News

State secretary Knops (Interior and Kingdom Relations)  is visiting the three Windward Islands from Monday, November 27 th, until Sunday,  December 3rd .The visit is divided intwo parts. From November 27th until November 30th, the State Secretary first has his own program. Afterwards, he accompanies his Majesty the King and …

The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parlia­ment supports a hurricane-proof and sustainable construction of buildings in the Windward Is­lands in the reconstruction period after Hurricane Irma. Parliament adopted a motion to this extent on Tuesday. All parties in the Second Cham­ber, except for the Party for Free­dom PVV, supported the …

Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops assured during the plenary handling of the draft 2018 budget for Kingdom Rela­tions in the Second Cham­ber of the Dutch Parliament that St. Eustatius and Saba will not be forgotten in the reconstruction efforts of the Windward Islands fol­lowing Hurricane Irma. “We have …

Durable goods to help victims of hurricanes Irma and Maria arrived recently on St. Eustatiusnday. The Unit of Social Affairs (SZW) has started the immediate distribution of the goods (refrigerators, beds, fan and stoves) in the second week of November to those persons who have already completed the application process. …

Maritsa Riley is one of the unfortunate residents of Saba, who lost her roof and most of her belongings during Hurricane Irma. Maritsa lived in her house in St. Johns with her one year old son and eleven year old daughter and another cousin she was taking care of. Sea …

The Labour Inspection’s enforcement regime will change as from January 1st, 2018. Where in the past the Labour Inspection issued a warning first, the Labour Inspection will now immediately issue an official report for violations of the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen BES (hereinafter Wav BES [BES Labour Law Foreigners]). The Labour …

The Labour Inspection’s enforcement regime will change as from January 1st, 2018. Where in the past the Labour Inspection issued a warning first, the Labour Inspection will now immediately issue an official report for violations of the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen BES (hereinafter Wav BES [BES Labour Law Foreigners]). The Labour …

The Chamber of Commerce Saba and Statia is happy to announce the introduction of Qredits on Saba. Qredits is a foundation that supports you as an entrepreneur to successfully start or invest in your business. This they accomplish by providing unique tools for writing your business plan, personal mentoring and the …

A defer­ral to repay the interest-free loans for next year does not mean the Saba Government will not have to make any more payments at all. Dutch State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops stated in a letter on Tuesday in response to written questions submitted by Member of the …

CBS: Public sector largest employer Caribbean Netherlands According to a survey by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Caribbean Netherlands’ largest employer is the public sector. The Caribbean Dutch government employs more than 1.9 thousand people, i.e. 15 percent of all people in work on the three islands. In 2016, 10.7 thousand …

Yesterday, Monday, November 6th, the Island Governor met on behalf of the Executive Council, with the homeowners and tenants of homes which sustained the most damage during hurricanes Irma and Maria. The meeting was aimed to inform them about the procedure for reconstruction. This week, the planning bureau will have …

It is important for fire department employees to be physically and medically fit to do their job. This is why firefighters periodically undergo a new job-specific examination. In order to realise this, nine employees of the CN Fire Department (Brandweer Korps CN, hereinafter BCKN) were trained as test leaders for …

Former Island Secretary of St. Eustatius Jan Helmond has been appointed Acting Dutch Government Representative (Rijksvertegenwoordiger.) Helmond’s temporary appointment will start on Wednes­day, November 8. The Kingdom Council of Ministers ap­proved Helmond’s appointment on recommendation of State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops. Currently, there is no …

On Wednesday, November 1st, between 7:00 and 8:45 in the morning, traffic checks were conducted at The Fort Street and E.A. Johnson Road. A total of 21 vehicles were checked and a total of 9 fines were issued for, among others, failure to show a valid insurance certificate and a …

Saba’s Executive Council is most willing to keep working on strengthening the ties with the Netherlands in the interest of the island’s residents, but there are a number of urgent matters that require State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops’ immediate attention. “Compliments and good working relations are not solving …

The Central Committee of the Public Entity Saba will meet on Thursday November 9th, 2017 at 10:00 am at the Government Administration Building. Subsequently, the Island Governor of the Public Entity Saba hereby invites the general public to attend a Public Island Council meeting on Friday November 10th, 2017 at 10:00 …

The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT is advising a suspension of the repayments of the Dutch interest-free loans for Saba in 2018. It concerns an amount of US $440,000 which, in the opinion of the CFT, would put a strain on Saba’s cash position.  The 2018 draft budget of the public …

During the first Central Committee meeting of Thursday, October 19, the first meeting since the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria, Commissioner Bruce Zagers on behalf of the Executive Council up­dated the Committee and the public about the state of affairs concerning the re­construction efforts in Saba. “During these extreme …

The amendment to the Dutch Constitution to provide a constitutional basis for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba and to establish an Electoral College has become a fact with the consent of the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday. The Senate unanimously approved the legislation proposal to amend the …

A healthy lifestyle program will start for everyone on Saba, called Saba Wellness. It is run by Nicole Hassell, Sports Coach Coordinator, dr. Onno Lignac, Saba Health Care Foundation, dr. Koen Hulshof, Public Health and Suchita Peeters, Saba Initiative. What made you get together to begin this program? Nicole: Suchita and …

The Public Entity Saba has deemed/considers the small pier to be structurally damaged. While plans are being finalized for the harbor master plan, a quick fix of this dock is in progress to facilitate our local fishermen, boats and the arrival of various cruise lines. The Commissioner with the responsibility …

On Saturday the Joint Logistic Support Ship Zr. Ms. Karel Doorman, the largest naval vessel in the Dutch Navy will dock in Sint Maarten for the last time bringing emergency relief supplies. “A variety of relief goods for St. Maarten are on board of the ship. On board of the …

The Government of Saba has re­ceived approval to start reconstruction works following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. An amount of US $500,000 is being made available as pre-financing. Preliminary es­timations set the damage in Saba at US $27 million. The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT ap­proved an amendment to Saba’s 2017 …

Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk relinquished his tasks on Thursday and transferred his portfolio to the new Minister Kajsa 0llongren and State Secretary Raymond Knops. During a short ceremony at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Plasterk (Labour Party PvdA) and 0llongren (Democratic Party D66) …

In a recently held public Central Committee meeting, the Executive Council gave a detailed account of what has been done and ongoing before during and after the hurricanes Irma, Jose, and Maria. One of those things being, helping residents with the rebuilding of their damaged homes. The Public Entity Saba …

On Wednesday October 25th, the acting island Governor of St. Eustatius Mr. Julian Woodley and the Reconstruction Team, held their first round of meetings with homeowners who have suffered lost during the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria. This first meeting targeted the 12 most urgent cases.  Homeowners were explained …

Residents of Saint Martin, Saba and Sint Eustatius are affected by the effects of hurricane Irma. The Education Executive Agency (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs /DUO) understands that for ex-students on these islands it may be difficult now to pay their monthly installments. Therefore, DUO offers a relief plan for the upcoming …

On October 18th, the Dutch Caribbean Police Force [KPCN], the Public Entity Bonaire and the Labour Inspection provided information to foreign nationals who are working in the Caribbean Netherlands. This information was provided in the context of the fight against human trafficking. Police officers and inspectors of the Public Entity …

In 2015, the median purchasing power of Saba’s local population improved by 2.2 percent. This was the lowest increase since 2012, when measurement started. Both people in employment and benefit recipients saw a median increase of 2.2 percent. People up to the age of 40 saw the most substantial increase: …

The Dutch Caribbean will get a State Secretary for Kingdom Relations in the new Dutch Government in the person of Raymond Knops of the Christian Democratic Party CDA, it was confirmed on Friday. Knops (45) is a Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, where he has been …

In Q3 2017, consumer prices on St. Eustatius were 2.1 percent higher compared to one year previously. On Bonaire, the price increase was 0.6 percent. By contrast, consumers on Saba paid 1.3 percent less for goods and services relative to Q3 2016, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. Consumer prices on Bonaire …

Amsterdam Deputy Mayor and Alderman Kajsa Ollongren may very well become the next Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Re­lations in the new Dutch Govern­ment, the Dutch media reported on Wednesday. According to reliable sources, Ollongren (50), a member of the Democratic Party D66, has also been asked to take up the …

In the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, a huge backlog of insured persons requiring medical treatment or consultation abroad has arisen on Sint Eustatius and Saba. This is due to a combination of factors: severe damage to the airports on Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, damage to the Sint Maarten Medical …

Worldwide, people will reflect on human trafficking on October 18th, and so will we in the Caribbean Netherlands. The word ‘human trafficking’ may sound grave to you. Human trafficking is a violation of human rights. Human trafficking also occurs in the Caribbean Netherlands in the form of labour exploitation. The …

The Unit of Social Affairs and Labour (SZW), in recognizing the needs of residents of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire, is hard at work to expand its provisions to the fullest extent possible within the limits of the law. Because of this, special provisions are being made. One of the …

On Thursday, October 12th the Chief of Police Mr. J. Rosales swore in Mr. D. Frans BSc and Mr. L. de Jong  as Extraordinary Police Officer [Buitengewoon agent van politie, also known as Bavpoller] for the Caribbean Netherlands.  As result, the number of Labor Inspection inspectors who also are extraordinary …

The singer, songwriter, Kizzy, was the initiator of ‘Schiedam Steunt St. Maarten’, a charity event she set up to collect donations and goods for Saba, St. Eustatius and especially St. Martin which was hit the hardest by hurricane Irma. The show hosted by Marco Spruit Bleeker aired LIVE on Popup …

In connection with the recent hurricanes Irma and Maria, which have caused a lot of damage in the Caribbean, the Belastingdienst Caribisch Nederland will exercise leniency when it comes to assessment and objection procedures and the collection of taxes from tax payers affected by the hurricanes on Saba and St. …

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis seems to be an attractive and realistic alter­native to St. Maarten when it comes to importing food items. This emerged from a recent study carried out by consultants of Ecorys and Curconsult, as commissioned by Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs. St. Kilts …

Remedial/special education teacher at Saba’s Sa­cred Heart School (SHS) Helen Hassell gave a brief ex­planation about Down syndrome to all pupils on Monday, October 2. This was mainly to acknowledge the existence of Down syndrome among children and to eliminate existing barri­ers between these children and their peers. It was also …