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NTR | caribbean network reports that European grant money from the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) for Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius will be managed by International Management Group (IMG). Executive USONA is no longer involved in this. The choice of a new party was needed, because …

The next generation: Willem Alexander and Maxima in the Ridderzaal. Photo: Novum King Willem-Alexander has made his first speech from the throne, outlining government policy for the coming year. The speech, which lasted 17 minutes, focused on forthcoming legislation, in particular on changes to the care sector. In the speech, …

Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem heads for parliament, briefcase in hand. Photo: Novum The cabinet wants to ensure the Dutch economy undergoes a ‘sustainable recovery’ with substance, finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem told parliament on Tuesday. Outlining the state of the government’s finances, Dijsselbloem said the Netherlands is now back at the …

With a string of leaks over the past few weeks and this weekend’s RTL scoop covering key macro-economic figures, much of the government’s 2014 spending plans are already out in the open. The plans will be formally presented to parliament on Tuesday after king Willem-Alexander has made his first speech …

Psychology professor, prolific writer and former all-American pro football player, Daniel Eckstein, aged 66, passed away on Saturday August 31, in Ashland, Oregon. The news shook the whole of the Saban community, as this man had touched the lives of many here, beyond the confines of his faculty position with …

The Daily Herald reports that the government of Bonaire is not thrilled about the announcement that national government representative for the Caribbean Netherlands Wilbert Stolte is leaving per May 1, 2014, but extra-parliamentary party PHU is. The public body does welcome an evaluation of the national coordination for Bonaire, St. …

The Kingdom Youth Parliament has launched its Website www.kingdomyouthparliament.org , writes The Daily Herald . The Website provides information about the Kingdom Youth Parliament, which is to convene on St. Maarten in May 2014. A total of 50 youngsters from all parts of the kingdom will be forming teams to …

The initial and main reason for the Island Council to visit Bonaire was for them to attend the Bonaire Day celebrations on September 6, said Acting Island Council Registrar Akilah Levenstone during an interview with the Daily Herald concerning the goals and outcomes of the recent work visit. At council …

The Daily Herald writes that the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, and St. Maarten, and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, has recently introduced an arrangement to file complaints with the Board of the Court. Everyone who feels incorrectly treated by the Court of First Instance or the …

The Dutch Caribbean islands as Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) cannot make use of the so-called Structure Funds of the European Union, as reported by the Daily Herald.To do so, they would have to change their status to Ultra Peripheral Territory (UPT). Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations …

The Daily Herald writes that the Expertise Centre Education Care (EC2) has developed a new programme in early childhood development to assist parents in structuring their interactions with children of ages 4-8. EC2 Director Henriette van Heijnsbergen and behavioural coach Connie Adkins explained the purpose of “Jump Start.” The logo …

The Daily Herald writes – as already had been reported by SabaNews earlier – that the European Commission (EC) is no longer sending money for development projects to funds manager “Stichting Ontwikkeling Nederlandse Antillen” (SONA), because it wants to await the outcome of an investigation into alleged irregularities started by …

Wilbert Stolte resigned as State Representative on the Dutch islands of Bonaire , Saba and St. Eustatius . May next year, he explains his position . That  this morning reported  Minister Plasterk of the Interior and Kingdom Relations ( PvdA ) to the Second Chamber by letter. 
The position of …

Following a press release from the RCN, the Kingdom Representative for the public entities of Bonaire, St.Eustatius  and Saba, Mr. Wilbert Stolte, has informed Minister Plasterk of Home Affairs & Kingdom Relations, that he wants to resign from his post as of  May 1st 2014. At that moment he has …

Dutchnews writes that Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp plans to increase public and company involvement in drawing up new rules, saying outside input will make laws easier to understand and improve the way they work. ‘This in the end will reduce red tape,’ Kamp says in a briefing to MPs. …

The Daily Herald writes that experts from French, British and Dutch overseas territories gathered at the conference on European Union (EU) law in the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) of Erasmus School of Law in Rotterdam to discuss the relations between the OCTs and the EU. The conference was highly …

The European Commission blocks for almost a year to finance development projects for the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. The cause is the possible fraud with funds from the European Development Fund ( EDF ), as reported by NRC/Handelsblad . OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office , is doing research …

The Daily Herald reports that the Sacred Heart primary school teacher Helen Hassell announced the introduction of the afterschool reading programme “Turn the Page” for children grades 1-6. Interest in participation will be gouged through a first meeting to be held with the collaboration of local organizations, at Eugenius Johnson …

After hosting an open day for the Saba public, writes The Daily Herald, the Royal Netherlands Navy with their support vessel ZMs. Pelikaan and its crew assisted Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) in placing mooring blocks around the island. To protect the unique reefs in Saba Marine Park it is crucial …

Following the presentation of United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF report “Children of the Kingdom, juvenile rights in the Caribbean Netherlands,” Karin Kloosterboer of UNICEF Netherlands will be visiting Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba to give presentations and workshops to professionals working with youth, ascan be read in The Daily Herald. …

The Daily Herald writes, that according to Rutte, a definite regulation was set for the financial and constitutional relations with the islands when the former Netherlands Antilles became dismantled per October 10, 2010, the countries Curaçao and St. Maarten were established and the island territories Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba …

Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) held a White Coat Ceremony welcoming 94 new students in the entering class of Fall 2013, on Friday, September 6 at the New Building Auditorium on campus. This writes The Daily Herald. The event also featured the induction of 13 fifth semester medical students …

The Daily Herald reports that the National Service Caribbean Netherlands RCN paid attention to the Day of the Press in a special way. After an interactive workshop on intercultural communication for journalists, RCN launched two campaigns. The first regards a new promotion film on the Caribbean Netherlands: “The most beautiful …

King Willem- Alexander and Queen Máxima will start their visit to the Dutch Caribbean on St. Maarten on November 12, writes The Daily Herald. The Dutch Government Information Service RVD released the tentative data of the royal visit to the six islands on Friday. The King and Queen will arrive …

Sttia news published the following comment. I read the draft electricity and drinking water law, which has been revised on the RCN website. I have a comment. The law provides favorable treatment of small consumers who want to install solar panels, which is a good thing. But unfortunately it defines …

The Daily Herald writes that the Island Council travelled to Bonaire on Monday, September 2, for talks with their counterparts of St. Eustatius and Bonaire. The consultations are to coordinate positions on a number of issues prior to the upcoming October “BES week” in The Hague, where the Caribbean Netherlands …

After having performed hurricane exercises in the other Dutch Caribbean Windward Islands, writes The Daily Herald, the Royal Netherlands Navy arrived on Saba to hold a series of public events at Fort Bay Harbour on Tuesday. From 9:00am to 1:00pm more than 400 visitors attended the public events organized by …

Democratic Party D66 (D66) and the Christian Union (CU) are not in support of the law initiative of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party, writes The Daily Herald. The CU thinks that it creates inequality among the citizens of …

The Daily Herald reports that the law initiative of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party to regulate the permanent residence of people from Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten in the Netherlands appears to have the support of at least …

DutchNews writes: The Netherlands has fallen three places to number eight in the latest World Economic Forum ranking of the world’s most competitive economies. In the 2012 edition, the Netherlands had risen two places to number 5, much to the satisfaction of government ministers. Erasmus university professor Henk Volberda, who …

NTR Caribisch netwerk writes: “Trust in the independence of the Kingdom Representative is important. Eventually it matters that the administrative system functions.” That said Minister Ronald Plasterk of Kindom Relations during the question time in the Second Chamber, today. The Minister investigates the functioning of Kingdom Representative Wilbert Stolte because …

The Dutch newspaper Het Parool reports that Ronald Plasterk, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has no doubts about  the integrity of Wilbert Stolte, the Kingdom Representative on Bonaire. Following a recent publication in NRC Handelsblad, the crisis arose after the arrival of Stolte in May 2011. At present, …

Also the Daily Herald writes about the position of Stolte that the Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk didn’t heed the advice of former Dordrecht Mayor Ronald Bandell to replace National Government Representative for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Wilbert Stolte. The Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad …

Yesterday the RCN launched a photo contest with the theme “This is THE place”, a cross-border photo contest for all citizens of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.On November 16th, 2013 a unique and cross-border photo exhibition will be opened on Bonaire, and this exhibition will simultaneously be shown on St. …

Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM) Chairman of the Central Committee Rolando Wilson released official responses to several questions received via the Executive Council, writes The Daily Herald. Interim Manager of the Government Building Agency Fleur Lagcher answered in a letter dated August 12, questions about when new plans for the …

In the The NRC  from August 31, 2013 can be read that  Minister Plasterk from Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations has not acted upon an advice in January, to replace the Kingdom Representative on Bonaire. The Minister received the advice from Ronald Bandell, former mayor of Dordrecht. Bandell, on the …

Recently the Ministry of Waterways and Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat) has stationed two so-called current busters in the harbor of Kralendijk Bonaire. The current buster can be used to collect oil during oil spill at sea. The spilled oil can then be pumped up and drained. The delivery of the material …

The Daily Herald writes what the Consultative Body of Dutch Caribbean persons in the Netherlands OCAN stated in a lengthy letter of objection to the Second Chamber on Thursday.: The “racial” law proposal of Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD …

The number of people in the Netherlands claiming welfare benefits (bijstand) reached 400,000 by the end of June as 21,000 people joined the ranks of the long-term unemployed. In 2012 as a whole there were 12,000 new claims. Welfare benefits are paid to people with few assets and kick in …

The Catholic Youth of the island led by Living Water Community sister Jenni Jennings held a thanks giving event Sunday evening August 25, for all those who spiritually and financially supported the Youth’s trip to Trinidad in July, as reported in The Daily Herald. The youth performed a song and …