News

StatiaNews has published the contents of the the “Motion of no confidence” tabled by Island Council Merkman on July 4, 2013.  This motion was supported by Council members Zaandam en Lijfrock. Consequently, this lead to the resignation of Commissioner Sneek . The motion can be read here: Motion of non-confidence …

A representative of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) denied allegations from Saba residents and businesses on Friday, that the bank’s system was overcharging customers and blocking employees’ pay. Patricia Borger, a regional marketing manager for RBC, said bank employees were “working full force to…look after our clients [and] make sure …

BREADLINE PLAZA/Saba- As of this month Saba will have its first on-island optical specialist. Marie Luise Ameen the proprietor of EYE CARE OPTICAL SABA is Saba`s new Optometrist. Originally from Germany, Mrs. Ameen, who is also referred to as “Mrs. Lucy” studied Optometry in Stuttgart where she obtained her certification …

  Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) students assisted the Saba Lions Club members in packing the Hurricane Season baskets for the club’s annual food bank. The beneficiaries are mostly elderly residents who need help especially during the often challenging hurricane season. The groups of student volunteers are current members …

A new Dutch-style bakery opened this week in Windwardside. “Bizzy B” bakery is housed in the newly erected Breadline Properties complex. The owner and manager is Rachel Thijssen, known locally for her management of “The Eden Bakery” since 2008. Thijssen took over the Eden bakery from the owners of a …

Update July 7, 2013: read the acceptance speech of Mr. Zaandam at the end of this article. StatiaNews reports the dismissal of Mr. Koos Sneek as commissioner. The decission has been taken in the Island Council meeting of July 6. Mr. Sneek is replaced by Mr. Reginald Zaandam (UPC). The …

Graduating Saba teens spent last week in workshops that helped prepare them to study abroad. Instructors talked to the students about social skills and budgeting during VOBESS, which means Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Students’ Preparation. They also discussed sexuality and drug use. The courses were designed to address the …

Sacred Heart primary School (SHS) held a graduation ceremony celebrating pupils’ advancement to the Saba Comprehensive School. The ceremony was held Saturday afternoon in the new building auditorium of the Saba University School of Medicine in The Bottom. A substantial number of family, friends and teachers turned out for the …

TelEm Group announced this week that it would be carrying out “fine-tuning” work on the 2G and 3G mobile networks for the next three weeks to further improve service to customers throughout St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. “There has been a tremendous improvement in the overall network performance since …

Saba has been working for nearly eight years to decide how to split the shares of NV GEBE, formerly a central government- owned utilities company. The Island Council Friday unanimously approved the proposal to shift Saba’s stake in GEBE to that island. The government said the company plans to invest …

The labor participation rate in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2012 ranged from nearly 73 percent on Bonaire to more than 64 percent on Saba. The unemployment rate in the Caribbean Netherlands was slightly lower than in the European Netherlands. These are the results from the Labor Force Survey Caribbean Netherlands …

The Financial Intelligence Units of St. Maarten and the BES Islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) held a joint training session about identity and document fraud at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino last week Thursday. The training was geared towards fighting money laundering and terrorism financing and was …

Police on Saba helped lead a sea-rescue mission Sunday after a boat carrying the island’s softball team was stranded with engine failure. A passenger aboard Dawn II reported a problem about 6:45pm that evening, alerting the police. Officers phoned in helped from St. Maarten’s Coast Guard unit, which deployed a …

Charles “Charlie” Smink is the new chief of The Netherlands Police Force Saba (KPCN-Saba). Smink takes over for Heleen Prins who had run the island’s police. Smink and Prins had worked together on the motorbike patrol in the Royal Military Constabulary (KMAR) in Amsterdam. That was in the 90s. Smink’s …

People on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba who have been fined by the police for traffic violations, not paying motor vehicle tax or driving uninsured are urged to avoid a hearing in court by paying up. In a press release, the Public Prosecutor’s office for the Caribbean Netherlands explained that …

According to Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Winair Georges Greaux, the airline has posted a modest operational profit in 2012, quite a turnaround from the period before October 2010, when the airline booked accumulated operational losses of US $16.8 million and accumulated a sizable debt, resulting in a US …

Opposition leader, Councilman Ishmael Levenston submitted written questions to the Executive Council in addition to the interpellation submitted in the public Island Council meeting last Friday. The first written question regarded the frequency of meetings between Commissioner Chris Johnson and the board of Own Your Own Home Foundation (OYOHF) and …

Councilman Ishmael Levenston, Saba Labour Party opposition leader, lodged an interpellation and presented additional written questions for the Executive Council (the Executive) during the public Island Council Meeting held on June 28. The interpellation consisted of inquiries into the Executive’s visits to The Netherlands, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, the Dominican …

The Saba Cultural Foundation has presented the official program for the Saba Carnival 2013: Click here for the facebook link

As we commemorate 150 years since the Abolition of Slavery in the Dutch Kingdom, which is now celebrated as Emancipation Day, it is important that we as Sabans reflect on and remember, the horrible chapter in history, that at one time played out on our shores. The history of slavery …

High household debt, falling house prices, public spending cuts and the reluctance of banks to lend are keeping the Dutch economy depressed, credit agency Standard & Poor’s said on Monday. S&P’s expects house prices to fall 3% this year and a further 1% in 2014. This is a total fall …

Windward Islands Airways Intl NV (Winair) in its continuous efforts has upgraded it sales channels by joining the Sabre GDS (Global Distribution System) on June 7th, 2013. Joining the Sabre GDS will allow Winair to be sold by an additional 250,000 Travel Agents around the world but primarily in the …

Today and yesterday the annual trade mission is held in Eindhoven. St. Eustatius is represented by Koos Sneek, commissioner of finance, and also by members of the Chamber of Commerce of Statia and Saba and by members of Statia’s business Association, Steba. Winston Fleming, chairman of Steba mentioned that during …

The Expertise Centre Education Care EC2 organized a fun meet and greets session on Tuesday, November 27 at 5:30pm at Sunny Valley Youth Centre in The Bottom for youth and parents to get to know EC2 better. A quiz game was organised for all participants, encouraging them to get to …

Today and tomorrow the annual trade mission is held in Eindhoven. St. Eustatius is represented by Koos Sneek, commissioner of finance, and also by members of the Chamber of Commerce of Statia and Saba such as Alida Heilbron and by members of Statia’s business Association, Steba. More information about this trade …

A workshop providing information on the best way to identify whale and dolphin species around St. Maarten will be held at the Nature Foundation office in Cole Bay on December 3, from 1:30 to 4:00pm. Meike Scheidat and Steve Geelhoed of the Dutch research institute IMARES, which is part of …

Members of the Caribbean Netherlands Customs Department recently intercepted drug packages of 323.5 grams of cocaine on Saba and 500 grams of cannabis in Bonaire, with a combined total street value of approximately US $25,000. Members of the Customs’ Physical Supervision Team intercepted a package of cocaine on Saba on …

The Federation for Antillean Youth Care FAJ reached the respectable age of sixty; a milestone marked by committee members and community leaders with weekend celebrations for children. Under the guidance of Sacred Heart School teacher Miranda Simmons, preparations started since Thursday, November 22. Teachers and students worked on making a …

The 37th annual Saba Day weekend celebration from Friday, December 7, up until and including Sunday, December 9, will be held under the theme “Moving Forward Together.” The schedule, released by Commissioner Bruce Zagers’ office on Thursday, mentioned a long list of activities and events. The festivities will be kicking …

Government Service Caribbean Netherlands RCN Communication will be hosting a media training for RCN workers and colleagues of the public entities St. Eustatius and Saba, on Wednesday, November 28, and Thursday, November 29, respectively. The training will be conducted by journalist and communication expert Bob Harms of Curaçao. Harms facilitated …

The winner of the ninth annual Saba Idol competition was crowned at Scout’s Place restaurant in Windwardside on Friday night. The honours went to Alphonso Colmenares, in daily life the owner of Pop’s Place in Fort Bay harbour. Originally from Colombia, Colmenares was the 2011 Saba Idol’s first runner-up with …

I would like to hereby express my opinion, concerns, and possible suggestions concerning the garbage burning on Saba. I must give government much credit for all their efforts over the years in trying to find a solution for the problem of the open burning of garbage at the dump, Including …

Senior citizens from the Dutch Caribbean living in The Netherlands turned up in large numbers at the seniors congress of grass roots organisation OCaN in Rotterdam on Saturday to discuss issues like remigration, declining social services, health care, participation in society and the need to have a good local network. …

Saba is attempting to resuscitate agriculture as part of a broad drive to enhance self-sustainability and minimize dependency on imports. The “Organoponic” garden at The Level is at the heart of that drive. The project, run by Foundation Social Workplace Saba (FSW Saba) is developed in partnership with the Cuban …

Roman Catholic parishioners marked “Christ the King” solemnity with a joint procession, followed by Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in The Bottom, on Sunday morning. Three-generational families joined in the procession around The Bottom, with children wearing colourful crowns and placards made by the youth of both Sacred Heart …

Junior health minister Martin van Rijn confirmed on Friday he plans to introduce legislation to increase the legal age to buy tobacco from 16 to 18. Van Rijn told Nos television the measure will support parents and schools in efforts to stop children picking up the habit. It is not …

Agreements between the Dutch government and the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have been lived up to where it pertains health care and education, a November 22 report of the General Audit Chamber of The Netherlands found. However, there is room for improvement in the cooperation between The …

A man from St. John’s, who threatened his employers because he was fired, was arrested on Monday and released on Wednesday. Police are finalizing their investigation into this case and are preparing it for submission to the Prosecutor’s Office, according to Acting Chief of Police Wingrove Baker. A second arrest …

As of November 21, filing for imported goods on the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba has become simpler and faster. This is due to the fact that the Tax Service Caribbean Netherlands linked two systems. By combining its GOS collection system and the Asycuda World declaration processing system …

Dutch Caribbean Business reports that Dutch airline KLM and Curaçao-based Insel Air decided to strengthen their mutual cooperation through a code-share agreement. At Insel Air the mood is one of jubilation as recognition by an aviation giant like KLM is considered an important milestone for the relatively young private airline. …