PHILIPSBURG:--- Orco Bank proudly supported and participated in the 30th edition of the St. Maarten Open Golf Tournament, hosted by the St. Maarten Golf Association (SMGA) on April 18th and 19th, 2026, at the Mullet Bay Golf Course.
The milestone event brought together golfers from St. Maarten and across the Caribbean, as well as international participants, for a weekend of competitive play, networking, and community engagement. Over the course of two days, participants enjoyed a vibrant tournament atmosphere, culminating in an awards ceremony and closing celebration.

Beyond the sport, the St. Maarten Open continues to make a meaningful impact within the community. Proceeds from the event support a wide range of local organizations and initiatives, reinforcing its role as one of the island’s key fundraising events.
As a committed partner in community development, Orco Bank was honored to contribute to an initiative that combines sport with purpose.
“At Orco Bank, we believe in supporting initiatives that bring people together while creating a positive impact in our communities. The St. Maarten Open is a great example of how sport can unite individuals and contribute to meaningful causes, and we are proud to have been part of this milestone 30th edition,” said Judy King - Richardson, Country Manager for Orco Bank Sint Maarten.

Orco Bank extends its appreciation to the St. Maarten Golf Association for organizing a successful event and to all participants and sponsors who contributed to its continued success.
Orco Bank. Proud to Serve Sint Maarten.
For more information about Orco Bank, please visit https://www.orcobank.com. Stay connected and follow us for daily updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OrcoBank and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/orco-bank.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent Public meeting on April 23, 2026.

The Public meeting, which was adjourned on March 9, 2026, will be reconvened on Thursday at 11.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport will return to Parliament to provide answers to questions posed in the first round.

The agenda point is:

Deliberations on the current state of operational and sanitary conditions in Public Schools, including supply shortages and instructional resource constraints (IS/739/2025-2026 dated February 26, 2026)

This meeting was requested by MP E.J. Doran, MP A.M.R. Irion, MP D.T.J. York, MP O.E.C. Ottley, MP L.C.J. Lewis and MP F.A. Lacroes

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx

PHILIPSBURG;--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten says the government is actively monitoring shipping costs and their possible impact on consumer prices as global fuel instability continues.
Speaking during the question-and-answer segment of Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Heyliger-Marten responded to concerns that rising fuel prices could drive up freight charges, supermarket prices, refrigeration costs, and transportation expenses across the island.
The minister confirmed that her ministry is maintaining direct communication with shipping companies to track rate changes and determine whether increases are justified.
“What we continue to do is monitor our basket of goods,” she said. “We also monitor what the inspector has been doing, checking prices.”
According to Heyliger-Marten, the ministry receives updates from shipping companies whenever freight rates change. That information is then used by inspectors who visit supermarkets and compare retail prices to determine whether excessive markups are taking place.
She explained that if prices rise sharply without reasonable cause, the ministry intervenes and raises concerns with businesses.
“Based on that, the inspectors are going into the supermarkets, monitoring the rates, and seeing if it is a huge spike given what the shipping company has just informed us,” she stated.
Despite international concerns about higher shipping and fuel costs, the minister said Sint Maarten has not yet experienced any major increases in the prices of everyday goods.
“For now, the basket of goods remains as is,” she said. “We haven’t received any major issues on spikes.”
Heyliger-Marten added that shipping cost increases so far have remained relatively moderate, and supermarkets have generally maintained stable pricing.
Still, she acknowledged that global developments could eventually affect import costs and said the ministry will continue watching the situation carefully.
“The focus is on monitoring and mitigating if there is any over-access in prices,” she said.
With Sint Maarten heavily dependent on imported goods, the TEATT Ministry says continued oversight remains essential to protecting consumers from unjustified price hikes.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr. says the island’s growing pothole problem cannot be solved with short-term patchwork alone, warning that many roads now require complete reconstruction.
Responding to complaints about worsening road conditions during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Gumbs acknowledged public frustration over larger and more dangerous potholes appearing across Sint Maarten.
He specifically addressed the damaged roadway in the Guana Bay area, explaining that the issue extends far beyond the road surface itself.
“When work began, it was recognized that the problem isn’t necessarily the road itself, it’s the subsurface,” Gumbs said.
According to the minister, repair efforts had to be paused so engineers could design a new solution addressing both the road surface and the unstable ground underneath.
He noted that for years roads have often been repaired by simply scraping the top layer and applying fresh asphalt, without addressing deeper structural issues.
“That is why you continue to see potholes returning,” he explained.
Gumbs said heavy rainfall also worsens already fragile roads, creating new potholes in areas that previously appeared stable.
To address the issue, VROMI has already begun a new pothole patching campaign and plans to procure additional cold asphalt so repairs can continue.
However, he emphasized that these are temporary fixes while the government works toward a broader long-term solution.
One of those solutions is the proposed Road Fund, which would help finance sustainable road repairs and introduce proper construction standards for Sint Maarten’s road network.
The minister said the island currently lacks formal road-building standards and is examining systems used on the French side as a possible model.
“It may seem like nothing is happening, but the ministry is not sitting back,” Gumbs said. “What we’ve been doing no longer matches what is needed.”
He added that improving the road network remains a priority despite budget and contractor capacity challenges.