The Peoples Tribune

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs told Parliament that St. Maarten recorded a provisional surplus of Cg. 39 million in the first quarter of 2026, a result she said was Cg. 36 million more favorable than projected in the draft 2026 budget. According to the Minis...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs told Parliament that the draft 2026 National Budget includes a 2.5 percent salary indexation for civil servants, to be paid retroactively to January 2026 once the budget is approved, as well as funding to fill long-vacant posit...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY- - Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs announced in Parliament today that the Council of Ministers has approved the draft 2027 budget, marking an early step toward restoring discipline, predictability and timely delivery to St. Maarten’s budget process. According...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs told Parliament today that government is moving toward a more active and accountable ownership model for its government-owned companies, saying the days of passive shareholder oversight are over. Speaking during the presentatio...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs told Parliament today that government is pursuing a three-pronged structural approach to address the mounting deficits in the social and healthcare funds managed by SZV, warning that the country can no longer afford temporary f...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs presented the draft 2026 National Budget to Parliament today, describing it as a major shift in the way government plans, allocates and accounts for public funds. In her opening remarks, Minister Gumbs acknowledged that the bud...

June 26, 2026

VIENNA--Cannabis remains the most widely used drug in the world, with the number of users rising by 40 per cent over the past decade, even as global drug markets are rapidly transforming through new technologies, synthetic substances, shifting trafficking routes and rising ins...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2026 places the Kingdom of the Netherlands within a wider global and regional discussion on evolving drug markets, trafficking patterns, public health concerns and security risks. The report referen...

June 26, 2026

SXM AIRPORT --J etBlue is increasing its service to St. Maarten this summer, with its Fort Lauderdale-Princess Juliana International Airport route set to return to daily service beginning July 9, 2026. The airline is adding three weekly frequencies to Princess Juliana Int...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Members of Parliament used their notification time during Friday's public meeting to recognize Curaçao’s football journey and the pride it has generated across the Dutch Caribbean and wider Kingdom. The comments came as MPs reflected on Curaçao’s performance, its pr...

June 26, 2026

ANGUILLA--The Parliaments of Anguilla and St. Maarten have expressed their intention to develop a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two legislatures, following a bilateral meeting held on the margins of the Caribbean AI Workshop in Angu...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina has expressed the heartfelt condolences of the Government and people of Sint Maarten to all those affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela, resulting in tragic loss of life, injuries, and widespread destructi...

June 26, 2026

GREAT BAY--Preliminary reports indicate that a passenger from the cruise ship Star of the Seas died today after suffering a medical emergency during a snorkeling excursion in St. Maarten. According to early information, the passenger had joined a snorkeling activity earlier in...