News and business news from Sint Maarten

Supermarket to drop prices 27 February 2009
MARIGOT--Supermarket US Imports is to drop its prices on around 100 food products by eight to ten per cent as part of the latest developments in negotiations to lower the cost of living, Citizens Movement MOCSAM President Julien Gumbs disclosed last night following a meeting at the Préfecture.

Businesses urged to stick to official opening hours 11 February 2009
PHILIPSBURG--In a continued effort to fight crime, businesses have been requested to stick to the official opening and closing hours. Since December, local Chief of Police Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards has instructed the police to ensure businesses, especially in Philipsburg, comply with the rules.

Govt says tax reduction not remedy for economic crisis 5 February 2009
PHILIPSBURG--Reduction or even elimination of any tax to stem the effects of the global economic crisis on local businesses and residents is not the way to go, because this may create another maelstrom that affects vital services funded with tax revenues, government indicated Thursday.

GEBE, Sonesta Maho ink electricity supply agreement 2 February 2009
MAHO--Years of discussions bore fruit on Friday when utilities company GEBE and the island's flagship resort Sonesta Maho Group of Companies signed an electricity supply agreement.

Nature Foundation's new website has intense enviro education focus 29 January 2009
COLE BAY--Completely redesigned and refocused, Nature Foundation St. Maarten's website www.naturefoundationsxm.org is concentrating heavily on education and awareness about the island's flora and fauna.

Porto Cupecoy holds steady in slowing real estate market 29 January 2009
CUPECOY--Elements of a Mediterranean village are steadily taking shape as Porto Cupecoy and Cupecoy Yacht Club, an Orient Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises property, enters its final months of construction. Just over fifty per cent of the 184 apartments have been sold to a mainly North American clientele.

Govt to build 500 affordable homes 26 January 2009
PHILIPSBURG--Public Housing Commissioner Theo Heyliger has put plans in motion to build 500 affordable homes in a bid to provide more housing and to stimulate the economy while keeping people in the construction industry employed.

Aviation, constitutional affairs on agenda of Parliament 22 January 2009
PHILIPSBURG--Transport and Communication Minister Maurice Adriaens will give the Central Committee of Parliament a report on the state of affairs in the civil aviation industry on Thursday, January 29.

Fly the tourism crisis with ticket tax 20 January 2009
BASSETERRE - Countries affiliated to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are considering introducing a three-dollar ticket tax for persons that fly to member-countries. The money will be invested in marketing the strong receding tourism. The eastern Caribbean island would like to see the other countries in the region take this initiative up.

Best High Volume Tour of the Season 9 January 2009
That the 12-Metre Challenge was chosen as the best High Volume Tour of the Season by Princess Cruises for the 10th consecutive time (see Thursday paper) should not go unnoticed. It is just one of many local success stories of St. Maarten's tourism economy.

Training ambtenaren hoogste prioriteit 9 January 2009
PHILIPSBURG � Het zekerstellen van trainingsmogelijkheden voor ambtenaren is topprioriteit voor het Bestuurscollege, dat jaarlijks fondsen zal reserveren voor cursusprogramma's. Dat zei gedeputeerde Maria Buncamper-Molanus woensdag.

Marlin zoekt nieuwe markten toerisme 9 January 2009
PHILIPSBURG � Gedeputeerde van Toerisme Roy Marlin en vertegenwoordigers van twee resorts hadden onlangs een gesprek over de mogelijkheid St. Maarten te promoten om meer bezoekers te krijgen.

St. Martin to lose 12M-euro Octroi de Mer tax subsidy 2 January 2009
MARIGOT--The Constitutional Council in Paris on Monday ruled that for the next three years St. Martin will no longer be entitled to the annual Octroi de Mer tax pay-out of some 12million euros that make up 15 per cent of the Collectivité's operating budget.

Orient Bay restaurants controlled in major broad-based operation 17 December 2008
MARIGOT--A major operation to control the legality of restaurants and restaurant staff in Orient Bay was launched Tuesday morning by Groupe D'Intervention Régional (GIR) of Guadeloupe on the orders of Prosecutor Jacques Louvier.

Radisson hotel opens on wave of optimism 16 December 2008
MARIGOT--Radisson St. Martin Resort, Marina and Spa, officially opened in Anse Marcel on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by many elected officials and other dignitaries, hotel employees, and other invited guests, from both sides of the island. Looking resplendent in the afternoon sunlight, the US $80 million refurbished resort is testament to the results of a long and arduous construction period of which owners Carlson Hotels Worldwide rightly can be proud. The occasion marked the group's 1,000th hotel opening.

St. Maarten economy grew only 4.5 per cent in 2007 11 December 2008
BELAIR--Based on preliminary estimates of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Department of Economic Affairs and Policy Research, St. Maarten's economy grew by 4.5 per cent in 2007, slightly lower than the 5.2 per cent of 2006 as measured by the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Island Council should grant Scarlet licence, Court rules 25 November 2008
PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance has annulled the decision of the Island Council to reject the request of Curaçao-based telecommunications company Scarlet for a permit to offer international telecommunication services in St. Maarten.

Govt to review bridge, other fees 6 November 2008
SIMPSON BAY--After months of lobbying to save the island's fragile multi-million dollar yachting industry, Government has finally decided to have the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation (SLAC) analyse and compare its bridge and other port charges with that of competing destination.

Winair to add Twin Otter 4 November 2008
AIRPORT--Windward Islands Airways Winair will be adding a nineteen-seat Twin Otter aircraft to its fleet later this week, thereby boosting its fleet to six aircraft. Managing Director, Edwin Hodge said the Twin Otter should be inspected by the Directorate of Civil Aviation by Friday.

Hotels may slash prices, pool staff to mitigate effects of global crisis 24 October 2008
PHILIPSBURG--With advanced bookings for the large hotel sector down some 25-30 per cent, the hotel industry is considering several measures to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.

ArkeFly discontinues St. Maarten service 20 October 2008
SCHIPHOL--A mere eleven months after it started flying to St. Maarten, Dutch airline ArkeFly will cease its weekly flight from November 1. The bookings were simply not strong enough for destination St. Maarten, the airline's spokesperson said over the weekend.

St. Maarten needs to revitalise its tourism product 15 October 2008
MALAYSIA--Tourism Director Regina LaBega said in a press release that participants in the Routes Leaders Forum, which she is attending, are of the unanimous opinion that next year will be particularly tough for the travel and airline sectors, as travel demands continue to fall.

Consumenten Prijsindexcijfer Sint Maarten 30 September 2008
Het consumentenprijsindexcijfer voor Sint Maarten voor de reeks totale bevolking op basis oktober 2006 = 100 is in de maand juni 2008 gestegen met 2,0 procent ten opzichte van april 2008. Het indexcijfer was 106,1 in april 2008 en 108,2 in juni 2008. Bron: CBS
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