News

The tax obstacles for the transit of freight between Curacao and the Dutch Caribbean will soon be history. No later than November 1st 2012 import duties or other tax barriers no longer have to be paid for freight that is brought into one county and intended for another country. State …

Judge Tamara Tijhuis presided over a court session at the Government Administration Building in The Bottom on Tuesday morning. Approximately 10 civil cases appeared before the judge in closeddoor hearings, followed by a series of traffic cases. Prosecutor Marleen Overmeer said many traffic fines were paid in advance, with seven …

A woman tourist diver suffered of lung decompression while she was on a trip with Sea Saba dive centre on Monday morning. The diver reportedly ascended too rapidly to the surface, which had led to lung decompression and related symptoms. Once at Fort Bay harbour the Sea Saba boat was …

Child Focus and Mega D Foundation recently collaborated on a school agenda for high school pupils of both Saba and St. Eustatius. While the foundation has created agendas for high school pupils on Statia for several years now, this is the first school year that an agenda has been made …

Graduating pupils at Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) have recorded an outstanding performance in their Caribbean Examination Council CXC and Cambridge International Examinations. The school recorded an 89 per cent pass rate among fifth-form pupils in the academic stream of the school, with 8 of 9 pupils who sat the exams …

Many cancer patients take other medicine which interferes with their treatment without being aware of the fact, according to researchers at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. A survey of 900 patients found almost half were taking medicine which could either lessen the efficacy of chemotherapy or increase its side effects. ‘This …

Director General of Nature and Regional Policy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) Annemie Burger visited Saba on Monday to baptize the new Saba Bank patrol boat and to officiate the recognition of Saba Bank and Saba Marine Park as National Parks of The Netherlands. The …

Jeff Berger analyzed the situation at American Airlines in this weekend’s edition of his St. Maarten weekly news electronic  newsletter. He notes that the airline is a mess and that non-stop flights this winter from JFK in New York to St. Maarten are off the books. For non-stop flights, Berger …

Elyane Paul-Nicolaas has been appointed director of the Council Education and Labour Market Caribbean Netherlands ROACN per September 1. It involves a foundation that strives for good coordination between the offer from secondary vocational MBO schools and the demand on the job market. ROACN has advisors on all three overseas …

One week before opening night, Sea and Learn lecture series organisers are brimming with excitement, putting the fi nal touches on the most ambitious lectures and activities season yet. While many details are still under wraps, the opening night for the 10th Annual Sea and Learn on October 1, starting …

Main topics on the agenda for the Central Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 27, are the 2012 budget amendments and the 2012-2016 budgets. The meeting will be held at the Administration Building in The Bottom, 9:00am-12:00pm. The proposal of Bonaire for legislation that would set up a Joint Audit …

Health officials from Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba), and The Netherlands concluded their Mini Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) two-day conference last week with the intention to move forward in a number of areas. “It is extremely important that we work together regardless of …

Solicitor-General Taco Stein made a plea for cooperation between the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles during an extraordinary sitting of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, and of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba on Friday. Stein made this appeal in his address on the occasion …

The Central Committee meets on Thursday September 27 at 09:00 am until 12:00 PM, which will take place at the Administration Building in The Bottom Power St. 1. The Agenda is as follows: Opening Approval of the Agenda Approval of the Minutes from the Central Committee meeting 2012-06-21 Opportunity for …

THE HAGUE–The Dutch Government is making additional funds available for detention capacity in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba in the coming years. The Ministry of Safety andJustice is reserving 9.5 million euros annually for the next 5 years. According to the Ministry’s 2013 draft budget the9.5 million euros cover the …

SABA– Chief of Saba Police Herman Oosterveen has informed the public of a new process that eases the processing of traffic violation fines in Saba. The protocol has been in effect since Monday, September 17, and allows the police patrolling the island to issue traffic fines by issuing them on …

SABA–Students of Sacred Heart School were recently awarded for prizes for their participation in Summer Vacation Reading Contest. The contest was an initiative of Education Commissioner Chris Johnson and was done in association with Queen Wilhelmina Library, with Head Librarian Joanne Simmons. Students read books that were appropriate to their …

From September 24th till 28th, the Director General of Nature and Region of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (in Dutch: Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie (EL& I), Mrs. Annemie Burger, will visit Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire. She comes to speak about the ideas that …

THE HAGUE–Dutch Labour Party Leader Diederik  Samsom was the biggest vote getter in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba in last week’s elections for a new Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament with 445 personal votes. The Dutch Electoral Council (Kiesraad) this week published the official results of the Second Chamber …

BONAIRE–A total of 580,588 euros was spent on expenses for officials from the Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations to visit the Caribbean Netherlands between January 1, 2010, and August 31, 2012. A review of travel cost incurred by each government department to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba …

The Hague – Traditionally, on the 3rd of September the Dutch government presents its draft budget to the Second Chamber. Contrary to former years when Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba had their place in the budget of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, these islands are now part …

When push comes to shove the Caribbean part of the Kingdom hardly matters. That becomes clear every year during the opening of the new parliamentary year in The Hague where the Queen reads the Troonrede that is written by the current cabinet. “The Prime Minister listening to his own fairytale,” …

The government understands that in tackling the government’s finances it is asking all Dutch people to make sacrifices, Queen Beatrix said in her annual speech from the throne on Tuesday. The Queen’s speech marks the opening of the new political year and is used to outline government policy and new …

THE HAGUE – Caretaker prime minister and VVD leader Mark Rutte and Labor leader Diederik Samsom have confidence they can work together well, they told reporters yesterday afternoon. Both party leaders had talks with coalition negotiator Henk Kamp yesterday morning and said after the meeting they plan to begin concrete …

Many of you have enjoyed the contact with Saba through Saba Radio Q 93.9 FM during the weekends. Thanks to the initiative of Mr. Chris Meijvogel of Pamela’s Boutique 4men2, you can now enjoy the voice of Saba 24 hours per day, every day of the week. Not only the …

Seventeen participants from Aruba, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba completed an intensive three-day course on sexual offences last week. Among participants were two prosecutors, a police doctor, forensic detectives and members of the youth and vice squads of the police forces of Aruba and the Caribbean Netherlands. Several aspects of …

Departing Chairperson of the Second Chamber of Dutch Parliament Gerdi Verbeet shares true love for the Dutch Caribbean and its people. “You really get attached to the islands, especially when you visit them more often. I feel at home there and I am very glad that they are part of …

SABA–The ninth edition of Saba Idol competition, hosted by Scout’s Place hotel, bar and restaurant in Windwardside, started Friday evening with the first qualification round. The annual event runs for ten weeks on Fridays, the usual “Sabaoke Nights.” Contestants signed up for six songs, two per session. The semi-finals will …

The Dutch Labour party PvdA, the conservative VVD party and democratic D66 party agree that more active campaigning on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba is highly needed to convince people to vote in the next elections. The top three parties with the most votes in the Dutch “public entities” said …

Final calculations by the Election Council in the wake of Wednesday’s general election may result in a oneseat transfer from Labour PvdA to green-left Groen- Links. The shift, which would mean PvdA would obtain 38 seats and GroenLinks four in the new Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber, follows a mistake in …

Saba’s electorate participated for the first time in the Second Chamber election. The turnout to voting stations was slow in the early hours of the day, picking up around noon, with most voters showing up late afternoon. No Dutch party representatives were visible in Saba’s streets, with a conspicuous lack …

More and more voices are being heard lately in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, suggesting giving the special overseas public bodies more freedom in spending the extra 10 million euros allocated to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. In their “Spring Agreement” following the fall of the Rutte Cabinet, …

Windward Islands Bank Ltd. (WIB) Saba Branch Manager Maureen Kingsale (right) presented a donation of US $1,000 to Saba Amateur Boxing Association’s Treasurer Kelly Johnson to aid in the purchase of dance equipment for the reopening of Saba Dance School. Source: “The Daily Herald” 2012-09-13

Margriet Goris of Wageningen University’s Science Shop arrived in Saba on Monday to work on an agricultural project aimed at making the island less dependent on imported food. On Tuesday, Goris met with Franklin “Mopsy” Every, one of the stakeholders involved in the Sabagro-project, initiated by Foundation Social Workplace Saba. …

Residents of Saba and St. Eustatius were eligible to vote in the election of the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber for the first time on Wednesday. However, turnout was low on both islands of the Caribbean Netherlands. Labour party PvdA won the popular vote in St. Eustatius, while centre-democrat D66 of …

Populist Dutch politician Geert Wilders has been receiving financial support from American anti-Islam groups, a Reuters investigation revealed on Monday. While that information in itself is not new, the details provided in the Reuters report are, and they beg the question why the domestic Dutch media have seemingly ignored the …

By 01.15 hours and with 60% of the votes counted, the right-wing VVD is set to emerge as the biggest party in the Dutch general election with Labour a very close second. The VVD is on target to win 41 or 40 seats in the 150-seat parliament and Labour 39, …

Earlier this year, parliament decided to end the queen’s traditional role in helping to form a new cabinet after a general election. But there is confusion about what will happen now. What will not happen next is that the queen will lead the formation of the cabinet, writes Nos television. …

Voters on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are going to the polls today, Wednesday. These are the first Dutch Parliamentary elections since the islands became part of The Netherlands. A number of Dutch citizens on St. Maarten could also take part in the elections. The Dutch ‘public entities’ Bonaire, St. …

Participation of voters on St. Eustatius and Saba in the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber election, which will be held today, Wednesday, may be low, according to a Curconsult poll. For the first time since the constitutional reform voters in the Caribbean Netherlands are eligible to vote for the Second Chamber. …