News

The kick-off of the  “I Love My Body” program attracted some 45 persons, all interested in creating a healthier life style. Dr. Gina Boorsma introduced the program that will run for 12 consecutive weeks. The participants established a baseline in weight, waist length, blood pressure, etc. The key messages of …

Authorities have slackened on the combating of the illegal drugs trade on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba since the islands became Dutch public entities in October 2010, writes The Daily Herald. Crime in general, including drugs use, thefts and violence, may increase on the islands in the coming years due …

The Daily Herald writes that President of the High Court of the Netherlands Geert Corstens visited Saba, meeting with Governor Jonathan Johnson Tuesday afternoon at the Government Building in The Bottom. Problems with law enforcement were the of the topics of discussion, Corstens said. Judges of the Joint Court of …

Saba Business Association (SBA) president Wolfgang Tooten is lobbying against what he described as discriminatory property tax collection, writes The Daily Herald. He recently met with Caribbean Netherlands tax department official Gerard Meijer to discuss the issue and also wrote a letter to Member of the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber …

President of the High Court of the Netherlands Geert Corstens is currently visiting the Dutch Caribbean, writes the Daily Herald. The High Court President was on St. Maarten on Monday. Today, Tuesday, Corstens will be visiting Saba for a meeting with Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and on Wednesday he will …

The Daily Herald reports that the authorities on St Maarten announced on Monday that the number of chikungunya has climbed to ten. Health Minister Cornelius de Weever said a countrywide cleanup will start on January 25 to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in the various districts. Of the 10 cases recorded, …

By Hazel Durand – After suffering for some time with heart problems, well known businessman Ronald Leon ‘Ronnie’ Johnson succumbed to a heart attack Sunday evening. He was 76 years old, just shy of his 77th birthday, which would have been celebrated this May 27. The news of his passing …

The Netherlands 403 local authorities would like greater powers to raise money through local taxes, the local council association chairwoman Annemarie Jorritsma told website nu.nl. Jorritsma, who is also the mayor of Almere, said that the fact, that the national government wants to transfer the responsibilities for most non-residential care …

When the New Year starts a lot of people make resolutions to improve their health. To support them in keeping their New Year’s resolutions, Dr. Gina Boorsma, General practitioner at Saba Health Care Foundation will once again host the “I Love My Body 2014” initiative. The intention of the project …

The Daily herald reports that the board of Foundation Pension Fund Caribbean Netherlands PCN has decided not to grant indexation on the pensions in 2014. This applies to both the benefits of pensioners and the accrued entitlements of participants, whose pension has not yet started. Earlier this week, PCN had …

The Daily Herald reports that the new Dutch passports will be valid for ten years instead of the current five years,. In St. Maarten they will be available  from March 9.  The Saba Government has not made an announcement so far on when the will be available here. Management of …

The Daily Herald  reports that “four concerned citizens of the Friendly Island”  have started a Facebook page called “Unfair KLM ticket prices SXM – AMS” to protest and maybe trigger a change from KLM regarding its high ticket prices from St. Maarten to Amsterdam. The page was started on Thursday, …

The Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN)  is cooperating with the Scholengemeenschap Bonaire (SGB) in a unique work-study project. Four students of the SGB/MBO/ICT are going to The Netherlands  for about 4 months on internship/training. They also do this in the context of the completion of their study. When they return, they …

The Caribbean Netherlands Police Force KPCN publicly presented declining Saba crime figures over the past year, in the first press conference of this kind held Friday at the Police Station in Windwardside. This writes The Daily Herald. Caribbean Netherlands Chief of Police Hildegard Buitink was joined in the conference by …

Mr A.R.E. ( Guus ) Schram, will be the new Attorney General of Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba . The National Council of Ministers decided to appoint him, at the proposal of the Minister of Security and Justice. The appointment takes effect on February 1, 2014 …

Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) held a “Wild 4 Nature” event Tuesday afternoon at the Trail Shop in Windwardside, reports The Daily Herald. While designed as an after-school outdoor learning activity for local youth, the event quickly turned into an appreciated public event for all tourists visiting the shop that day. …

Civil Servants of the Public Entity of Saba will receive an increase in their salary this month. Salaries will be increased by one step based on the scale the civil servant is currently in. Additionally, they will receive a onetime bashi premium of $150 along with their January salary. Last …

Works of the winners of the Caribbean Netherlands photo contest “This is the place” are currently on display at the Vacation Fair in Utrecht, writes The Daily Herald. Statia Commissioner Carlyle Tearr officially opened the Caribbean Netherlands Expo on Tuesday. Photos of the contest winners from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and …

The cabinet’s decision to shift a large number of care duties from central to local government and health insurers is still opposed by a majority of city and town councils. Just 35% of the 300 plus councils represented at Wednesday’s local authorities association meeting said they backed the plans. The …

The Daily Herald writes today that some of the best qualities of the tightly-knit Saban community reveal themselves when adversity strikes. This is true not just amongst natives but also for adopted community members as in the case of the Haitian family whose house burned to the ground on January …

Private water delivery truck driver and former fire fighter Ernest “Cuchie” Klaber witnessed the house-fire in The Bottom on January 7, and is calling on local authorities to evaluate the professionalism and preparedness of the Saba Fire Department. This writes the Daily Herald. While expressing his criticism in harsh and …

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it is working closely with the French and Dutch authorities after the region recorded its first ever case of chikungunya. Late last month, CARPHA said it had received notification of 10 confirmed cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus infection on the French …

The Daily Herald writes that Commissioner of Economic Affairs and Energy Chris Johnson said, he believes that the key to the smooth transition from former electricity provider GEBE to new Saba Electricity Company (SEC) was consistency. This has been the key point in discussions with the Netherlands, as partner in …

The Daily Herald reports that the board of pension fund Pensioenfonds Caribisch Nederland (PCN) has, for the time being, fixed the pension premiums for 2014 at the same level as in 2013. This means that the premium in 2014 will also be 26.1% of the pension base. The pension base …

Saba will be represented at the annual “Boot” Boat show, the top international show for recreational diving which will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from January 18 to January 26. The Saba Divers and Scout’s Place hotel managers will be present at the show with a stand to showcase Saba …

The Daily Herald writes that the first copy of a report on trending topics and developments in healthcare in the Caribbean Netherlands was handed over to Island Governor of St. Eustatius Gerald Berkel during a presentation at Ocean View restaurant Tuesday afternoon. The Trend Report, drafted by Dutch healthcare foundation …

Inflation on Saba in the fourth quarter of 2013 was 1.2 percent . This is 0.2 percentage points lower than the previous quarter. This was because the prices of electricity , food and recreation inflation slightly lowered . The average inflation rate in 2013 was much lower than on the …

Jo Spalburg reported some interesting news from the Saba Bank. Local fishermen today independently reported to Jimmy van Rijn, Saba Bank Park Officer, that since November 2013, while gutting Blackfin Snapper (Lutjanus buccanella) caught in traps on the Saba Bank, in depths between 90 and 108 meters, the invasive lionfish …

Press release from Police Force Dutch Caribbean: Attempted burglary On Wednesday, January 8th, around 4:09 PM, a report was made regarding an attempted burglary in a house situated at the Under the Hill Road. The lock on the back door was destroyed. Collision On Wednesday, January 8th, around 4:40 PM, …

DutchNews reported yesterday that nearly 900,000 people aged between 62 and 75 will be called up for a bowel cancer test in January, the public health institute RIVM said on Thursday. People will be asked to send a small sample of their faeces for testing. If traces of blood are …

Saba’s leading Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM) party submitted an open letter to the visiting members of the Dutch Parliament Second Chamber delegation prior to the inter-parliamentary talks in Curaçao. This reports the Daily Herald. The letter outlines the island’s main concerns with regard to the electricity law, foreigners’ voting …

The Daily Herald writes that  on Monday January 6, a group of eleven Marechaussees from St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius started training for an upgrade in the functions from immigration officers to police officers. One person from Saba attended the training, along with four people from Statia, including a …

Members of the Island and Executive Councils of the WIPM party presented a letter to member of the Permanent Committee on Kingdom Relations during their recent visit to the island. The letter raises concerns over the way various issues affecting the island are being handled in The Hague. A primary …

On Tuesday January 7th around 9.26 PM the Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department received notice there was a fire in a home in Upper Town in the Bottom. The Fire Department arrived on the scene at approximately 9.40 PM and discovered the structure engulfed in flames. Their first course of action …

In a press release today, the Chamber of Commerce of St. Eustatius & Saba announced their Annual Plan for 2014. The CoC is an institution that is recognized by businesses and foundations as a valuable partner and service provider. The Chamber plays an important role in stimulating entrepreneurship, investment and social …

In a press release today,  the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force (KPCN) announced that their dispatchers have started a course this week to increase their knowledge, specifically for the task they have to perform. Dispatchers, in cases of emergency, are the first contacts for Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius at the …

The Daily Herald writes about the delegation of the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber that visited Saba Saturday and highlights two comments. Wassila Hachchi of centredemocrat D66 party and Roelof van Laar (PvdA) were joined on this trip by André Bosman of conservative VVD party, Ronald van Raak of Socialist Party …

The first island-wide workshop for teachers on Saba was held on the first school day after the Christmas vacation, reports The Daily Herald. Primary and secondary school children could stay home one extra day, while the teachers of Sacred Heart and Saba Comprehensive School participated in a workshop on pupil-centred …

In a press release, the RCN announced today that the results of the third perception study in the Dutch Caribbean will be available soon. Since the baseline survey in 2011, the satisfaction of the citizens in the Dutch Caribbean about education, health, safety, fire department, police department and tax, have …

Belkis Osepa reports in “Caribisch Network” about the visit of the delegation of the Second Chamber of the parliament. Translation: SabaNews. There is work to be done for the people of the Caribbean Netherlands when it comes to the pricey goods in supermarkets . VVD parliamentarian André Bosman believes that …