The Ministerial round table saw a wide range of representation from throughout the region with ministers involved in the panel discussion including the Hon. Marlon Penn, Junior Minister, Trade and Investment Promotion, BVI; the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Jamaica; the Hon. Catherine Hughes, Ministry of Communications, Guyana; and the Hon. Darcy Boyce, Minister of State with responsibility for Telecom, Barbados.

Mr. Joe So, Huawei CTO ICT Solutions did a presentation on Smart Cities. He pointed out that modern day cities provide spaces for people's livelihood and Industry development and in the Caribbean, the environmental ecology must be considered. He noted that these cities are facing challenges including city governance: natural disasters, terrorist attacks.

The Smart city approach he said "would deliver to the Caribbean efficient city governance, high quality public services and New ICT which is the key to a smarter city and a core part of an enhanced production system". Specific to the Caribbean the Smart city initiative for Caribbean he said - "is geared to bring economic value; safer city; and attract more tourists and residents since the Caribbean has superior resources for Tourism."

Huawei through their presentation continued to prove that they are a great partner for smart cities and are willing to cooperate with partners to build a sustainable system.

Then it was up to the skillful moderator of the Ministerial panel, Ms. Rochelle Cameron, CANTO Vice Chair to manage what was a very diverse panel of regional government representatives. In the end, she was able to elicit a wide range of information and engage in insightful conversation among the panel.

The Hon. Catherine Hughes of Guyana noted that though traditionally an agricultural country undertaking minerals and mining they have realized the need to transform through ICT.

The benefits to be gained involved impacts of online learning because of distant villages and rural communities. ICT she said also has possibilities for eHealth via online medicine. She also highlighted opportunities for employment and trade as Indigenous communities with products to sell can create ICT hubs, "we can start to transform entrepreneurial activity."

The work she said has begun as "her ministry started e-govt network to facilitate reaching citizens. Connecting high schools with free Internet to 101 schools including three university campuses."

The Hon. Andrew Wheatley, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Jamaica noted that they have realized ICT is a pillar for economic growth and Set a target of 5% economic growth in 4 years. Jamaica he says want to use ICT to improve efficiency and interacting with citizens and is moving away from just consumers to innovators of technology.

The panel took the time to discuss critical issues affecting the Caribbean including: Cyber security, and where we are with regard to legislation? How can we get more regional collaboration? How do we as a region deal with OTTs who are unlicensed and untaxed? How do we go forward with more level playing field with indigenous operators? And big data/artificial intelligence.

The 33rd Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition, affectionately referred to as CANTO 2017 is the Caribbean's premier telecommunications event for industry professionals, academics and regional governments. The event ran from the 16th -19th July at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana Dominican Republic.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The sixth annual Governor’s Symposium “ICT Governance – Shaping our Future” was again timely and on the mark.
The organization was impressive, as was the lineup of speakers.
More and more these and other like symposiums, however, leave me with a disconcerting afterthought and the governor’s 2017 symposium was no exception in this regard.
Without a doubt, these symposiums continue to examine topics, timely and relevant for St. Maarten, the region and beyond.
In some instances, like that of this year’s “ ICT Governance, Shaping our Future” the topic was not only timely, it is URGENT!
As I mentioned, the speakers were well chosen and I was proud of our own speakers, who on such a level, amongst the other distinguished speakers, presented themselves well and represented their country admirably.
My disconcertment stems from the feeling that after the initial exhilarating digestion and the appreciation expressed by all, we are left with: “What can/will we do with the information as shared by those in the know?”
ICT governance is one of those areas for which a collective and common vision, policy or governance strategy is KEY.
I noted the general consensus at the symposium on the topic of ICT legislation and I agree that this is paramount, however, legislation must be grounded in a vision with objectives, and constantly measured and monitored. This “guard” can never be let down.
Evidently, in our case, there are limitations to what we can accomplish and how rapidly we can react to technological changes and threats. Proper ICT governance will tax our human and capital resources even more and will “compete” for allocation of our scarce resources with other governance priorities.
Long term planning and prioritizing are therefore paramount, and I, therefore, continue to stress on the national development plan for St. Maarten. I hope that at least this 2017 symposium will lead to a reexamination and some (re)allocation of resources to ICT governance from a more general and country-wide perspective.
We also need to build solid partnerships in those areas where we will come up short, just because of the sheer magnitude of the ICT realm. Research and development are one of the areas where we can align ourselves with other players in the (global) market.
As a reminder, the five previous topics of the Governor’s symposium were: (recommendations are available online)

2012 – National Heritage: Historical, Cultural and Economic importance.
2013 – Sustainable Development - Challenges for St. Maarten as a small Island Caribbean Nation.
2014 – Education for Democracy.
2015 – Governance: the value of Checks and Balances.
2016 – Securing National Development.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The follow-up audit report regarding administrative appointments for public entities was submitted to Parliament today by the General Audit Chamber. The report entitled ‘Administrative Appointments: an audit into the legitimacy and integrity of administrative appointments of directors’ presents the findings of an investigation into the legitimacy and integrity of administrative appointments of directors for 20 entities, including government-owned companies, various public foundations and other related entities that are part of the collective sector of St. Maarten. As part of this audit, the General Audit Chamber reviewed the persons who occupy positions as directors or C-level management during the period from January 2015 through May 2017. Actions of the respective minister(s), acting in the capacity as shareholder representative, in terms of the appointment procedure, was the focal area of the audit.
The objective of administrative appointments is the placement of the most qualified persons in suitable positions, according to the General Audit Chamber. This is particularly important in terms of government-owned companies, as these are valuable assets, representing millions, to government. In other words, there is a lot at stake.
“Like our previous report on administrative appointments which focused on the appointment of supervisory board members, our findings portray a worrisome picture”, according to the General Audit Chamber. Based on the entities investigated whereby the appointment procedure of the National Ordinance Corporate Governance is applicable, the report states that between January 2015 and May 2017, only one appointment was made in accordance with the rules and in keeping with principles of transparency. The audit also reviewed whether the required advice from the Corporate Governance Council (CGC) was provided and the extent to which that advice was followed. For the 23 directors reviewed by the audit, advice from the CGC was found for 7 cases. The respective minister acting in the capacity of shareholder representative deviated from the advice of the Corporate Governance Council in 4 of the 7 cases. Moreover, the General Audit Chamber reports that they were unable to establish whether the minister provided a reason, in writing, for not following the CgC-advice. In their report, the General Audit Chamber notes that the 4 appointments in question, occurred after the published their first report on Administrative Appointments in October 2016.
As part of the audit, the General Audit Chamber also investigated the security screenings that are required for directors. The report states that all screenings were initiated and completed.
Information gathering continues to be challenging, according to the General Audit Chamber. Only 2 Annual Reports for the fiscal year 2015 were made available to the General Audit Chamber. The audit encompassed 20 entities, in other words, 90% of the Annual Reports requested were not made available for the audit. “We find this disappointing. In 2017, annual reports from fiscal year 2015 should be available and it is up to the respective ministers to change this situation”. The General Audit Chamber seeks to contribute to the improvement of administrative appointments, and with that, the financial-management of the country. This is not possible if information is absent.
In the recommendation section of the report, the General Audit Chamber suggests a complete re-evaluation of the system used for administrative appointments. To live up to the rules of good governance, the system must contain strong safeguards that compel compliance, transparency, and integrity. The General Audit Chamber goes on to stress the importance of transparency in the process of appointments and concludes by stating that information regarding an appointment must be available at all times.
The report ‘Administrative Appointments part 2: an audit into the legitimacy and integrity of administrative appointments of directors’ is published in both English and Dutch and is available on the website of the General Audit Chamber (www.arsxm.org).

Police arrest three after suspects surrendered.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Detectives are presently investigating the fatal stabbing of a man which took place on Thursday, July 20th at approximately 11.30PM on Diamond Hill road in Cole Bay. The stabbing took place during a major brawl between two groups of men during which weapons were used. Immediately after receiving the first call the Emergency Dispatch Center sent several police patrols, detectives, and paramedics to the scene to investigate what had taken place.
According to the reports, the brawl was a result of an argument these men had with each other earlier in the evening at the gasoline station on Bush road which turned into a physical confrontation. The dispute continued later between these two groups and weapons were used. During the brawl G.A.S. (23), S.D.R. (24) and K.A.C. (22) suffered serious stab wounds. All three victims were rushed to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for medical treatment but the victim G.A.S. died from the wounds he sustained.
The crime scene was immediately cordoned off in order for the Forensic department to collect evidence. The body of G.A.S. was confiscated for further investigation. The reason why this incident took place and who is responsible for the stabbing is still unknown.
On Friday, July 21st three suspects in this case with initials I.A.W. (23), J.E.N.S. (23) and A.A.L. (20) voluntarily turned themselves in at the Police head quarters in Philipsburg. The suspects were accompanied by their mothers and lawyers. The suspects were immediately arrested by orders of the public prosecutor. House searches were done and items related to this incident were found and confiscated.
All three suspects were placed in custody for further investigation.

KPSM Press Release

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):---Boat owners and mariners are being advised by the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) to review their hurricane preparatory plans so they can be ready to take action in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the island during the upcoming peak months of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.

The 2017 hurricane season has already seen four systems develop, three of them since June 1st. The Office of Disaster Management hereby advises mariners and boat owners to ask themselves, “How have you prepared yourself for the hurricane season?”

ODM is requesting mariners and boat owners to make special preparations to stay with friends or in a hotel, and not to remain on their vessel during the passing of a hurricane while moored in the Simpson Bay Lagoon or Oyster Pond.

Hurricanes have been the cause of many maritime disasters.

The decision to leave port for hurricane avoidance must be made very clearly. Consideration to the latest safe departure time and likely avoidance routes must be balanced with a number of other factors. Most important of these is time versus distance.

The risk of damage to a vessel at sea increases as the motion of the hurricane increases towards the maximum safe speed of the vessel attempting to leave port in advance of that system.

Considerations to remain in port during hurricane passage must include an evaluation of the amount of protection afforded by the port. The direction from which the strongest winds are forecast to blow along with the potential for storm surge must be factored in when deciding whether to seek haven pier side or at anchorage. Ports and harbours also have their own storm/hurricane protocols which must be followed.

ODM says, ‘Remember It Only Takes One to Make It a Bad Season.’

What the Caribbean region needs is so simple: rapid, reliable mobility at reasonable rates. What makes it so difficult? It is almost as short and simple to explain. There are two players; the aviation industry and the governments. The aviation industry is not really the problem. They have the equipment and the crews. They have fixed costs and calculate what is needed to make a profit. One could argue about how cost-effective they are and what is considered a reasonable profit margin. And that’s it. Yet, one should also consider the entrepreneurial risks they are taking.

On the other side, you have the governments. For one, they have no risks in the aviation operation. Just benefits. Yet, they want a random tax contribution per passenger; no particular calculation. Mind that landing fees are different than taxes, and they do have a particular justification. So, what justifies the passenger tax? Inter-island or international, it doesn’t make a difference.

Major airlines are polite to governments. They listen politely when representatives of tourism or airport authorities are courting, or flirting, and trying to convince them to come on over. However, the operators don’t tell governments where to go; they just don’t put the destination on their schedule. Except for one airline, or rather one airline boss, who is well-known for telling anyone where to go, or in clear text expressing ‘that they can shove it’. Ryanair decided in October last year that it would drop 16 routes and 600 jobs after an Italian government’s tax hike. It would also result in 800,000 client losses according to their calculations. Their explanation: "Ryanair had no choice but to close two of its 15 Italian bases, and move its aircraft, pilots, and crews to countries that have lower tourism costs. The tax increase will seriously damage Italian tourism, and it would hand a golden opportunity for growth to destinations in Spain, Portugal, and Greece that have lower tourism costs.”

Governments love Low-Cost Carriers because they lure tourists with low fares. Exactly for that reason, they believe that the LCC will bring the oh-so desired passengers by the masses. Yet, then they slam the air passenger duty on top of the fares, to the extent that those are nearly double. Does that make sense? So, before the passengers don’t show up and seats remain empty, the airline doesn’t open a route or terminates it. That does make entrepreneurial sense!

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return," according to a quote attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Anyone who is less than a genius may tell you that when the taste of flight fare turns from sweet to bitter, he will not turn his eyes skyward in all directions anymore.

Governments can argue until they turn blue or green why a passenger tax is needed or why they believe it is justified. They may even feel proud and protzy when they believe that they won the argument. However, the tourists have the last word in determining what price is acceptable for their vacation budget. Monies that had to work and save a whole year, to make their dream retreat come true. Taxes are not a dream incentive; they are a repellent. For tourists, there are plenty of options near and far in the geography, where the temperatures are warm, the platinum beaches are lined with palm trees, and where they are received with open arms. Governments can try to have it their way; but tourists for sure will find it their way...., somewhere else.

By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunication and Transportation (TEATT) Melissa Arrindell-Doncher, accompanied by supporting staff from her cabinet, the tourism authority and Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten, attended the 33rd Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition of CANTO, which took place from 16th to the 19th of July in the Dominican Republic.

CANTO is Caribbean's premier Telecommunications event that caters to ICT professionals, regional governments, and regulators, and was going under the theme: “Reimagining ICT as a tool for Growth & Development”.

During the conference, a wide variety of international telecom experts gave lectures on a wide variety of Telecom topics such as Safe City & Smart City concepts, Digital Economy, broadband development, 5G deployment, global technology trends, content development and challenges & opportunities in the Caribbean region. A large Telecom trade exhibition formed an integral part of the CANTO convention, whereby vendors from all over the world showcased their state of the art products & services.

Minister Arrindell-Doncher participated in a wide variety of sessions, panel discussions, round-table-discussions, lectures, and was in particular truly amazed by the SMART City & SMART Tourism concepts. The minister had had the opportunity to conduct face to face meetings with key players in the global Telecom Industry, and they’ve indicated that they are all willing to provide assistance to St. Maarten. The Minister stated: “I recognize the need for St. Maarten to make ongoing efforts to further enhance communication services on the island, and safeguard our precious tourism product by utilizing same technology. Top ICT services are needed to cater towards our tourists, and at the same time will allow us to collect more data from our tourists. This data is vital for our cruise conversion programs, and will eventually have a positive effect on our economic growth.

The minister continued; "we were very pleased with what we were able to achieve from our presence at CANTO. From being able to support our local regulator in the regional discussions, convening with my fellow ministers across the Caribbean to discuss new telecommunication trends and policies, and the potential business opportunities we were able to explore the country with huge telecom companies; we know what comes back to St. Maarten with great prospects for better telecommunication in St. Maarten.

The Director of BTP, Mr. Anthony Carty – also present at the CANTO conference - outlined that Telecom regulators have an important role to play in accelerating broadband development in their respective nations. “It’s our task to promote and advocate new technology solutions and to advise and support the Minister of Telecoms by all means. The mere fact that 44 regulators from the Caribbean attended the conference – an all time record at CANTO – illustrates that we are all taking our role very serious, and making ongoing efforts to provide guidance to the industry. We must realize that only by working together we can achieve great things, and I’m therefore pleased with the active involvement and participation of the Minister, her cabinet, the Tourism director, and the Staff, Management & Supervisory Board of our Telecom providers. They were all present during the CANTO forum, and we had the opportunity to have several in-depth discussions and strong debates on how to improve communication services on our great island”.

POINTE BLANCHE:---  Port St. Maarten would like to remind boat owners and mariners with respect to its protocols for pre-storm/hurricane preparations for the Simpson Bay and Causeway Bridges in connection with the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
For all vessels wishing to enter/exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon, prepare well in advance to come through the bridges. Listen out on marine radio VHF Channel 12 or local radio stations, if there are any changes to or added bridge openings.
Regular Simpson Bay Bridge opening times are : 8.30AM Outbound, 9.30AM Inbound; 10.30AM Out, 11.30AM In; 15.00PM In, 16.00PM Out, 17.00PM In Regular Causeway Bridge opening times: 10.00AM, 11.45AM, 15.30PM. Bridges will not open above wind speeds of 25 knots sustained.
The Simpson Bay Lagoon should not be considered as a safe haven. Vessels wishing to enter are urged to do so in a timely manner. Commercial cargo vessels should not seek refuge in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
The best place to secure your vessel in the event of a hurricane is a boat yard or on land. Mariners are urged to make appointments with boat yards for haul out.
Vessel owners should ensure that all loose objects or potential objects are removed from the deck of the vessel and secured below (eg. Sails, awnings, fenders etc.)
Anchored vessels are to ensure that the vessel has enough ground tackle and that it is sufficient for any expected weather conditions, and all lines have chafing gear.
Boat owners are responsible for their property and may be held liable for damages to other person’s property/livelihood.
For those requiring additional information you can Email: slac@portstmaarten.sx; or call VHF Channel 12 and in the event of Emergency #: +1 721 520-2059.

THE HAGUE:--- The Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, the Honourable Mrs. H. Doran York in a press release, stated that the figures for students leaving Sint Maarten on their own to continue their studies in The Netherlands have been rising steadfastly over the past year.
For the past months and especially the last weeks, the Cabinet of Sint Maarten has been assisting students who have ventured out on their own to the Netherlands to pursue their education. These students are known as "free movers".
Minister Doran-York stated, that this for her, has indeed been much to her pleasure, as it is a good thing to see our young people independently seeking to enhance their education. Many of these students have done extremely well in the past and she encourages many more youngsters on Sint Maarten, to pursue this route in the event, for whatever reason, they do not qualify for a local scholarship on Sint Maarten, but feel that they will be successful when applying directly to the DUO in the Netherlands.
The Minister mentioned, however, that it is very important to have a place to register arranged before the date of travel. Despite the message sent out from her Cabinet a few months ago, pertaining to this very same issue, absolutely none of the students that came to the Cabinet seeking assistance, had previously arranged an address to register upon their arrival.
This issue has caused many of the students, countless sleepless nights, and it is sometimes heartbreaking to experience. While some eventually, with some assistance are able to secure a place to temporarily register, others are still seeking to be registered and therefore cannot proceed and may eventually have to return to Sint Maarten.
Minister Doran-York once more points out, that in the event persons start contemplating pursuing their studies in The Netherlands on their own (as free movers), and are planning to attend a learning institution on the level of MBO, HBO or at the University, then there are certain criteria in place, that they must be aware of.
First in foremost, is that they must have a place to register temporarily until all is arranged. Without them being registered at an address, the process will be unable to start. When they register in a municipality, they receive a BSN (the registration code). Without this being properly arranged, the student will not be in a good position and nothing much can be done including applying to rent an apartment, opening a bank account etc, and all other efforts will prove futile.
The Cabinet of Sint Maarten has been very successful in assisting the free movers with registering for schools, seeking to house, making calls to schools or the civil registry on Sint Maarten among other things.
Minister Doran-York stated that her Cabinet has and will continue to do all in their power, to assist all students coming to The Netherlands, whether they already have study financing from Sint Maarten, or if they are applying directly to Holland for a scholarship.
She ended the press release by stating that it is not in the favor of the students to travel to The Netherlands without first having a place to register as is mostly very costly and stressful for them.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Due to the generosity of Mid Isle Rotarians, we were able to shop and fill baskets with everyday necessities and some hurricane supplies for the recent fire victims. In one case four homes were lost to fire while a neighbor lost her lively hood due to her taxi being burnt out, in another case, a young mother was able to get the necessary repairs done to her home. President John Caputo of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten accompanied us and introduced us to the fire victims.

The Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle meets Tuesday at 7 pm at Mary’s Boone in Simpson Bay. For more information please contact rotarysxm.mi@gmail.com or visit our face book page Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Department has been quite busy over the weekend answering many calls for police assistance. At least seven of these calls were for fights that had taken place at different locations. These fights do not include the other cases that are presently under investigation by the Detective Department.
On Friday, July 21st, at approximately 10.35 PM a jealous husband with initials P.P.C. was arrested for ill-treating his wife with a machete. As a result of the ill-treatment, the victim suffered several wounds to her body which needed medical attention. The incident took place on the Arch Road in Sucker Garden. The suspect remains in custody pending further investigation.
On Friday, July 21st during a routine control by a police patrol a man with initials A.M. was arrested for the possession of numerous small plastic bags each containing an amount of marijuana. During the control of the vehicle the suspect was driving, the investigating officers realized that the VIN-number on the vehicle had been tampered with, which raised the suspicion that the vehicle might be stolen. The drugs and vehicle were both confiscated for further investigation. The suspect remains in custody.
On Friday, July 21st a man with initials D.S. from Guyana was arrested by police after he attempted run over his wife with his car. The suspect is in police custody for further investigation.
On Saturday, July 22nd a female with initials D.R. was arrested by police on the Soualiga road after she ill- treated her husband with a knife. The victim suffered several cuts to his face and back. The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to the Sint Maarten Medical center for further treatment. After treatment, the victim came to the police station and stated that he did not wish to press charges against his wife. After questioning and summoned to appear in court at a later date the suspect was released.

KPSM Press Release

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group technicians will be carrying out important maintenance works to a company cabinet in the Madame Estate area Tuesday this week - as a result, voice and data services to business and residential properties will be interrupted throughout the day.

The technicians will be cleaning and re-strapping the telecommunication cabinet from 8:00 in the morning until approximately 5:00 pm, Tuesday, when the work is scheduled for completion.

The areas immediately affected will be Grenada Road, PC Hooft St., Johan Vermeer Street, Arch Road (in the vicinity of St. Maarten Cable TV) Watling Island Road and a portion of Guadeloupe Road.

Technicians from TelEm Group’s Zone1 are overseeing the works, which the company says will improve telecommunication services in these areas for residents and businesses alike.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Justice herewith makes the following announcement:

At the time, the Ministry of Justice put all requests for renewal of authorization (i.e. licenses) for possession of (fire)arms on hold, pending the adoption of a new restrictive weapons policy and the establishment of a Weapons Advisory Committee that is to advise the Minister on the applications received.

The new weapons policy was adopted in November 2016, and was subsequently published in the National Gazette of November 25, 2016 ("Nota Policies 2016", National Gazette, 2016 No. 23). The policy is also available for perusal at the secretariat of the Ministry of Justice on the A.Th. Illidge Road 8 in Philipsburg.

Meanwhile, the Weapons Advisory Committee set up by the Minister of Justice, in which the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Police are represented, started the process of handling a large number of applications for permission to carry a weapon.

The Minister wishes to prevent that persons, whose firearms have been registered with the Police and who have proof of having submitted a request for renewal of their weapons’ permit but who, while awaiting a decision on their application are still in possession of their firearm due to the delay in decision making, run the risk of being fined and prosecuted for illegal weapon possession.

Therefore, the Minister grants these persons, after consulting with and obtaining the consent of the Weapons Advisory Committee, from the date of this notice until the date on which a decision is made on their application, but no later than December 31st, 2017, a license to have that firearm in their possession. This general license is deemed to have been granted under the same conditions as under which they have been previously granted a license for the firearm.

The public is hereby informed that anyone who is in possession of a gun or ammunition without being licensed to do so, should hand over the gun to the police under the Firearms Ordinance. Also, if a license holder dies, his survivors must hand over the firearm as well as the ammunition, to the police.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Association for Psychologists and Allied Professionals Sint Maarten (APAP SXM) is reaching out through a Facebook page to improve communication and awareness in our community.
APAP SXM is an association that has been established over a year ago. It strives to promote the practice and professional development of psychology and related fields. It also focuses on serving the social and professional interests of psychologists and related professionals. To achieve these objectives, the association provides intervention meetings for professionals. It also maintains relationships with related professionals and stakeholders. Furthermore, it looks forward to keeping the community involved and aware about developments in the field of psychology here on Sint Maarten.

The foundation’s board consists of President Jolien Louwerse (psychologist at Mental Health Foundation), vice-president Stephanie Haseth (psychologist at Mental Health Foundation), secretary Zuleima Violenus (psychologist at SVOBE) and treasurer Miranda Veltman (independent psychologist). Further members are Alexandra van Luijken (independent psychologist), Carmencita Chemont (independent psychologist), Caroline van Oost (psychologist at White & Yellow Cross), and Henriette Schreurs (educational psychologist at SVOBE). Extra-ordinary members are Cheryl Ferero (child & adolescent psychiatrist) and Stephen Ebecilio (visiting neuro psychologist from Curacao).
Through social media, the association is now looking forward to establishing positive relationships with the community, press, and professionals in the field. The Facebook page will provide information regarding which professionals and services are available on the island. Additionally, the foundation will disseminate information of common interest to the general public, such as new developments in the field of psychology, announcements of local initiatives or conferences, and updates regarding the association.

APAP SXM welcomes everyone to follow their Facebook page via facebook.com/apapsxm.

For more information, or for other professionals looking to join the association, please send your e-mails to apapsxm@hotmail.com

Proud teachers accepted to teach at the local schools.

Pond Island, The University of St. Martin recently celebrated its 23rd commencement ceremony at the Maho Beach Resort with a total of 37 proud graduates. Amongst the graduates, a total of 12 teachers from the Bachelors of Elementary Education will be proudly starting their years in new schools across the island. Ms. Sharon Freiburg, former Division Head of the Education program supported the students from the very beginning of their studies. The educator ensured that the group was prepared and skillful to take their careers to the next step.

In their continuous effort to contribute to an educated citizenry, the students shared their personal experience of their time at the USM, one graduating student said "I am currently substituting at Sr. Marie Laurence and in August I will be at St. Joseph School. I am quite excited! I also hope to one day achieve my masters. You know the saying you are never too old to learn. Being a teacher every day that saying applies, nothing is ever the same. You may be walking into the classroom believing that you know it all, and poof reality knocks you off of your high horse. Nothing beats experience! You have to apply what you learn to the new found experience ahead. But trust me every day is a new learning experience!"

Shudeska Leonard

The best thing about teaching at an elementary school is being able to have an impact on the student's educational platform. It is also very fulfilling to be a role model and play all the different roles in the students' lives. One of the names I'm frequently called is mommy which proves how much love children get from their teachers and also expect from us when they come to school. Teaching elementary school gives you so many experiences from what children say and do there are hardly ever any boring days.
Ludmilla Evers

USM and the great and experienced instructors prepared me for most of the aspects of teaching and taught me the skills I need to relate to my students what they need to know which will lay the foundation for them to be successful in their educational career and life goals. I plan to go into one of the schools on St. Maarten to give back what I have been fortunate to receive from USM. Because going to USM allows you the opportunity to pursue your tertiary studies within the confines of your home, friends, and family so that you can have support when needed in order to be successful. It is also for the younger students an opportunity to mature enough in order to be able to function away from the safety of their home and parents.
Vania Maynard

Teaching should not just be the teacher standing in front of the class and talking, but it should be fun for the students and get them involved and willing to learn and participate. As a teacher not all the students will grasp what is taught instantly and that's where the patience and love for the job come in. If someone is going into teaching just for the vacation day then I urge them not to, because they will not put 100% into the students. Teachers build the foundation in a student's life, and a teacher's input is very crucial to how the students take in information. I enjoy teaching because watching how some of my teachers in elementary school, high school and college taught with a passion and the love they portrayed for what they did inspire me to gain my teaching degree.
Valeta Brown

Press Release Ministry EYS

PHILIPSBURG:--- The invitation by officials of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) for a walk through of the renovated building in Philipsburg was seized by several members of Parliament (Brownbill, Geerlings, Bijlani, Connor and the undersigned) and was arranged for July 18th last, in the presence of Curacao’s Minister of Finance, Gijsbertha.
It has taken the CBCS a long time to reach this far, but at least the official dedication of the building on the Pondfill is now within sight.
The building has been modernized and is much better suited for its purpose than before. That it can now house a staff of 17 members and that active recruiting will start was also welcomed the news. This announcement, however, prompted me to ask for an update regarding the financial training institution that the CBCS was supposed to initiate, a commitment made to me during my tenure as prime minister. This plan is still on the table, I am told.
That the CBCS top is also amenable to a proposal to spread the bank’s operation more equitably amongst the 2 monetary partners is also commendable.
The MPs who toured the renovated building also learned that the plans for a new central bank building on St. Maarten are still under consideration.
All the above, however, in my opinion, makes it critical that the two partners (St. Maarten and Curacao) also reach an agreement regarding how long this union will at least be kept for and whether the lessons with this institution of the past 7 years will be heeded going forward.
Where it was thought that aligning the monetary and fiscal policies of the 2 countries would be the biggest headache, it is issues like the appointment of the supervisory board members of the Bank, which while on paper seem like a no-brainer, that is a challenge.
The fate of the monetary union should not be left up to the “political winds of the day”, but now that calm seems to be returning somewhat, is the time to decide; how further and for how long?
By the way, may I suggest that the name on the building be written in English, possibly with a Papiamentu sub-title?

PHILIPSBURG:--- HAN HUNTU is an organization started for Dutch Caribbean students interested in pursuing their studies at the University of Applied Sciences of Arnhem & Nijmegen (Hogeschool Arnhem en Nijmegen (HAN)).

The event was facilitated by the local chapter of Unified St. Maarten Connection and the University of St. Martin.

During the information session, Ms. Daniel provided an overview of the support HAN HUNTU offers to students and answered questions about registering at the respected municipality (gemeente) upon arrival, opening a bank account and securing insurance. This information was extremely valuable for "free mover" students, who do not have the support of the Department of Study Financing to assist them in regulating these issues.

For more information about HAN HUNTU and their different activities, you are invited to visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hanhuntu/.

You can also view the following YouTube video for a sneak peek into the life of a Dutch Caribbean student attending HAN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRQ2nxZLB0M.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With the 2018 budget discussion upcoming in a few weeks, Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher is hoping to secure an increase in the tourism budget to meet the various goals of government as laid out in the governing program and re-invigorate St. Maarten’s tourism product,
Avoiding mentioning details of a plan she said has been worked out between her cabinet and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau led by its Head Rolando Brison, the Minister said serious budget adjustments are being made to form the basis between now and 2018 as to how government can achieve success and boost St. Maarten’s tourism product. To this end, she explained, the (STB) has identified various crucial activities to be executed within the tourism source markets.
The American market
Currently, the American market accounts for over 63% of stay-over arrivals, and similar numbers exist for the Cruise market. “It is consequently the destination for which we have the most international airlift arriving into the country, with direct flight to key hubs such as JFK, MIA, and Philadelphia. To remain competitive within this market, we have an urgent need for increasing the marketing efforts in this region,” the Minister said. The three main ways in which these marketing efforts will be focused are:

• Through marketing efforts of our marketing firm (MMGY Global)
• Through the proven marketing results of online leading online resellers such as Expedia and Trip Advisor
• Through cooperative marketing efforts with key stakeholders such as the Airport, Harbor and Hotel Associations and international stakeholders
“To only rely on the marketing firm alone to promote the destination will not likely yield positive results. We need a more comprehensive approach to marketing what is by far the most critical tourism market we have. An increase is American marketing budget will be the difference in either being able to grow in the market with new, proven, (cost) effective marketing possibilities or just not realizing growth within the market,” the Minister said.

Canadian Tourism
The Canadian market is St. Maarten’s fastest growing market in 2016, growing from 44,000 to 57,000 Canadian travelers. Much of the marketing efforts, the Minister said, have been through airline partners, and they have been instrumental in helping the destination have a larger foothold in Canada. “In terms of budget, we will look at repeating our efforts with airline partners, but also using our North American firm to do a broader marketing campaign surrounding the efforts of the airline partners. This should yield to yet another year of growth since Airline capacity is expected to be up from 2017 to 2018,” the Minister said.
European Tourism
The Minister said the European market has been making some great strides in 2017. The new marketing firm, AviaReps, had hit the ground running, “we have had a physical presence in Benelux at events for the first time in several years, and we are poised to have several new airlines operating out of Europe for us. Most of the budget goes towards our marketing firm, though some funding is also reserved for additional route development for the region.”
Latin American Tourism Budget
It is the opinion of the STB that the Latin American budget situation has been a case of putting the cart before the horse. The Minister said that millions have been invested into this market, but little or nothing was done in terms of route development and creating an actual business plan for how that market should be developed sustainably for St. Maarten.
“We have no direct connection to any of the larger airports in Latin America, with our sole connection to Latin America being Copa through Panama, which is only the 11th busiest airport in Latin America. With this in mind, the budget will reflect contracting a cost-effective firm to develop a business plan for that region, while maintaining Copa Airlines and targeting new airlift.
Caribbean Tourism
Arrindell-Doncher stressed that the effect of Caribbean tourism on the economy is often underestimated. Numbers show that close to 30% of traffic through the airport is from within the Caribbean.
“While we do subsidize Carnival and other events, we do need to do our part from the tourist office itself for promoting the destination surrounding these events. Also, while our brand has been used for global purposes, the brand we currently have does not necessarily speak to our Caribbean travelers. St. Maarten’s geographic location, more relaxed VISA requirements compared to the US, and competitive shopping sector makes it the best place for Caribbean residents to vacation. A new brand campaign will be geared towards increasing this,” the Minister explained.
The Minister also said that information gathered at the stakeholder session in June, as well as tourism stakeholder's comments about the product, was used in finalizing the plan forward. This session, an initiative of the STB, gave stakeholders direct access to St. Maarten’s marketing firms and provided a platform for exchange of information and key actions that should be executed.

“There are specific plans for each market that I simply cannot divulge at this point in time. Tourism, because of our competition in the region, must be approached strategically as well. It is good to note that stakeholders and Ministry TEATT are on the same page when it comes to the fact that an increase in the tourism budget is necessary. Hopefully, we get there this year,” she said.

Minister Arrindell-Doncher added that product development is a very important part of overall activities, as marketing to a segment without having an adequate product will not result in repeat traffic. Some of the items in product development are:

• Tourism Awareness
• Hosting of Guests
• Trainings and Certification
• Customer Service/Service with a smile
• Tourism Exit Surveys
• Instagram/Facebook influencers marketing campaign
• Youth Programs
• Small Promoters Funds – Low Season Events
• Lifestyle and Fashion Events
• Sport Tourism – Summer of Sports events

GREAT BAY (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, says daily intermittent rainfall creates mosquito breeding opportunities, and therefore, every household and business enterprise needs to continue taking proactive measures to prevent mosquitos from breeding.

Be on the alert for mosquito breeding sites and eliminate them especially after every rainfall event!

Actively destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the saucers of flowerpots, cemetery urns/vases or in pet dishes for more than two days. Throw out the water and turn them over every time it collects water.
Maintain ‘screen off cistern outlets,’ covers and screen off septic tanks properly, and screen windows and doors.
An increase in the mosquito population puts residents and visitors at risk for a mosquito borne disease.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) recently reported that the number of zika cases in the Caribbean has significantly declined from the outbreak of 2016, however, there is still need for continued vigilance and action on mosquito borne diseases, which pose a health security threat, a tourism threat, and an economic threat.

Zika, the newest and latest mosquito borne disease to the Region, came on the heels of chikungunya which affected the health and economic structure of most countries and territories.

In late 2015, the Caribbean confirmed its first case of the zika virus, followed by a dramatic increase in 2016.

The number of laboratory requests and confirmed tests peaked in August, then began a steady decline to December. The zika epidemic has shown signs of a significant slow-down, and the risk to residents and visitors is deemed much lower. However, the region continues to struggle and fight against the Aedes aegypti mosquito responsible for its transmission.

Zika has been associated with an increase in Guillian Barre syndromes (GBS) in five CARPHA member states (CMS). A zika-associated case of microcephaly has also been reported in one country. No reports of sexually transmitted zika cases in CMS have been documented. These associated complications can have a marked impact on the people affected and their communities.

Dr. C. James Hospedales, Executive Director of CARPHA said, “The Region has seen dengue, chikungunya, and now zika which is transmitted by the same mosquito, and the key to tackling them is prevention and control. We must continue to literally wage war on them. But we need to be smarter. We need new approaches and technologies and partners against this threat, which is present throughout most of the tropical world.”

CPS says the war on mosquitos requires an integrated collaborative and effective approach and therefore calls on the populace as well as visitors to wear light colored clothing at dusk; long sleeve shirts and pants; and use mosquito repellent to prevent being bitten by a mosquito that could possibly be carrying a mosquito borne disease.

For information about dengue fever, zika and chikungunya prevention measures, you can call CPS 542-2078 or 542-3003 to report mosquito breeding sites or send us an email at surveillance@sintmaartengov.org

POINTE BLANCHE:--- On Monday, July 24, Port St. Maarten Management and Staff laid a wreath at the statue of the late Dr. Claude Wathey in front of the Cruise Terminal Building on the occasion of his 91st birthday.
The country’s Seaport – Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility - is named after Wathey who has been described as the ‘father of the nation,’ overseeing the economic development of the country over a 40-year period.
The vision of Port St. Maarten is to lead in the Caribbean through quality service and operational excellence while providing a safe and secure environment for the ports customers and the people of the country.
The mission at Port St. Maarten is to provide quality integrated services to its customers through continuous development and innovation in all areas of business while maintaining the leadership role in the economic development on Sint Maarten where sustainability is the cornerstone for 21st-century port development and progress.
Port St. Maarten has grown from 108,000 cruise passengers in 1980 to over 1.5 million passengers annually. The port has received many accolades over the years recognizing its position within the Region and role it plays where employment and business generated for country is concerned, generating one-third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product from its cruise and cargo operations.