The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) that recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Bonaire Human Rights and Bonaire Movement for Change has called on the Dutch government to respect the freedom of the peoples it has long held under colonial rule and to stop creating obstacles to the islands' struggle for independence within international organizations.
The Dutch government recently submitted a new program to the country's parliament. The Cabinet approved the program of Ministers and must now be discussed and approved in parliament.
The statement by the BIG reads:
“The Netherlands, a colonial country for centuries, failed to show even the slightest indication that it would respect the freedom of the peoples it has held in captivity and remove the barriers it has imposed on the independent living of territories located tens of thousands of kilometers away.
The parties forming the new Dutch government - the Freedom Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, the New Social Contract, and the Farmer-Citizen Movement - claim to fight for ‘freedom’ in their charters, yet continue to stifle the freedoms of the peoples of the 6 states located in the Caribbean - Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
The new program submitted by the government claims it will implement legislative and strategic initiatives aimed at increasing the welfare of the islands based on the principles of good governance and cooperation in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. A General Administrative Law will be prepared for this, which envisages the application of the ‘comply and explain’ principle.
Thus, the new right-wing nationalist Cabinet of Ministers of the Netherlands is preparing to continue the colonial policy of the previous government. Although the government claims that some of these islands have autonomous status, these territories have been made completely dependent on the Kingdom of the Netherlands. These islands have even been removed from the UN list of territories to be decolonized.
An international conference titled ‘Bonaire’s pathway from Baku through UN General Assembly to self-determination’ was held in Baku on August 22 this year to bring the real situation in the Dutch colonies to the attention of the world community.
These peoples fighting for their freedom, especially the island of Bonaire, plan to submit a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly in October this year to re-include it in the UN list of territories to be decolonized.
The Baku Initiative Group demands that the Dutch government respect the freedom of peoples and not create obstacles to the islands’ struggle for independence within the framework of international organizations.”
James Finies Bonaire Human Rights Organization

Bonaire Human Rights Organization

PHILIPSBURG:--- Last Thursday, WIB, in collaboration with Sentoo, hosted a business event entitled "Maximize the potential of your business", bringing together close to 200 small business owners and entrepreneurs. The event aimed to educate attendees on innovative payment solutions, particularly focusing on the payment method Sentoo.

The collaborative event provided a platform for networking and learning. The program started with a warm welcome from WIB Country Head Daisy Carolus and Sentoo’s co-founder Vincent van Rutten, who highlighted the importance of embracing modern payment technologies to enhance business efficiency and customer satisfaction. Van Rutten discussed the various applications of Sentoo, such as e-commerce and in-store payments, the Sentoo.me for business app for instant payment requests, and QR codes.

Interactive session

A highly interactive Q&A session allowed attendees to engage directly with experts from Sentoo. Participants raised insightful questions about the implementation and advantages of the payment method. The Q&A provided detailed answers, ensuring that everyone left with a clear understanding of how to apply these new payment solutions to their businesses.

Sentoo also presented a series of testimonials from successful business owners who have integrated the payment method Sentoo into their operations. The examples underscored the benefits of adopting innovation, such as improved transaction speed, increased security, and higher customer retention rates.

Increasing interest in payment solution
WIB Country Head, Daisy Carolus expressed excitement about the strong participation and energy from attendees: “This event highlighted the increasing interest in Sentoo and underscored the importance of innovations for small business success. We remain dedicated to helping entrepreneurs embrace digital transformation and achieve their goals.”

Vincent van Rutten, from Sentoo, added, "The positive feedback we received confirms that business owners are eager to learn and adapt to new and faster ways of receiving payments. We aim to empower them with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in today's competitive market."

Looking ahead

The success of the "Maximize the potential of your business" event marks a significant milestone in WIB’s ongoing efforts to support small businesses through education and innovation. Both organizations look forward to hosting similar events in the future, fostering a community of forward-thinking entrepreneurs ready to embrace the latest in payment technology.

For more information about WIB and Sentoo, please visit https://www.wib-bank.net/business/support-services/sentoo-for-your-business

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs undertook several visits this week to oversee ongoing work on the trench cleaning. Two companies were awarded contracts, and work began September 1st.

Gumbs, along with Policy Advisor Luciano Nicholls, visited works in Philipsburg, Suckergarden, Ebenezer, and Cole Bay, noting significant improvement in water flow, hygiene, and, in many places, the overall appearance of neighborhoods. The trench cleaning forms part of a wider ministerial plan to clean and enhance the environment, with trench cleaning forming step one of this plan. Work on trenches in the Dutch Quarter area is slated to begin by the end of this week.

The Ministry indicated that the next phase will be the execution of controls on wrecked vehicles, garbage, and illegal dumping. Trench cleaning has exposed a large amount of illegal dumping, and pollution in trenches. Following up from statements made during press briefing on September 4th, the Ministry is busy finalizing documentation to support the enforcement of the Waste Ordinance, which clearly outlines the way business and individuals are supposed to handle their waste as well as other items (cars, appliances, etc.).

Gumbs indicated that the third step for enhancing infrastructure will be the beginning of road resurfacing. The agreement signed in July allocates roughly Nafls 5.6 million, and work on the project will commence during the first week of October. The contractor and representatives from the Ministry have been busy with a list of repairs for major roads, including Airport Road, Juancho Yrasquin (Point Blanche), Arch Road, Longwall Road, and Suckergarden Road. In some areas, a change in traffic direction rules will be made to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.

On Monday a multi-stakeholder group, led by Head of Infrastructure Mr. Charlon Pompier, met to discuss a plan of approach for the repairs that will include efforts to lessen any impact to economic activity on the island, especially as the country approaches the tourism high season. The community is urged to pay attention to the upcoming changes and notice of work which will be communicated in short.

Last week, the Ministry began with smaller patch work and pothole repairs to critical areas on the island. Gumbs noted that this patch work is only a short-term solution and will be revisited in 2025, with the injection of an additional Nafls 10 million, earmarked for continued road repairs. In conjunction with the planned road resurfacing, improvement of drainage as well as better quality road markings are included.

Gumbs promised that infrastructure enhancement will be tackled with a government-wide approach that ensures a high quality of life for residents and a pleasant experience for visitors is not only restored but also maintained.

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Minister of VSA, Veronica Jansen Webster, clarified on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that the HAP was launched in June 2023 as a pilot project for six months, and then the contract was extended for another six months in December 2023.
Jansen—Webster made clear that the contract for the HAP is between SZV and the HAP. When she assumed office in May 2024, SZV was already in the process of terminating the contract due to irregularities discovered in HAP’s billing.
The Minister said that SZV had informed the HAP one week before the second contract ended that they would have discontinued the HAP because the financing of the project was not sustainable. Jansen-Webster said when she learned of this; she asked SZV to give the HAP an extension of three months in order for them to address the financial and operational irregularities; this was to allow the audit of SZV to finalize a thorough evaluation of the HAP.
The Minister of Health said the idea was to find a solution for everyone involved. She explained that the HAP, SZV, held a meeting in her presence to discuss the points of improvement and the way forward.
Jansen Webster said that to ensure that the evaluation was fair, she commissioned a special committee with relevant stakeholders and persons within the Ministry. “It was after the committee submitted its report that SZV proceeded to issue its notice of termination of the contract, to which she was informed.
Jansen-Webster explained that the evaluation committee, in its report, revealed serious concerns.
• No clear distinction between after-hours, HAP Services, and the St. Maarten Diagnostic Center Services.
• No significant decreases observed by SMMC Emergency Room
• No Liability Insurance at the St. Maarten Diagnostic Center, which presented a risk to both the local community and the Tourism Industry/
• No internal protocol for the triage to determine the urgency of medical cases.
• Inconsistencies with prescription and billing from the St. Maarten Diagnostic Center and the HAP raised further red flags since it could not determine through which company SZV was being billed.
The Minister explained that there were several other critical issues that the HAP could have addressed from June 2024 to now. She further explained that the data the committee received for the evaluation rejects the claim of the former Minister of VSA and Member of Parliament Omar Ottley and that the HAP one is reducing the burden on the emergency room. “Even with 7000 persons that visited the HAP, 83% were covered by SZV, and the numbers did not show an impact on emergencies. The data showed that SZV and the government would have to do more to extend the working hours of general practitioners (GPs).
Jansen Webster said it is unfortunate that the situation is used as a political football even though the issue is serious and sensitive.
Denouncing the statements made by the former Minister when he said that the closing of the HAP could lead to a public health crisis, on the contrary, she said allowing the HAP to continue operating the way it does would cut deeply into the health care budget and ultimately undermine the quality of healthcare that the citizens deserve. “ Irresponsible handling of public health funds is more likely to lead to a public health crisis than closing an operation that fails to meet critical standards.