SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Number seven candidate on the URSM slate Richinel Brug, urges the people of Sint Maarten to come out on January 11^th, and vote massively for Integrity Honesty & Competence.

“As this election season comes to an end, I would like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering support from the people of Sint Maarten. It has been an incredible journey, and one that I am truly humbled by.”

“Thank you for your interest in my vision for a better future for our children. Thank you for joining the movement. I believe wholeheartedly that our children deserve elected politicians who are honest and have integrity, who genuinely care about the well-being of our children. Politicians who are committed to securing a prosperous future for them. They need leaders who will prioritize education as the foundation upon which all progress can be built.”

“Leaders who understand the critical role of our teachers and frontline workers. Leaders who respect our seniors. Too often, we witness politicians who make empty promises without any intention of fulfilling them once they are elected into office. This kind of dishonesty erodes trust in our democratic system and undermines the hopes and dreams of our younger generation.”

“Thus, it is imperative that we elect representatives with integrity. Individuals such as my person who prior to being elected took monies out of my pocket to create 3 draft amendments in an effort to alleviate poverty on Sint Maarten. I submitted a draft National decree containing general measures ensuring that every child who goes to school on an empty stomach can receive a free meal. I also submitted a Risk-allowance proposal for frontline workers. The Risk-allowance law initiative would not only bolster the benefits of our current civil servants who are considered Frontline Workers, it would also add additional value to the profession itself. It would not only be applicable to personnel in the Justice chain, but also to the hardworking men and women at the Fire Department, the Ambulance department, our civil servants who are nurses, our security guards, and any other civil servant whose function adds additional risk to their life or their ability to continue to provide for their families.”

“Lastly, I submitted a draft law initiative to ensure teachers who are stuck in their current salary scale, can go over to the next scale. As said before: teachers should not be held hostage in their current salary scales. I did not only talk the talk: but I also walked the walked prior to being elected.”

“I would like to thank the Almighty, my family, the URSM, my team and you the voter for your unwavering support. May we move forward together with hope, determination, and a shared commitment to building a stronger and more prosperous Sint Maarten. I, Richinel Brug, humbly ask you to vote on January 11^th, 2024, for my person: the number 7 candidate on the URSM slate (list number 6) led by Dr. Mercelina.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Member of Parliament (MP) Grisha Heyliger-Marten has expressed her concerns about information she received concerning the reconstruction process at PJIA.

According to Heyliger-Marten, she has been informed that certain contractors conducting work at PJIA are awaiting payments totaling USD. 300,000.

“Information reaching my office alleges that the reconstruction process of one of our national gateways is marred by gross non-performance, mismanagement, and negligence”, Heyliger-Marten stated in a press release issued on Monday afternoon.

According to Heyliger-Marten, she has been informed that Ballast Nedam, being the main contractor, has assigned Sustainable Development Consulting B.V. (SDC B.V.) as the main contractor to remove the debris from the demolition process. However, SDC B.V. has not paid the local companies subcontracted to remove the debris for over a year. This has allegedly resulted in a total of USD. 300,000 in outstanding payments to date. Local companies affected by this include Full Hundred Trucking, All Waste In Place, and SM Green Diamonds N.V. Additionally, the representative of SDC B.V. is said to have stopped communicating with its subcontractors and instead contracted another company to remove the remainder of the debris.

“Needless to say that this is an unacceptable situation that needs to be urgently addressed by the Management and Shareholder’s representative of PJIA”, Heyliger-Marten stated. “In addition to the outstanding payments, the approval process to store material leaving the construction site to be separated, shredded, and recycled was put on hold because proper research into the designated storage area was done incorrectly. As a result, the Ministry of VROMI sent out a legal notice stating that the materials should not be stored at the residential location in Cole Bay.

This stopped the process of removing the debris, during which time the contractors could not conduct the work. Containers with harmful chemicals and solid waste collection bins sized 10m³ ab 20m³ were then used to store the materials without approval until a solution for payment was found. All of this caused delays in the reconstruction process”, according to Heyliger-Marten.

I hope that both PJIA and the Government will urgently look into this matter, explain the people of St. Martin what has been going on, and how this situation will be resolved, Heyliger-Marten concluded.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The General Audit Chamber has just presented its report titled "Auditing public travel and Parlatino membership" to Parliament. This audit evaluates the efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance of travel-related activities to ensure that public funds are used in a responsible and transparent manner.

Although travel can be a necessary component of government functioning, it is equally important for Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers, and the civil service to adhere to established rules and regulations governing travel expenses. They can demonstrate responsible use of public funds and ensure transparency and fairness.

The regulations governing travel for MPs and Ministers allow them to travel in first or business class. Additionally, they are entitled to receive a per diem of ANG 720 per day. However, they are not required to provide accountability for how the per diem is used. Additionally, there is no requirement that any unused per diem funds be reimbursed. This lack of tracking and reporting obligations creates a gap in accountability, which could potentially lead to inappropriate spending.

The General Audit Chamber identified the highest travel expenses incurred by ministers and civil servants in a single business trip during 2022. Highlighting shortcomings in following regulations and policies, the Audit Chamber recommends improvements to address these issues. This is to ensure the efficient and effective use of public funds allocated for travel.

On Parliament's request, the Audit Chamber audited membership in Parlatino to evaluate its effectiveness. Parlatino is an intergovernmental organization, comprising of national parliaments of Latin American and Caribbean nations. Since joining in 2010, Parliament spent about ANG 2 million on travel expenses and membership fees.

The Audit Chamber has determined that membership in Parlatino presents both advantages and challenges compared to a regional approach. With this report, it aims to provide Parliament the necessary insights to make a well-informed decision on the future direction.

The report recommends strategies to enhance transparency and accountability in public officials' travel due to the country's precarious financial situation.

The report is published in English and Dutch and is available on the General Audit Chamber website (www.arsxm.org) and via links on the General Audit Chamber’s social media platforms, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - President of Peridot Foundation Gracita Arrindell stated: “The start of a new year always gives us pause to look back at experiences of the past year. Ringing in a New Year with gratitude as well as with anticipation of what the New Year will bring. Anticipation of what is yet to come for family, friends, and other loved ones but also for the community we serve and have been serving for a few decades.

“We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who in some way or another supported our cause, celebrating International Women’s Day March 8^th and commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness ‘sixteen days of activism’ from November 25^th to December 16^th Human Rights Day.

“The dedicated support mainly in- kind, by several sponsors and the many local and international speakers who shared their experiences and vision for a better community is what kept us focused and committed towards our cause.

Additionally, our end- of the -year Holiday decoration of the Churchill-Roundabout has become an event many look out for including shoppers in the Cay-hill- bush road area.

“Switching the lights on and for the holiday’s starts with requesting permission from the Ministry of Public works (Vromi) and as of late getting the green light from our electrical and water company GEBE.”

Gracita concludes: “For 2024 one of our main projects that has been on the backburner for the past three years due to the lack of funding, is the introduction of the Abuse Alert Mobile Application app. In short this App is aimed to save lives and make a difference in the quality of life for domestically abused citizens. We look forward to publicly share more about this project soon.”

Peridot Foundation board members Jacky Holiday, Bertille Chitick, Perla Bruney, Jandery Martinez, Gracita Richards, Alexandria Velasquez wishes the community of Sint Maarten a Safe, Prosperous and Happy New Year 2024 filled with its promise of action towards a Peaceful society.