SABA (THE BOTTOM) - On April 16th and 17th, a delegation from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management visited Saba. The delegation was headed by the Director General for Environment and International Affairs at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), Afke van Rijn, with her team, Sebe Buitenkamp and Milton Horn.

Their visit began with a tour of the solar park, accompanied by Governor Jonathan Johnson and Island Secretary Bram Streppel. They were hosted by Managing Director of Saba Electric, Mark Zagers, who expressed his thanks to various Ministries and funding agencies for assisting with the building of the solar park. He also described the challenges faced such as the rising cost of fuel and equipment.

A visit to the Hell’s Gate Guts followed as Governor Johnson explained various issues surrounding this area such as illegal dumping of garbage and erosion. 

On the 17th of April, at Saba Splash, the delegation was welcomed by Oscar Vander Kaap who gave a tour of the facility. He explained the process of how the water is filtered, the addition of the minerals in accordance with Dutch law and the bottling process. He stated that testing on St. Maarten continues for each batch and indicated that while 60% of the population uses Saba Splash, there is still capacity to grow, with hopes for further reducing the cost.

Following this, a meeting was held between the delegation and Department Heads of Waste Management, Policy and Project Bureau and Infrastructural and Spatial Development. One of the main discussion points was clarity on the upcoming implementation of the IAB BES and how the Ministry of IenW, along with the Inspectorate for Human Environment and Transport (ILT), would work with PES in actualizing this goal. The delegation team also acknowledged the unique situation on Saba which must be taken into consideration.

In the afternoon, the delegation joined Zelda Meeuwsen, Head of Infrastructural & Spatial Development, Courtney Hassell, Policy Advisor, and Mark Zagers at Fort Bay. Meeuwsen showed the location for the new Black Rocks Harbor and shared the plans and timeline for construction, while Zagers presented the potential location of the new solar park. Zagers shared his concerns about drainage and runoff into the ocean as there is growing concern for the environment. Hassell reiterated this, citing the decline in coral from around thirty percent coverage in the 1990’s to just eight percent now, which encourages Saba to work more towards protecting the environment when making strides to becoming more self-sufficient.

The delegation then visited the waste management facility. Waste Management Department Head, Roxanne Simmons, explained the process of exporting the waste and the changes that have been made from the beginning of the year. She also expressed the challenge related to community involvement as efforts are still being made to encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly via the correct bins.

During their last stop at the Saba Research Center, Alwin Hylkema shared information on various projects such as the Diadema-Sea urchin research which focuses on restoring the coral reefs around Saba.

The delegation left on April 17th with the Makana ferry, going onward to Sint Eustatius.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – As part of the Collective Preventive Service’s (CPS) annual calendar of health observances for the month of April, emphasis is placed on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). CPS takes the opportunity to remind and encourage the community to take a proactive approach to prevent STIs.

Sexually Transmitted Infections are real and are present. STIs do not discriminate. Individuals should also be well informed by educating themselves about STIs in order to make wise decisions.

STIs are infections that are spread primarily through person-to-person sexual contact.  STIs are infections that are likely to be transmitted while having unprotected sex.  

If you may have been exposed to an STI or if you have ever had unprotected (without a condom) sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) with someone whose status you don't know, consult your general practitioner, and get tested.

There are more than 30 different sexually transmissible bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

The most common conditions they cause are gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chancroid, genital herpes, genital warts, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis B infection and cancer.

Practicing safer sex is important as it decreases the chances of transmitting sexual infections.  Safer sex means taking positive action to lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections. You can lower your risk of becoming infected with an STI by using a (male or female) condom the right way every time you have sex.

Unsafe sex results in unplanned consequences. Be responsible for your health and your partner’s by making an informed choice.

For STI information you can also contact your general practitioner and the Sint Maarten AIDS Foundation. Enjoy life, be well informed, and get yourself tested and know your status!

SABA/SINT EUSTATIUS - In Q1 2024, consumer goods and services on Bonaire were 3.5 percent more expensive than one year previously. In Q4 2023, the inflation rate was 4.1 percent. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of the consumer price index for the Caribbean Netherlands.

On St. Eustatius, prices rose by 0.3 percent in Q1 2024, year on year, having fallen by 1.0 percent in Q4 2023. Inflation on Saba was 2.0 percent in Q1 2024, compared with 1.2 percent in Q4 2023.

Prices on Saba up by 0.7 percent compared to last quarter

On Saba, prices rose by 0.7 percent in Q1 2024 compared with the previous quarter. Communications were 10.4 percent more expensive this quarter. In Q4 2023, communications costs were lower due to a one-time grant provided by the Island Council in November 2023. Additional subsidies were provided 1 January 2024, as on Bonaire and St. Eustatius, which mitigated price rises following the November cuts. Electricity costs also rose 3.5 percent compared with the previous quarter, due to an increase in the variable energy rate on 1 January.

The increase in inflation this quarter was mitigated by a 3.2 percent fall in prices for clothing and footwear compared with the previous quarter.

Prices on St. Eustatius 1.7 percent higher than in previous quarter

On St. Eustatius, consumer prices rose 1.7 percent in Q1 2024 compared to Q4 2023. Transportation costs increased compared to the previous quarter. Airline ticket prices rose by 14.6 percent, while petrol became 3.1 percent more expensive. The average price of a car also rose by 4.7 percent compared to the previous quarter. The price of electricity rose by 5.9 percent compared to Q4 2024. The variable energy rate was increased on 1 January, just as it was on Bonaire.

On the other hand, prices for clothing and footwear fell by 3.4 percent compared to the previous quarter, which had a downward effect on the overall price change in consumer goods. Communications costs also fell by 9.4 percent this quarter. As in Bonaire, the additional subsidy on internet subscriptions came into effect on 1 January.

Prices on Bonaire up by 0.3 percent over previous quarter

Prices in Bonaire rose 0.3 percent compared with the previous quarter. This increase was caused in part by higher costs for housing, water and energy. Electricity costs rose by 1.4 percent due to an increase in the variable energy rate which took effect on 1 January. Prices in accommodation and food services rose by 5.7 percent this quarter compared with the previous quarter.

Inflation was held back by lower communication costs, which fell by 14.1 percent from the previous quarter. This fall was caused by an additional subsidy for internet subscriptions that took effect on 1 January. Transportation costs were also lower: petrol prices fell 5.2 percent in Q1 compared to the previous quarter.

Provisional figures

The figures relating to Q1 2024 are provisional and will only become definitive upon the publication of the figures on Q2 2024. The preliminary figures for Q4 2023 for Saba have been adjusted due to updated data on telecommunications costs. The preliminary figures for Q4 2023 for Bonaire were also adjusted due to changes resulting from the definitive analysis and the processing of data on prices for motor vehicles.

Papiamentu

A Papiamentu translation of this news release can be obtained from Statistics Netherlands’ office on Bonaire by sending a request via email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sources

StatLine - Caribbean Netherlands

https://opendata.cbs.nl/#/CBS/en/dataset/84046ENG/table?ts=1713793718855

SABA (WINDWARDSIDE) - Saba, participated in the 16th edition of the St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART). The event, which brought together Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Writers, and Event Planners from across the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, served as a pivotal platform for Saba to showcase its unique offerings and the opportunity for valuable connections within the tourism industry.

Throughout the event, Saba had the opportunity to engage in a series of appointments aimed at promoting the island's activities, informing attendees of its diverse range of experiences, and fostering networking opportunities with new and existing tour operators and travel agents. Particularly noteworthy was the emphasis on highlighting Saba's potential for island hopping experiences, an area that could be overlooked by new tour operators. The tourist Bureau was represented by Stephanie Peterson & Malinda Hassell.

Furthermore, Saba had the privilege of meeting with representatives from St. Martin and St. Maarten tourism boards, WinAir, and other regional island tourism boards to explore potential collaborations and discuss opportunities.

Saba also hosted after the event ABC Travel and Bay Travel from The Netherlands, both tour operators who actively promote and sell Saba. This provided an invaluable opportunity to acquire updates on the properties they sell and the activities and culinary aspects the island has to offer. Both expressed that they were impressed by the product offering and would highly recommend clients to book Saba. Both tour operators also sell an SSS Island Hopping package which is gaining a lot of interest.

Reflecting on the event, Malinda Hassell, Director of Tourism for Saba, commented, "The SMART tradeshow serves as a platform for connecting regional islands with trade partners from diverse regions. As St. Maarten serves as our main hub, this event offers an ideal platform for meaningful discussions on sales, training, collaborations, and product offerings. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the SMART organizers for a successful event."