News

The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT has commended the Saba Government for accomplishing a sound 2016 annual financial statement in a timely manner. The CFT has advised granting an extension to the St. Eustatius Government which has yet to present its 2016 annual account. In a recent letter to Dutch …

The Public Entity Saba has purchased a crane for multi-purpose use on the island. The most important function of the crane is to lift boats and other materials from the harbor basin at Fort Bay harbor during major storms or hurricane threats. On Saba, no other facilities are in place …

Following Saturday’s Jouvert Morning and Grand Parade, and Sunday’s Second Grand Parade and Last Lap, Saba closed off 10 days of Carnival 2017 with the burning of King Momo on Sunday evening. Witnessed by many spectators in the streets, many among them from neighbouring islands, the Parades featured three groups: …

On Friday, July 28th, 2017, the ferry “Big B,” owned by Bobby Valesques, made its maiden voyage to Saba for an overnight visit during the last weekend of Saba Carnival. The ferry trip included the round trip ticket on the “Big B,” a ticket to the Friday night show of …

The public road and parking lots are no places for car wrecks. The Public Entity Saba, in collaboration with the Police department, is conducting a survey to make an inventory of all car wrecks on the Island. An initial group of car wreck owners have been identified and will receive …

As the eradication of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito remains a pressing issue in our region, The ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is providing additional support for mosquito control to the Caribbean Netherlands. With the assistance of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Bes Islands are embarking on …

The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits viruses that cause diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and zika. Measures are taken to control the mosquito since these infectious diseases represent a significant health problem, by National Institute for Public Health and Environment of Netherlands. This is the case on the island of Saba. …

  Once again, Bob Morgan (centre) was crowned Calypso King during Friday’s Calypso Show and Road March at the Carnival Village at Princess Juliana Sports Field in The Bot­tom. Morgan is sheer unbeatable. He already collected many crowns as Saba’s Calypso Monarch. Carnival shifts into an even higher gear tonight, …

Members of T.R.A.V.E.L 360° (Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Club) embark on their 9th Annual Educational trip to Sabatius (Saba & St. Eustatius) from July 12 – 22, 2017, which culminates and highlights the academic year (2016-2017) for T.R.A.V.E.L 360/History Club. Upon arrival, they got the opportunity to meet the Island …

Carnival is one of the biggest and most high­ly anticipated events on Saba with colourful cos­tumes, great music, and sensational parties. To en­sure that everyone can en­joy this event it is deemed important to be aware of potential hazards. This year, a campaign has been developed with the aim of …

Under the motto: “Grab your best team, and Join the Scene for Saba Carnival 2017,” the Carnival season on Saba will be kicking off Friday, July 21, with the Calypso Show and Road March. A Foam and Wete Fete with TG Band is planned for Satur­day, July 22, starting at …

On July 11th, the salvage company Koole-Mammoet, hired by Rijkswaterstaat, removed the last significant piece of the Elsa from our shore. Between July 11th and July 14th, the salvage company removed pieces of debris from the beach and the seabed. On Saturday, July 15th Saba Conservation Foundation made their final …

Island Governor Jonathan Johnson met with newly installed Brigade Generaal Peter Jan De Vin, the Chief Military Officer of the Caribbean responsible for Navy and Coast Guard, with hopes of making a better connection with all internal and external partners of the Dutch Caribbean Military. The governor addressed support of …

All children need to be able to join in. Socially, with sports, culture and at school. This is the starting point of the grant scheme “ opportunities for all children”, published on May 2nd, 2017. As of 2017 the Cabinet has made € 1 million extra a year available to …

Huis voor de Sport Groningen, an organisation in the northeast of the Netherlands, has received a subsidy from the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle among Sabans in the next two years. Saba has a relatively high percentage of unhealthy persons among …

On an annual basis, prices of goods and services rose by approximately 2.6 percent on St Eustatius in Q2 2017. St Eustatius has the highest inflation rate of the three islands in Caribbean Netherlands. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), consumer prices on Bonaire were 0.4 percent higher and on Saba …

As a long standing tradition the Saba Business Association honored in 2017 as Entrepreneur of the year Eskay Enterprise NV on Saba. The company was chosen for its hardworking and visionary husband and wife team. Nester and Barbara Beckwith and their daughter, Reine moved to Saba in July of 2015 …

The Saba Amateur Boxing Association recently organized a trip to St. Lucia for the Creole Boxing Tournament from June 6-8, 2017. The competing islands were St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Maarten, Saba, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique and Guadeloupe. We are elated to announce that Mr. …

The Community of Saba, You are herewith cordially invited to a Town Hall meeting of the Dutch Caribbean Police Force. This is a follow-up to the public meeting held by the Community Officer along with other stakeholders in February. During this event police and relevant stakeholders will highlight the safety, …

It is quite common for sharks to swim into the traps with which fishermen catch lobsters. The sharks eat the lobsters and usually can not escape from the traps on their own. Often they die in the trap. “If you can deliver me traps where the shark cannot go in, …

The Executive Council of Saba remains dedicated to looking into all possibilities to eradicate the threat that the Aedes Aegypti mosquito poses on Saba. Today, Thursday, July 6th, a thorough risk assessment of an innovative mosquito control method, requested by Saba, was published. The RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu …

Children’s Ombudsman presents islands’ report By Suzanne Koelega Young people in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES) on average are happy with their lives, but there is still much that needs to be improved. Poverty is a great problem, while children also want more opportunities to develop themselves and more …

Current legislation allows for the use of other languages than Dutch in cases where crime suspects are not well-versed in the Dutch language, caretaker Minister of Security and Justice Stef Blok said in reaction to a report on the consequences of multilingualism for law enforcement in the Caribbean Netherlands. In …

On June 9, 2017, the work barge and tugboat from salvage company Koole – Mammoet arrived on Saba. The salvage company has been hired by Rijkswaterstaat to remove the vessel Elsa with minimal damage to the environment. Since their arrival, the top decks of the stranded craft have been cut …

Last week over 25 Public Health professionals, Vector Control Specialists, Laboratory Microbiologists and Health Policy advisors from St. Maarten, Curacao, Bonaire, St Eustatius, Saba and the RIVM came together on Saba for the annual meeting on the International Health regulations (IHR). The IHR are a set of agreements between countries …

The Board of financial supervision of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Cft) concluded on June 28 that Saba still has its public finances in order. Even though 2016 was characterized by a number of financial setbacks plus the absence of some key staff members of the finance department, the 2016 …

Femke Neunzig (25) is the young teacher Dutch on the Sacred Heart primary school. When she started working on Saba some two years ago, most students did not have a good level in Dutch. For many children Dutch was not their favorite subject. Her challenge was to turn the Dutch …

Information on the children’s rights situation in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands) is still lacking. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in the Netherlands and Defence for Children are asking attention for this dilemma in their recently published tenth year report on children’s rights in the Netherlands …

What is the social minimum in the Caribbean Netherlands and how do the incomes relate to the as yet to be established social minimum? These are the two main research questions that will be answered in the pending survey of the social minimum in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Caretaker …

The Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday appointed Herbert F. Domacassé as a member of the Committee for Financial Supervision (CFT) on behalf of the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba as per July 1. He hereby succeeds Hyden Gittens, who has recently tendered his resignation to Minister of …

Outgoing State Secretary Jetta Klijnsma (PvdA, SZW) will conduct an investigation into the social minimum in the Dutch municipalities of Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba. The investigation has been decided upon to ensure the subsistence security in the Caribbean, and to better combat poverty. The research will be conducted in …

By Suzanne Koelega The financial supervision in the Dutch Caribbean has proven beneficial and also by and large a success: in 2016 all three countries and the three public entities for the first time complied with the budget norms. Chairman of the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT Curaçao and St. …

Last Tuesday evening, June 13th, 2017, Commissioner of Tourism Bruce Zagers and Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport Manager Maegan Hassell, were presented the award for the world’s “Most Scenic Airport Landing” by CEO of PrivateFly, Adam Twidell. Earlier in the year, PrivateFly held a month-long competition where voters could select their …

A contingent of Dutch Marines from St. Maarten was in Saba on Monday to assist with a large cleanup, mostly of mangos that were a nuisance due to the large number lying on roads. The Marines, who came over by boat, also climbed Mount Scenery as part of the exercise. …

On Saturday, June 10th, the Child Focus youth soccer team from Saba traveled to St. Maarten on the Dawn II for a friendly competition against soccer teams from St. Maarten. The invitational games were organized by Child Focus Foundation and the St. Maarten Football Association. The teams played three games …

“I feel your pain,”‘ Chairperson of the St. Maarten Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams said Thursday. addressing representatives of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire. “Continue your efforts for issues that are important to your people. Nobody knows these issues better than the people who were elected. In St. Maarten we also hear …

On Thursday June 15th, consultation took place between the Board of PCN (Pension Fund Caribbean Netherlands)  and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Director of  Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN), the latter in their capacity as coordinating employer. Central in this meeting was the urgent problem which …

The Court of First Instance on Tuesday, June 6, imposed severe penalties on two young Sabans. Both young men were on trial for street racing. The Prosecutor charged them with dangerous driving. One of the suspects also drove in a car that was uninsured and had incorrect licence plates. The …

On Monday morning, June 16th, the Commissioner of Health Rolando Wilson opened the large health study that will take place on Saba over the next week. 1000 residents of Saba were randomly selected and invited to participate at one of the two study centers. They will be asked to fill …

Despite the many fi­nancial challenges that Saba Government finds itself con­fronted with. it has remained steadfast in its approach to achieve its goals. with or without a well-financed bud­get. Finance Commissioner Bruce Zagers stated this dur­ing the handling of the 2016 Year Report in the Central Committee and the Island …