The Finance Ministry in The Hague is look­ing into the possibility of improving the oversight on com­mercial banks in the Caribbean Netherlands. The banks in the three overseas special bodies Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (also known as BES islands) are all branches of banks established in Curacao, so in …

On the insis­tence of the Second Cham­ber of the Dutch Parliament, State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Rela­tions Raymond Knops will look into the possibilities of transferring the authority of issuing work permits to the Public Entity Saba. This commitment was made during a debate of the Sec­ond Chamber’s …

The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has de­cided to transfer the King­dom Relations file to a separate Directorate-General. Henk Brons has been appointed as quartermaster for the new department, which will focus entirely on matters relating to the coop­eration of the Netherlands with the other countries of …

Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management has lifted the flight ban imposed on civil servants in February 2017. The minister follows the advice of the Dutch Inspectorate of Environment and Transportation (ILT). At the request of Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), the ILT has provided support during …

The Health Care Insurance Office Caribbean Netherlands (ZVK) is pleased to announce that as of April 6th, two dentists – Thomas Kleijn and Mona Maru – will settle on Saba for a period of 4 months. They will be operational from the 10th of April on, children and young persons …

Three important regional carriers, Air Antilles, Liat and Winair are working on an initative to make interregional traffic more efficient with the potential help of European funding. Under the name ‘Caribsky’ the three carriers want to provide better connections to travellers accross the English, Dutch and French speaking Caribbean. The …

Chairperson of the Neth­erlands Institute for Human Rights Adriana van Dooijew­eert will visit Saba and St. Eu­statius April 9-13, to discuss human rights during town hall meetings with people on the islands. During these meetings, Van Dooijeweert will explain why human rights are important in the relationship between citizens and …

According to the newssite Bonaire.Nu, MP Antje Diertens of D66 has submitted a motion last Wednesday in the Second Chamber, calling for the conversion of libraries on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba into more multi-faceted development centers. “Libraries also need to be the place on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba where …

The Nation­al Ombudsman received 142 requests and/or complaints from residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba in 2017. National Ombudsman Rei­nier van Zutphen and Chil­dren’s Ombudsman Mar­grite Kalverboer presented the 2017 annual report to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday. The combined 63-page report of the Om­budsman …

The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament is encour­aging the Dutch Govern­ment to arrange the transfer of tasks to the Public Entity Saba. The Second Chamber’s Per­manent Committee for King­dom Relations on Thursday requested State Secretary of Home Affairs and King­dom Relations Raymond Knops to have a consulta­tion with the …

In 2017, there were nearly 21 thousand aircraft movements to and from the islands of the Caribbean Netherlands, a 5 percent increase on the previous year. On Bonaire and St Eustatius, the number of movements rose by over 10 and over 7 percent respectively. Saba with the smallest airport of …

In January of 2018 the school board of the Sacred Heart Primary School in Saba determined that raising the bar in teaching standards and investing in their teacher’s professional development was an ongoing priority.  Unanimously the board voted to implement the Teachers of Promise (T.O.P.) Program. The program was written …

Jill Soemosemito has been appointed director of the Guardianship Council CN. She started her new position on March 19, 2018. Jill Soemosemito succeeds Curvin George, who has been Director of Youth Care and Family Supervision  of the Caribbean Netherlands since January 1st. She has been working at the Guardianship Council …

On February 23, 2014 the Saba Islander wrote an article about boat building on Saba. In that article Mr. Will Johnson quotes Willem Agnew Paton, who wrote that the people of Saba are celebrated throughout the Caribbean Islands for the fishing boats they built in the oddest places. The Saba …

On Tuesday, March 27th, 2018, most civil servants of the Public Entity Saba took their Oath of Office in front of The Executive Council during a ceremony held in the auditorium of the Saba University School of Medicine. Those who were unable to take the oath on this day, due …