PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Richinel Brug, has expressed his support for the initiative taken by Minister of Finance, Hon. Marinka J. Gumbs, to commission the Government Audit Bureau (SOAB) to conduct a financial audit of the OZR Fund. This fund is managed by the Social and Health Insurances (SZV) on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten.

“This is a another positive and necessary step toward improving transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. This audit will help bring clarity to the financial position of the OZR Fund and strengthen public confidence in how these important funds are managed. It is unfortunate that this audit was not conducted before considering the financial challenges of SZV.” stated Minister Brug.

The OZR Fund (“Overheidsziektekostenregeling”) provides health coverage for civil servants, teachers, and government-affiliated employees. Minister Brug noted that regular financial reviews are essential to ensure the fund remains sustainable and continues to meet its obligations to public sector workers and their families.

“This effort shows this government’s shared responsibility in promoting transparency and sound financial management,” Minister Brug continued. “By working together, we can ensure that SZV and the OZR Fund are managed effectively and with accountability to the people of Sint Maarten.This audit will also assist Government in the process of repaying the debt owed to SZV.”

The Ministry of VSA will continue to work along the Ministry of Finance and SZV in ensuring that the audit is completed and that its findings contribute to stronger governance practices going forward.

Willemstad:---  During a military ceremony on Monday morning, November 3, 2025, Company Rotation 49 handed over its tasks to the next unit, Rotation 50. The new commander, Captain Roderik Willems from Schaarsbergen, took over command from his predecessor, Major Marco Kamphorst, during a traditional handover ceremony.

After more than four intensive months in the Caribbean, Major Marco Kamphorst looks back with pride on the collaboration and training of the 43rd Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron (BVE) from Havelte. For this deployment, 43rd BVE was reinforced with an engineer reconnaissance platoon from Wezep and two medical evacuation groups from Havelte. “For the unit, it was a unique opportunity to train in this tropical climate and collaborate with CZMCARIB and local security partners. We learned a great deal about operating in the challenging conditions of the Caribbean as part of the CZMCARIB joint headquarters.
Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba provided the reconnaissance platoons with the opportunity to enhance their general military skills, as well as more specialized training such as tactical and technical reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, close quarters combat, and the deployment of unmanned systems and drones. Besides working on increasing our own operational readiness, we also collaborated and trained with the Curaçaoan military, CZMCARIB units, and local security partners. It was remarkable to see how, despite differences in background and working methods, we could jointly contribute to security and stability. Although we sometimes had to adjust our ambitions, this period not only increased our knowledge and skills, but also strengthened our situational awareness and ties with our partners in the Caribbean.”

The Charlie "Tiger" Company is beginning its fifth rotation in the Caribbean. Captain Roderik is looking forward to working and training with his unit in the region. As part of the 11th Infantry Battalion, the Grenadiers and Hunters Guards Regiment, they are normally deployed from helicopters or by parachute, within the three main missions of the armed forces. The company delivers high-quality combat power on the ground and from the air. As a company in the West, the emphasis is primarily on foot operations. Over the next four months, the unit will be reinforced with medical capacity from the 11th Medical Company and a UAS group with drones. In addition to being ready to carry out missions for CZMCARIB, the focus will be on its own training program. The climate and environment provide an excellent opportunity to work on physical and mental development, leadership, and determination within the unit. Captain Roderik is looking forward to collaborating with local security partners and expects this to be an enjoyable and productive period.
The Royal Netherlands Army has a permanent company in the Caribbean. This unit, commanded by CZMCARIB, can be deployed for a variety of tasks. Over the next four months, the company will be training in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Employment Services Center (NESC) and C’Z Exclusive Business Services have announced the successful conclusion of their joint Recruitment Drive, held yesterday, October 29th, at the Government Building. The event was a critical step in addressing local workforce needs, resulting in the pre-selection of numerous candidates for a variety of roles across multiple sectors.
The drive saw a significant turnout, with approximately 70 job seekers attending the four-hour event. Candidates were screened for over a dozen available vacancies, including critical positions such as IT Technician, Quality Officer, Bartender, Cooks, and various administrative and labor roles. The high level of engagement demonstrates the strong demand for employment and the community’s eagerness to connect with legitimate job opportunities.
“We are incredibly pleased with the response from the community,” said Lynroy Rey, Business Services Officer of the NESC. “The collaboration with C’Z Exclusive Business Services allowed us to efficiently match eager and qualified candidates with real-world vacancies. We have successfully pre-selected 34 candidates, representing a 48% success rate in connecting job seekers with the next step in their career,” as was further stated by Natasha Samuel, Employment Service Officer of the NESC.
Ms. Chavilly Hook, Managing Director of C’Z Exclusive Business Services added, "Our goal was to streamline the hiring process for our clients, and this partnership with NESC delivered exceptional results. The quality of candidates was high, and we anticipate that this drive will lead to 20-25 immediate hires in the coming weeks. This effort is a testament to our shared commitment to strengthening the local economy through employment.”
The partners confirmed that follow-up interviews and final placement processes are already underway for the pre-selected individuals. The NESC and C’Z Exclusive Business Services look forward to future collaborations to further address employment gaps and provide ongoing support to both businesses and job seekers in the region.

Saint-Martin:--- The Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy has confirmed the suspension of a hospital practitioner specializing in orthopedic surgery at the Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital (CHLCF) in Saint-Martin.
The ARS was informed of investigations conducted in 2012 and 2018 following rumors concerning this hospital practitioner. To the agency’s knowledge, those investigations did not lead to formal conclusions or were closed without further action.

In September 2016, the National Council of the Order of Physicians informed the Regional Council of the Order of Physicians of Guadeloupe that the practitioner’s exercise certificates and diplomas had been received and verified, authorizing him to practice medicine in the specialty of orthopedic and trauma surgery. At that time, no elements were found that called his professional background into question.

In August 2019, following information provided by the provisional administrators of the CHLCF, letters were transmitted to the Order of Physicians in accordance with its prerogatives concerning the verification of professional competence among practicing doctors.
In May 2025, the Departmental Council of the Order of Physicians of Guadeloupe (CDOM 971) referred the matter to the ARS, requesting the emergency suspension of the orthopedic surgeon based on radiographic evidence, citing the need to safeguard the quality of patient care in Saint-Martin and to prevent any potential risk of injury.

An inspection—conducted with independent experts in the discipline—was launched to review the case materials and interview relevant parties. This inspection did not recommend immediate or precautionary suspension measures by the Director General of the ARS.
In parallel, the Order of Physicians of Guadeloupe (CDOM 971) referred the case to the Interregional Council of the Order of Physicians for the Antilles-Guyane region to convene a restricted commission under Article R.4214-3-5 of the French Public Health Code, to evaluate any potential professional inadequacy.
This commission, composed of three experts (one designated by the Order, one by the practitioner, and a jointly appointed third expert), unanimously concluded on July 4, 2025, that the hospital practitioner did not display any professional shortcomings that would make the practice of his specialty dangerous, following an examination of the relevant medical files and explanations provided.

However, on October 22, 2025, the CDOM 971 transmitted to the ARS an attestation from the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Conakry, Guinea, in response to a request for authentication of the practitioner’s general medicine and specialty diplomas. The Dean confirmed that the general medicine diploma was authentic, but that the specialty diploma submitted was falsified.
That same day, following a directive from the ARS, the management of the Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital pronounced the suspension of the practitioner.
The ARS is closely monitoring any subsequent disciplinary or judicial proceedings that may result from the information brought to its attention on October 22, 2025.