Civil Servants of the Public Entity of Saba will receive an increase in their salary this month. Salaries will be increased by one step based on the scale the civil servant is currently in. Additionally, they will receive a onetime bashi premium of $150 along with their January salary. Last …

Works of the winners of the Caribbean Netherlands photo contest “This is the place” are currently on display at the Vacation Fair in Utrecht, writes The Daily Herald. Statia Commissioner Carlyle Tearr officially opened the Caribbean Netherlands Expo on Tuesday. Photos of the contest winners from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and …

The cabinet’s decision to shift a large number of care duties from central to local government and health insurers is still opposed by a majority of city and town councils. Just 35% of the 300 plus councils represented at Wednesday’s local authorities association meeting said they backed the plans. The …

The Daily Herald writes today that some of the best qualities of the tightly-knit Saban community reveal themselves when adversity strikes. This is true not just amongst natives but also for adopted community members as in the case of the Haitian family whose house burned to the ground on January …

Private water delivery truck driver and former fire fighter Ernest “Cuchie” Klaber witnessed the house-fire in The Bottom on January 7, and is calling on local authorities to evaluate the professionalism and preparedness of the Saba Fire Department. This writes the Daily Herald. While expressing his criticism in harsh and …

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it is working closely with the French and Dutch authorities after the region recorded its first ever case of chikungunya. Late last month, CARPHA said it had received notification of 10 confirmed cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus infection on the French …

The Daily Herald writes that Commissioner of Economic Affairs and Energy Chris Johnson said, he believes that the key to the smooth transition from former electricity provider GEBE to new Saba Electricity Company (SEC) was consistency. This has been the key point in discussions with the Netherlands, as partner in …

The Daily Herald reports that the board of pension fund Pensioenfonds Caribisch Nederland (PCN) has, for the time being, fixed the pension premiums for 2014 at the same level as in 2013. This means that the premium in 2014 will also be 26.1% of the pension base. The pension base …

Saba will be represented at the annual “Boot” Boat show, the top international show for recreational diving which will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from January 18 to January 26. The Saba Divers and Scout’s Place hotel managers will be present at the show with a stand to showcase Saba …

The Daily Herald writes that the first copy of a report on trending topics and developments in healthcare in the Caribbean Netherlands was handed over to Island Governor of St. Eustatius Gerald Berkel during a presentation at Ocean View restaurant Tuesday afternoon. The Trend Report, drafted by Dutch healthcare foundation …

Inflation on Saba in the fourth quarter of 2013 was 1.2 percent . This is 0.2 percentage points lower than the previous quarter. This was because the prices of electricity , food and recreation inflation slightly lowered . The average inflation rate in 2013 was much lower than on the …

Jo Spalburg reported some interesting news from the Saba Bank. Local fishermen today independently reported to Jimmy van Rijn, Saba Bank Park Officer, that since November 2013, while gutting Blackfin Snapper (Lutjanus buccanella) caught in traps on the Saba Bank, in depths between 90 and 108 meters, the invasive lionfish …

Press release from Police Force Dutch Caribbean: Attempted burglary On Wednesday, January 8th, around 4:09 PM, a report was made regarding an attempted burglary in a house situated at the Under the Hill Road. The lock on the back door was destroyed. Collision On Wednesday, January 8th, around 4:40 PM, …

DutchNews reported yesterday that nearly 900,000 people aged between 62 and 75 will be called up for a bowel cancer test in January, the public health institute RIVM said on Thursday. People will be asked to send a small sample of their faeces for testing. If traces of blood are …

Saba’s leading Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM) party submitted an open letter to the visiting members of the Dutch Parliament Second Chamber delegation prior to the inter-parliamentary talks in Curaçao. This reports the Daily Herald. The letter outlines the island’s main concerns with regard to the electricity law, foreigners’ voting …