vehicles, use of vehicles for inadequate/inefficient functions, wasteful routing and other issues that hinder efficiency.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday July 15th 2017, at approximately 02.00 p.m. a routine control was conducted by the Alpha Team at the Princess Juliana Airport. A man with the initials B.F.G who was traveling off the island with his wife and two kids were subjected to a routine control. During this control a large sum of money was discovered and which was divided among the family. The money that was discovered was more than the legal limit of $ 10.000, - and which was not declared to the customs.

By order of the local prosecutor, the money was confiscated and an investigation was launched. No arrests were made at this time. The Alpha Team is a multidisciplinary team that consists of members of the local Police Force (KPSM), the Immigration Department, the Royal Marechaussee and the Customs Department. Since the recent installation of the Police Sub-station at the Princess Juliana International Airport, travelers will notice an increase in police visibility and routine police controls. These controls are specifically done in the efforts to curb and prevent all illegal acts that can be committed at the airport and to ensure the overall safety for the travelers."

KPSM Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of their training, the Basic Police Training class for the years 2016-2018 took on the task to organize the first “Fit 4 Justice” Sports event. The intention is to make this a yearly sports event during which all departments within the Justice Chain would come together in the spirit of “Team Building” to compete against each other in a social and friendly atmosphere in various fitness activities. This sports event took place on Sunday, July 9th at the Walter Plantz Square from 09.00 a.m. until 02.00 p.m. The teams that participated were the Coast Guard, House of Detention (Prison), Customs Department, Immigration Department, Sint Maarten Voluntary Corps (VKS) and the Police Department (KPSM). The Sint Maarten Fire Department was also invited to take part in this event as a “Special Guest”.
The competitors competed in a running race, swimming, tire-flips, push-ups, sit-ups, and tug-of-war. The event was a  successful event. The winners were capturing First place the Police Department, Second place VKS and Third place the Fire Department. The event was the closed off with a lunch. Special thanks go out Nagico Insurances, Penha, Printees, Indian Merchant Association, Balerina Jewelers, Kohinoor, General Auto Repairs, Marshall Motors and Allan Bistro for their sponsorship in making this event a success.

KPSM Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday, July 18th the police department started with the execution of one of the several projects that have been planned for this period. This project will include traffic controls, handing out fines for traffic violations, increase in patrols in vehicles, bicycle and foot patrols in the Philipsburg and other areas where tourists frequently visit. In general, the visibility of police patrols will be noticeable.
There will controls on illegal drugs and weapons at different locations on the island. Police controls and police presence were definitely noticeable on Tuesday. These controls will continue indefinitely.

KPSM Press Release

Download speeds go up to 20MB per second

PHILIPSBURG:--- UTS has taken the bold move to further increase the speed offered to customers using its 4G LTE mobile internet service. The company had already doubled the amount of data offered as part of its prepaid data bundles in April of this year. Now the company is further enhancing the customer experience by increasing the speeds that can be reached while using the premium 4G LTE service. Customers can now expect more data and more speed for the same price. UTS is the only mobile operator offering 4G LTE mobile service on St. Maarten. Offered under the Chippie brand-name the 4G LTE service offers speeds exceeding any competitive offer by far. “While our reliability, our speeds and the amount of data offered far outweigh other offerings in the market, the differences in price are negligible.” Says UTS Marketing & Communication Officer, Ivy Lambert. “The decision is really quite simple for the customer. Why not pay the same but get far more bang for your buck? Our prepaid bundled services were already very attractive but since our network is capable, we decided to further boost the service by accommodating higher download speeds. This is all part of our philosophy that we want to bring our customers the best mobile experience. Our slogan is ‘feel the connection’ and we want to make that experience as easy and worry-free as possible for our customer.”

Easy switch to fastest speeds
For those not already experiencing Chippie 4G LTE, transitioning to 4G LTE service is easy. Postpaid customers and customers already using Chippie prepaid data bundles don’t need to do anything. They will automatically benefit from the increase in speed. Existing Chippie customers not yet using the data bundles can contact us to find out if they need to come in to upgrade their SIM card or not. In many cases this is not even necessary. “Of course a fast network will work best when combined with a fast phone. We currently have a great offer, combining a 4G LTE handset with a data bundle of internet, minutes and SMS for only $75. A price that attractive is even more reason to make sure you are using Chippie 4G LTE”. Lambert comments. The offer is currently available at the UTS stores in Philipsburg, Cole Bay and Marigot. “Aside from our ongoing upgrade offer, of course our customers can count on us to continue bringing them higher speeds, more data and bundled services to keep them connected to the most reliable mobile network of St. Maarten.”

For more information on the enhancements to Chippie’s 4G LTE service and the special upgrade offers, the UTS Customer Service Center can be contacted by phone at 1(721) 5881010, by email at infosxm@uts.sx and by Facebook message at UTS EC. A personal visit to any of the UTS stores is of course also possible.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is calling on the community and visitors to practice proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette in order to prevent the spread of viruses and infectious diseases.

Keeping hands clean through proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette which are two of the most important steps one can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Washing your hands correctly should take at least 40 to 60 seconds.

Many infectious diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands properly with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol to clean hands.

Your hands should be washed before, during, and after preparing food; before eating food; after using the toilet; after blowing your nose, coughing, and/or sneezing.

As some viruses are airborne, the flu is one clear example. This can spread from person to person through coughing, or sneezing particles into the air.

Flu viruses also may spread when people touch something with the flu virus on it and then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose. Many other viruses are also transmitted in this manner.

People infected with highly infectious diseases should avoid close contact with healthy persons and consistently maintain proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Considering persons may be asymptomatic with infectious disease, it is recommended to make hand hygiene and cough etiquette a behavioral habit to prevent transmission.

Persons with flu may be able to infect others beginning from day one before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. That means you may be able to spread the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, so when you are asymptomatic.

Preventive actions entail: try to avoid close contact with sick people; cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you a cough or sneeze (cough etiquette); throw the tissue in the trash after you use it; clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs/bacteria/viruses.

Hand hygiene and cough etiquette are simple and effective actions to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and multi-resistant germs.

Collectively let us protect the community by making hand hygiene and cough etiquettes a common habit.

The project will take 18 months to construct--- Agreement with Synergy annulled.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of VROMI has made some headway in getting a waste to energy plant on St. Maarten which would probably eliminate the fires at the dumpsite and also decrease the size of the ‘hill’ on Pond Island. The Minister announced on Wednesday that he signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with a company to deal with the garbage situation on St. Maarten. In a separate interview with SMN News Minister Emmanuel said that some 17/18 companies submitted proposals to the Department of VROMI but only four of them really mentioned the landfill (dump) in their proposals in terms of remediating and taking care of the landfill. The Minister said the landfill was his main concern, therefore, the other companies were eliminated. Of the four that remained, he said at least three of them wanted government to make a financial contribution which he also did not agree with since the company that is awarded the project will make their monies back to the sale of energy to GEBE, and by selling recycled materials overseas. The Minister said he agreed to give the company a power purchase agreement for the energy they generate. Minister Emmanuel said while negotiating the agreement Enviro-green is the only company that gave government a favorable cost at which they will sell the energy they produce. Besides that, he said Enviro-green have waste to energy plants that are active, one he said is in Canada and the other in the Philippines. These two companies handle similar types of garbage that is generated in tropical countries. The Minister said these factors are very important to him thus he chose to sign an MOU with Enviro-green. Emmanuel said it’s been three months now he has been in negotiation with the Canadian company but kept things quiet until an agreement was reached. At the moment Enviro-green is busy reviewing the concession while evaluating the landfill as it is right now.
The Minister of VROMI said the current Prime Minister William Marlin had an agreement with Synergy but that agreement was annulled at no cost to government. He made clear that he did not re-invent the wheels on this project since he used the same attorney that Synergy used and that attorney managed to annul the agreement and worked on the MOU for Envirogreen and the Government of St. Maarten. He reminded with Synergy also would not have cost government any monies. Emmanuel said that government used the same lawyers to execute the project which would not cost government nor GEBE any money. Asked how soon Enviro-green would start the project, the Minister said that Envirogreen is currently reviewing the concession and the power purchase agreement. Asked how long it would take Enviro-green to construct the waste to energy plant in St. Maarten and the location where the plant will be constructed. The Minister said Envirogreen promised to have the plant constructed and operational within 18 months and that plant will be constructed on Pond Island where government had reserved 12,000 square meters of land for the construction of a waste to energy plant.
Minister Emmanuel made clear that this company will have to do everything according to the laws of St. Maarten, he said they will have to establish a company on St. Maarten and pay their dues like every other company while they would also have to employ people on St. Maarten. He said that while Enviro-green promised to bring the hill to some 16 meters while government gave room to up to 21 meters. The Minister said that while managing the landfill Enviro-green will be removing copper and all other materials that have value from the landfill which they will sell overseas.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The government of St. Maarten through the Ministry of VROMI will begin re-routing the Beacon Hill entrance in order to prevent the loss of life and or injuries due to jet blast. Minister Emmanuel said that the department found a possible solution which is close off the Beacon Hill entrance, and reroute the entrance to Beacon Hill and the businesses located in that area.
The Minister said despite the large sign boards warning people of the danger visitors to the island still go to the area and hold on to the fence for the jet blast thrill. He said that management of PJIAE will have to get involved in solving the problems because the intention is to move the airport fence further away, remove the dividers and the concrete edge from Beacon Hill. The Minister further explained that at some point government would have to do something to avoid injuries and or death since not so long ago someone was seriously injured and most recently a loss of life.
SMN News understands that one of the possibility government is looking at is to reroute the entrance through the entrance to Bada Bing and Mary’s Boon. However, this has not been confirmed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel shed some light on the video and photograph that was taken of a sewage truck driver that was seen dumping on the landfill. Emmanuel said after conducting an investigation it turned out that the truck driver in question was not dumping raw sewage on the dump but in fact, the driver was working for government who contracted him to clean drainage pit in the Dutch Quarter/ Belvedere area in preparation for the 2017 hurricane season.
The Minister said that the driver was dumping on the landfill legally because he pays to sludge in a specific area. He said that sludge cannot be dumped at the sewage plant because the sludge that is taken from the drain has chemical that will kill the bacteria that needed to dissolve the feces at the sewage plant.
Emmanuel said that those persons who shot the video works for government and government is now looking at ways to deal with those workers because they have the truck driver number plate and the color of his truck and they have been harassing the driver via text messages and when they see him the Minister said driver requested an apology from all parties that were involved. The Minister said he is trying to solve the problem out of court but some of the persons that shot the video and sent it viral on social media refused to cooperate while the truck driver was working for government and the material he was dumping was not raw sewage.

Premiums will increase which the private sector has problems with --- Finance Minister --- SHTA objecting to high cost.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Health Emil Lee reacted to the statements made by the SHTA on the implementation of the National Health Insurance ( NHI) which they also requested be postponed. Minister Lee made clear that he do believe the discussion on the NHI is a good discussion because everyone deserves to have quality healthcare. He said St. Maarten have been discussing the NHI since 2009 when he was the president of the SHTA. Lee went on to explain that St. Maarten was given an instruction by the Kingdom Council whereby they must implement the NHI by the end of 2017. This means by the end of the year the Minister must present the draft law on the restructuring of the healthcare system to Parliament He said already the window is tight meaning that he does not have much time based on the instruction and while he does not want anyone to think that the discussions on the NHI are combative there are a few things he does not agree with. Asked if the SHTA was given sufficient information as they indicated to the CFT that they did not have sufficient information on the NHI Minister Lee said he does not agree with the CFT and the SHTA because information on the NHI have been ongoing for years now.
In addition to that Minister of Finance Richard Gibson Sr said that he also met with the SHTA and their concerns is the high cost that will come with the implementation of the NHI. The Minister of Finance said that he strongly believes that St. Maarten would have to implement some sort of indirect taxes whereby visitors to the island will contribute to the NHI. He made clear that this does not mean that the premiums will not go up but it will not go up as high. In supporting the proposals made by the Minister of Finance Minister Lee he also suggested that a taxation be placed on tobacco and alcohol and even sugar beverages.
Minister Lee further explained that each time patients are not able to pay their bills for healthcare government have to pick up the tab. He explained that even people in the private sector would take private insurance while they are working and when they go on pension they return to the government healthcare system which allows them to pay a premium based on their income.
Asked by SMN News if he thinks the private sector will pay their healthcare premium when it is increased knowing that SZV claimed to have almost $200M on the streets which ATS and SZV is trying to get businesses to pay off. The Minister said that government have been working on compliance and it is something they discuss almost on a daily basis.
It should be noted that SHTA is not the only ones that have been protesting the implementation of the NHI, but healthcare institutions such as the White and Yellow Cross, Mental Health and healthcare professionals.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Detective Department is presently investigating an incident whereby shots were fired and which took place on Wednesday, July 19th at approximately 01.15 a.m. on the Walter Nisbet Road. The victims with initials S.N. and A.R. stated that shots were fired at them from the car of the suspect with initials J.M. who is the ex-partner of the female victim. The suspect was driving on the same road when the victims were fired upon after they were chased through the Philipsburg area.
The police department was immediately notified of what was taking place. A patrol searched the area for the suspect and located the suspects’ vehicle on the Soauliga road. The suspect was nowhere to be found. The vehicle in question was confiscated for further investigation.
At around 10.00 a.m. following the incident, the suspect voluntarily turned himself in at the Police Head Quarters where he was immediately arrested and placed into custody for further investigation.

KPSM Press Release 

PHILIPSBURG:--- Why even bother at this time to write about the qualifications of a parliamentarian when the next parliamentary election is all the way in 2020? Sadly, this has been the mentality in the past that has led us to vote for persons based, on friendship, family ties, and family tradition, instead of looking at the qualifications, qualities, and experience of the candidates.

One of the reasons why we have not paid much attention to the qualifications of parliamentarians is because, during election time, our politicians campaign as if they were running to become ministers in government. However, they failed to point out the difference and the separation between parliament and government. To summarize, the people elect the parliamentarians and the parliamentarians, in turn, appoint the ministers. Therefore, if we want a good Council of Ministers, we must vote for noble, qualified parliamentarians who would ensure that we get a good government.

Besides the four criteria for parliamentarians listed in the constitution, parties, as well as the people, should hold candidates to a high standard. Article 49 of our Constitution states that to “be eligible for membership of Parliament, a person must be a resident of Sint Maarten, a Dutch national, have attained the age of eighteen years and must not have been disqualified from voting”.

As far as the age is concerned, a person can be on a party’s slate at age 17; as long as he/she turns 18 by the time the oath has to be taken.

Based on the Constitution, anyone with the Dutch nationality can become a parliamentarian in Sint Maarten. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the constitutions of neighboring countries like St Kitts and Nevis, the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Territory of Anguilla clearly stipulate that be elected, persons must be connected to the country or territory by birth or descent. If such a criterion were applied in Sint Maarten, many persons would not be eligible to become members of parliament, including me as well as several of our current MPs. Revising the nationality article will require a constitutional amendment, which needs the approval of the other countries of the kingdom.

The criterion “must not have been disqualified from voting” relates to the final verdict of a court of law. In other words, once the court case of a prospective parliamentarian is still in appeal he/she has all rights to join a party or to establish a party. The prospective parliamentarian also has the right to campaign, to be elected, to take the oath of office and to function as a member of parliament until he/she receives the final guilty verdict. This is the reason why MP Silvio Matser is still functioning as a Member of Parliament. Even though the court in the first instance, as well as the joint court of justice, found him guilty of tax evasion, he has appealed the case at the High Court in The Hague and consequently has the right to function as a parliamentarian until he receives the final judgment from the latter court. We may not agree with the law but we must abide by it.

In addition to the constitutional criteria mentioned earlier, it is important that we also evaluate prospective parliamentarians based on several other qualifications such as love for Sint Maarten, Dutch language skills and integrity. If persons have a love for Sint Maarten, it will show in their involvement in the community. They will be engaged, in one way or another, in trying to better the society. Their motive for getting in politics would be for the sake and the good of the people and not for personal gain. They should ascribe to, and live by, the principles of integrity, transparency, accountability, and love for the country. How many of the 125 candidates who took part in the 2016 elections are still visible and active today? Even many of them, who have been elected to parliament, often do not see the need to represent us as we expect them to. One parliamentarian has not attended parliamentary meetings in months. At times, several of our parliamentarians have refused to attend meetings. Not too long ago, the minority faction in parliament even declined to represent us at a high-level kingdom meeting. This is really not the kind of representation that we expect from our parliamentarians!

As far as Dutch language skills are concerned, it is important that prospective parliamentarians have at least a working knowledge of the Dutch language. It is interesting to note that the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica includes a language qualification stating that to be qualified to be elected a person must be able to speak and read the English language. Admittedly, Sint Maarten’s constitutional and judicial systems are very much embedded in the Dutch system. It is obvious that Dutch supersedes the English language when we read the disclaimer at the bottom of each page of a translated law: “No rights can be derived from the English translation”.

The SMCP believes that if voters take the additional qualifications into serious consideration when electing parliamentarians, Sint Maarten would have a stronger, better qualified, integrity-based parliament, which in turn would appoint ministers to the Council of Minister, based on their professional, experiential and ethical qualifications.

Wycliffe Smith
Leader of the Sint Maarten Christian Party

Pond Island:---  TelEm Group is re-released a new public service brochure warning businesses to be on their guard against unscrupulous hackers who are breaking into company PBX systems and globally running up millions of dollars in international phone calls without the businesses becoming aware until they receive a bill weeks later.

According to TelEm Group, the hackers are constantly scanning for PBX systems all over the world using hardware and software with automated scanning routines that operate 24/7.

Once a system is found and penetrated, the hackers and users “mine” the information from the found PBX system to resell to third parties or use the PBX equipment itself to make international calls or allow others to make international calls.

The hacking and fraud that is being committed go unnoticed, sometimes for many weeks, until the PBX owner receives a bill at the end of the month and discovers that bill to be extraordinarily high.

TelEm Group hopes that with the re-issuing of its “Protect Yourself” brochure and also by inviting businesses in to talk about the problem, those who use PBX systems will be more aware of the threats posed to their PBX equipment and how best to protect themselves against the fraudsters and hackers.

The brochure is called “Protect Yourself from PBX Fraud” and has already been sent to businesses in the past. It outlines the problem of PBX fraud and how that fraud is being committed by hackers.

The brochure gives advice on the best practices that businesses can follow to protect themselves and seeks to further assist business owners with a Frequently Asked Questions and Answers section.

“We are very keen to remind our business customers of the need to protect their businesses from PBX fraud by making themselves and their personnel aware of the dangers out there and some of the simple steps they can take to protect themselves,” said TelEm Group, Manager, Marketing, and Sales, Grisha Marten.

She said awareness and protection are especially important for the business owner because once a fraud is committed, it is the business itself that is liable for any bills incurred from the fraud because it is the owner’s own responsibility to secure their PBX equipment from such fraud, and not TelEm’s responsibility.

“The brochure is packed with useful information that anyone can use, but business that is still concerned can call 546-0100 to make an appointment to talk about that concern or they can use the same number to just get further information,” said Ms. Marten.

The Consumer Price Index for Sint Maarten has increased in the month of April 2017 by 0.5 percent compared to that of February 2017.

When comparing average consumer prices over a twelve month period (April 2016 to April 2017) an inflation rate of 1.0% is recorded.

This is evident from the data released by the Department of Statistics (STAT) today.

Price changes between April 2017 and February 2017

The Consumer Price Index for Sint Maarten has increased in the month of April 2017 by 0.5 percent compared to that of February 2017. The price index recorded in April 2017 is 128.7

Expenditure Categories – overall increase

In April 2017, six of the nine expenditure categories recorded positive percentage changes (prices increased), one was negative (price decreased) and two remained stable. Prices increased in: ‘Food’ (+1.6%), ‘Beverages and Tobacco’ (+1.9%), ‘Housing’ (+0.6%), ‘Medical Care’ (+0.8%), ‘Recreation & Education’ (+0.2%) and ‘Miscellaneous’ (+0.2%). Whereas, a decrease was recorded for the expenditure category ‘Transport & Communication’ (-0.7%). The expenditure categories: ‘Clothing & Footwear’ and ‘Household Furnishing & Appliances’ remained constant.

Within the Food category, eight of the nine sub groups became more expensive, while one was less expensive. The following groups recorded increases: Grain (+0.8%), Meat and Fish (+3.2%), Fats & Oils (+1.3%), Potatoes, Vegetables & Fruits (+1.6%), Sugar & Chocolate (+1.6%), Pre-cooked Dishes (+3.2%), Eating-out (+1.1%) and Other Food Resources (+1.2%), while Dairy Products (-0.2%) became cheaper.

More specifically, certain products within the Food subgroups largely influenced the total price change of the Food category. Hence, the group ‘Grain’ was influenced by grain snacks (+11.8%) and whole wheat bread & rye bread (+8%). The group ‘Meat & Fish’ was impacted most by: beef (+28.7%), other poultry (-18.6%), pork meat n.e.c2 (+7.8%), fish (+5.8%), spareribs (+4%), other fish n.e.c2 (+2.6%), chicken & chicken organs (+2.3%) and pork chops (+1.7%). The largest influence on the ‘Dairy Products’ was cheese (-1.8%).

The price change of the subgroup ‘Potatoes, Vegetables & Fruits’ was largely due to: leafy greens (+30.1%), sweet peppers (+14.7%), spices (+11.1%), fresh fruit n.e.c2 (-8.4%), grapes and prunes (+8.1%), potatoes (6.3%), apples and pears (-5.6%), tomatoes (-4.5%), raisins (-3%), other fresh vegetables (-3%), and cabbage (-2.4%).

1 Please note that the pie chart above depicts the share (weight) each food group carries toward the entire Food expenditure category, whilst the percentages indicate the price change within that food group. 2: Not elsewhere classified.

Within the Housing category, it was noted that four of the five product groups became more expensive and one remained stable. The product groups: ‘Energy Expenses’, ‘Maintenance of dwelling’, ‘Garden maintenance’ and ‘Dwelling costs’ increased by +1.2%, +0.5%, +1.0% and +0.4% respectively.

An increase in the consumer price of electricity by 1.3% largely influenced the total price change within the product group ‘Energy expenses’, while ‘Maintenance of dwelling’ was impacted most by pest control (-9.9%) and paint (+3.4%). The cost of soil and compost for gardening also increased (+14.3%), thus affecting the group ‘Garden maintenance’

1 Please note that the pie chart above depicts the share (weight) each food group carries toward the entire Housing expenditure category, whilst the percentages indicate the price change within that product group.

Of the four product groups within the Transport & Communication category, only vehicle expenses recorded a price change, namely a decrease of 0.2%. The drop in the cost of gasoline (-7%) and car tires (-1.6%) influenced this group.

 Please note that the pie chart above depicts the share (weight) each food group carries toward the entire Transport & Communication expenditure category, whilst the percentages indicate the price change within that product group.

Sint Maarten Consumer Price Index a Broader Perspective

Though the trend over the past 3-year period depicts gradual increasing consumer prices, we note that prices have steadily declined during the period August 2015 through to April 2016; this is evident in the bar chart below. However, thereafter up to the current period (April 2017), there is a steady increase in the index, despite the slight drop in February 2017. Thus, over the last 3 years, consumer prices have shown some volatility, but seem to be gradually increasing.

3-year Overview

The trend line below indicates that inflation on Sint Maarten over the prior 3-year period has been declining. It can be noted however, that the rate of inflation since December 2016 has gradually began to increase, recording 1.0% in April of this year.

Inflation Sint Maarten April 2017

The 12-month average of consumer prices in April 2017 is 1.0%. This represents an increase of 3 percentage points when compared to average prices in the same period last year.

Inflation for the Major Expenditure Categories

There are nine Household Expenditure Categories used to calculate the CPI. Three of these account for 69% of the total household expenditure: Housing (39%), Transportation & Communication (20%) and Food (10%).

Analysis of the monthly figures of these categories showed that inflation has steadily decreased in the Food category and deflation has been maintained in the Transport & Communication category. It should be highlighted that the average price development in the Housing category during the last four months have recorded inflation.

The monthly developments amongst the three major expenditure categories are illustrated in the bar chart above.

There are nine Household Expenditure Categories used to calculate the CPI. Three of these account for 69% of the total household expenditure: Housing (39%), Transportation & Communication (20%) and Food (10%).

Analysis of the monthly figures of these categories showed that inflation has steadily decreased in the Food category and deflation has been maintained in the Transport & Communication category. It should be highlighted that the average price development in the Housing category during the last four months have recorded inflation.

The monthly developments amongst the three major expenditure categories are illustrated in the bar chart above.

Food accounts for 10% of the total household expenditure. Over the past six years the inflation rate of food has generally mirrored that of the overall inflation rate for the observed nine expenditure categories. However, from September 2016 to present, while the inflation rate of food has continued to drop, the overall inflation rate has begun to show a steady increase. Moreover, it is notable that the current (April 2017) level of inflation recorded (3.1%) is comparable to early 2011. This observation is depicted in the graph above.

What is a wetland? And why should we be worried about their protection?

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, July 27th, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM  at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the results of the first phase of a study to assess the economic value of our remaining wetlands. The meeting also aims to get feedback from the public about how things used to be, how the changes have affected life on St. Maarten and what people think is important about our remaining wetlands.

The wetlands of St. Maarten take the shape of ponds, lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs. Development in the last few decades has resulted in an extreme loss of our wetland areas and a decrease in the size of those that remain. But what does that mean for us? Surely removing mangroves and filling in ponds and lagoons to create more land for development is good for our economy? Simply put, it is not that simple.

Our environment, and especially our wetlands, provide us with a number of benefits which contribute to our daily quality of life. By destroying these environments, we are doing away with those natural benefits which will eventually lead to large costs on our economy in the form of natural disaster damage and health care services, to name just two.

Attend this meeting to discuss the economic importance of our wetlands, the changes which they have undergone and how we can work to protect them in the future. This meeting is open admission to the general public and basic refreshments will be provided. The Philipsburg Jubilee Library has generously donated the use of their hall for this meeting.

This project, “Economic Valuation of St Maarten's Remaining Wetlands - Phase I”, is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Prince Bernhard Cultural Funds Caribbean. For more information, contact Kippy at: kippy@epicislands.org, or surf over to: www.epicislands.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Last Saturday the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation partnered with Ocean Explorer’s Dive Center to host PADI International Women’s Dive Day.Women’s Dive Day is an international initiative aimed at closing the unnecessary gender gap that currently exists within the scuba diving community and the contribution and importance of women to the scuba diving industry is celebrated and recognized. The Nature Foundation partnered with Ocean Explorers Dive Center in organizing specialty dives in order to celebrate the day. Participants were educated about coral restoration and research initiatives organized by the Nature Foundation.
Participants went scuba diving and learned about the Coral Restoration efforts of the Nature Foundation as a part of the three year Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Coral Reef Quality (RESCQ) project funded by the European Union Best 2.0 Program. The project will restore Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals by establishing coral nurseries to grow coral fragments and transplant corals at selected restoration sites.
Until the 1980’s Acropora coral species dominated the near shore zone of many Caribbean islands, including Sint Maarten, with cover estimates of up to 85%. However, these coral reef zones have almost disappeared from most islands in the region due to diseases, climate change, and habitat destruction. Acropora corals are currently listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and Species. The loss of corals has had large negative effects on biodiversity, biomass of fishes, and coastal protection as well as a significant decline in the attractiveness of shallow near-shore coral reefs.
“The dive ladies visited the Coral Nursery on the dive site ‘The Bridge’ and learned about cleaning and research efforts to maintain the nursery and its corals. On the second dive, we conducted initial coral mapping of Elkhorn corals in the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. This type of research is very valuable to recolonize and recover corals on the reefs of St Maarten” commented Nature Foundation Projects Officer Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern.
The Nature Foundation would like to remind that Scuba divers need to keep their distance of the coral nursery without supervision of the Foundation as the corals are very fragile and easy to damage.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The 4th Annual Sports Open House organized by the Department of Sports in collaboration with the Project Team (PT), the National Sports Institute and the St. Maarten Sports and Olympic Federation is set to take on Friday September 15th and Saturday September 16th, 2017 at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex.

The format for this year’s Sports Open House will again include an additional day, Friday September15th, 2017 to cater to and include the students from the various schools. All the schools have been contacted and students from the Elementary schools (cycle 2 years’7 & 8) and Secondary schools (Forms 1 & 2 are invited and the event will take place between 9:00am-12:00noon.

The intention with this additional day was to ensure that the students and potential athletes within the schools have the opportunity to see what is on offer from the various Sports Organizations, increase their awareness and introduce them to sports they may have never considered participating in. This day also gives the various Sports organizations the opportunity to garner interests in the various school tournaments and to highlight their organizations.

As customary the second day is the Saturday September 16th, 2017 and is for the general public and will and take place between 3:00pm-7:00pm. This day will focus on what the various Sports Organizations have to offer in terms of trainings, competitions, tournaments and fitness options but also healthy Living options which look at healthy eating, drinking and supplements.

In 2015, the 2nd Annual Sports Open House at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, saw a great turn out of Sports Organizations (25), Healthy Lifestyle options and Foundations (5) and in 2016 it was expected that we would have an even greater turn out, but that was not the case.

Once again, the Department of Sports is extending an invitation to the various Sports Organizations, healthy living options and most importantly the general public to attend the Sports Open House on the 15th and 16th of September 2017, and we look forward to this endeavor being even bigger and better.