Wow! what an ambitious headline. But hear me out, if I am wrong feel free to blast me in a response.
The big blessing in this whole worldwide calamity is the time delay that this virus took to reach our shores. Because of this we have had the novel opportunity to learn from the mistakes and successes of countries before us. Sure, Mr. coronavirus seems invulnerable with limited test kits available and no cure. Treatment to mitigate its effects such as hospital beds and ventilators are woefully short on our beloved island, and no-one could have foreseen this event. So not finger-pointing here, authorities are doing the best they can.
But what if I told you the key to defeating the virus has been literally under our noses the whole time, and with a unified effort we could take out its most dangerous weapon, its stealth attack. You should also know that this defence been successfully implemented in places such as the Czech Republic and Asia and is insanely cheap to implement. Just wear a mask when in public. If everyone does this in conjunction with the social distancing already being adopted, the virus will be effectively contained.
The word went out initially that wearing masks was not necessary, but I think this was largely due to the fear of a run on masks, if everybody went out and bought one, there would be none left for the medical personnel who desperately needed them, But if people make their own, this problem does not occur.
Why the masks are effective is because it protects the contaminated from spreading the disease, rather than the more obvious perception of you wearing it to protect yourself. Since we do not know exactly who is infected as apparently healthy individuals are prime culprits, a blanket measure ensuring that all persons in public be made to wear masks, ensures everyone’s safety, as all droplets, the main means through which the virus spreads, will be caught in people’s masks and not the atmosphere or even on the streets.
Personally I had initially dismissed this idea until someone shared a WhatsApp video to me, so I would like to give credit to this young lady from the Czech Republic who provided it. But I had to adjust my thinking from an individual point of view to a more community-based perspective. I only hope I have done justice to her suggestion.
Again, Government should mandate that anyone in public be required to wear a mask, in particular persons crossing the border. Mandatory wearing of masks might even encourage people to stay home as many won’t want to wear them for long and will be itching to get back home.
One of the best pieces of advice to date is to act as if you have the disease. Rather than reacting to the disease we should be proactive. Maybe groups like the Lions, etc., should be allowed to roam the streets armed with hand-out masks, or we could even make them cheaply available at the groceries, you can even make one out of an old tee shirt or a paper towel, instructions available on YouTube.
Another blessing that we have is that we are a small country and should be agile enough to respond quickly to a common-sense measure. Let's not waste the precious few advantages we have. Come on, Sxm government, evaluate this suggestion and if it makes sense, implement right away.
In the coming months we will be faced with a lot of agonising and expensive decisions, some moral and some social. But we could seriously mitigate this disaster if we act in unison now. People, stay home, but if you must go out, wear a mask.
The solution has been under our noses all the while. We just have to put it on “over our noses”.
M. Vieira
Dear Editor;
I am grateful for the opportunity to once more highlight the situation in our community involving a now-former employee of VROMI whose actions are now having a detrimental effect on the lives of two local families living in the area.
There is this piece of property situated in Philipsburg supposedly extending from Back Street to Cannegieter Street, which has been inhabited by these families for 5 generations now. It is domain land and a request was made to the Government in 1993 for a long lease title.
A short while after, the families observed an employee of Kadaster surveying the area and when they questioned they were given the impression that it was being done on their behalf. The first name of the person making the request was mentioned. On receiving our reply, we realised that the whole section closer to Cannegieter Street was cut off and given in title to a parent of this same employee. Is that not a. conflict of interest? Are there not any laws in place to combat this kind of wrongdoing?
There are allegations circulating in the community about this same (and now former) employee of Kadaster having orchestrated the acquisition of over half a dozen parcels of domain land including this one, titling them in family members’ names and selling them off to interested buyers. Several came to inspect the area but after being apprised of the situation involving the families, they never returned.
The property was offered to us for $50,000 US dollars, but we could not and did not want to facilitate what we considered an illegal act.
Now here comes this greedy businessman, a multi-millionaire who owns vast amounts of property along a section of the main road leading into French Quarter with two huge dwellings on them and a yard in front so wide that it could probably house the whole of Philipsburg, who saw a deal too good to be true and impossible to pass up. He acquired ownership and was issued a building permit.
How is that even possible when it is against the law to sell off domain property prior to any investments being made to it? And being maintained for decades by the families who should have been given first choice in the long lease title. After being transferred to the VROMI Department, this same individual is affixing his signature to documents requesting approval for an address for this same property, while acting in his capacity as head of that department during his senior’s supposed vacation. Is that not a conflict of interest? And in his haste to approve for the numbers all wrong.
The building permit was approved as one request together with another project which had been ongoing for a while already at the head of town, over half a mile away. How is that possible?.
When the gentleman first approached us, we explained the situation to him and overheard his son asking him to go back for his money. But I guess his greed got the better of him. And here we are today facing high-priced lawyers sending threatening letters to an 83-year-old who has since passed away. Sorry to disappoint you. She cannot answer your summons from the grave. We were forced to defend ourselves in a court of law on short notice without legal representation.
The area in question is low-lying and is easily flooded with any heavy shower, made worse by the erection of a three-storey building next door. There is no infrastructure in place to channel the running water and its overflow is spreading onto our area. Our homes got flooded during the last hurricane and those before. The water was flowing into our yard like waves on the seashore during the passing of [Hurricane – Ed.] Irma.
The area is being used as short-stay parking by visitors to the surrounding small businesses and for car detailing. Just imagine what would happen if a huge building were allowed to be built there. It would add to the existing problems that we face on a regular basis. It would stop the flow of water coming from the sea side during a hurricane and the water would rise rapidly, threatening the lives of children and adults alike.
A protest was filed with the Government and we were granted an audience with the then Minister of VROMI Mr. Emmanuel who took time to listen to our plight. The government fell not long after and the incoming minister, who was selected from among staff of that same department, quickly took a decision against us. That in itself should be considered a conflict of interest. It would be expected that he would not side with a protest lodged against a department he has to return to after his short tenure as minister is up.
The last three ministers all came from that same department. Is that a new trend? Will any of them be interested in uncovering corruption if it exists at all?
We were awaiting the opening of the Integrity Chamber but that seems to be delayed for whatever reason. I will not be surprised if this office is flooded with complaints similar to mine on its opening. The perception of corruption is out there but here is the reality in black and white.
I am appealing to the Honourable Judges who now have the power in their hands to help stem the tide of corruption and abuse of office that have existed in our community for too long.
R.J. Stakelborough.
In what is being viewed as an urgent push to get St. Maarten to pass the Penal Procedure Code, reports have begun to circulate of undue pressure being levied on parliamentarians to urgently pass the ordinance.
The idea that St. Maarten faces the possibility of being blacklisted allegedly has some members of Parliament advocating skipping the debate and proceeding to approve the concept ordinance Penal Procedure Code.
They just want to vote it into law, because it is said that this will save Sint Maarten from being blacklisted.
Will the passing of the Penal Procedure Code make St. Maarten compliant with the Vienna, Palermo and 1999 UN international conventions for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism”?
St. Maarten lags behind in the process of being compliant with recommendations 23 and 35 of the CFATF [Caribbean Financial Action Task Force – Ed.], though Parliamentarians were recently informed that only recommendation 35 remains to be complied with.
Compliance with recommendations 23 and 35 will prevent St. Maarten from being blacklisted by the CFATF and the island will have the opportunity to allow the third round and go over to the fourth round of recommendations during the parliament meeting.
In its quest to become compliant and getting out of the third round, the Parliament of St. Maarten must now pass the new concept Penal Procedure Code ordinance.
From the interim, it has been drilled home that the passing of this ordinance will bring St. Maarten closer to being CFATF-compliant. Now it is feared by some that this same pressure may be guiding the actions of parliamentarians as the vote edges nearer.
The Vienna Convention was ratified by the Netherlands in April 1985, the Palermo Convention was ratified in December 2000 and the 1999 United Nation Convention on Financing of Terrorism has been ratified in October 2018 by 188 states.
Ratification and acceptance of treaties by the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1954 and 2010 was also for the Netherlands Antilles. St. Maarten would have to renounce these treaties for them not to be in place for St. Maarten
After reviewing the above, it can be concluded that Sint Maarten already complies with recommendation 35 of the CFATF.
Recommendations 23 and 35 can be read below:
Recommendation 23: “Countries should ensure that financial institutions are subjected to adequate regulation and supervision and are effectively implementing the FATF Recommendations. Competent authorities should take the necessary legal or regulatory measures to prevent criminals or their associates from holding or being the beneficial owner of a significant or controlling interest or holding a management function in a financial institution.
“For financial institutions subject to the Core Principles, the regulatory and supervisory measures that apply for prudential purpose and which are relevant to money laundering, should apply in a similar manner for anti-money laundering and terrorist financing purpose.
“Other financial institutions should be licensed or registered and appropriately regulated, and subject to supervision or oversight for anti-money laundering purpose, having regard to the risk of money laundering or terrorist financing in that sector. At a minimum, businesses providing a service of money or value transfer, or of money or currency changing should be licensed or registered, and subject to effective systems for monitoring and ensuring compliance with national requirements to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.”
Recommendation 35: “Countries should take immediate steps to become party to and implement fully the Vienna Convention, the Palermo Convention, and the 1999 United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Countries are encouraged to ratify and implement other relevant international conventions, such as the 1990 Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and the 2002 Inter-American Convention against Terrorism.”
Rodolphe E. Samuel
Dear Sint Maarten people,
All of us living in the Dutch side of our beautiful Island, what are we doing?
More than three billions are living under confinement on Earth.
They don’t do that for fun.
The French side tries to do its best to succeed it too.
Can we avoid to do it?
Can we continue to enjoy our streets like in good old times, last month, like if nothing was shaking the world, like if we didn't have a serial killer of thousands of victims every night, worldwide?.
French side will have 8 beds of ICU only and wonder what they will do when they will be full.
Are you sure your medical center will be able to face a huge amount of severe cases?
Before we transform our friendly island into a friendly cemetery, please stay home.
For you, for your family, mostly for your old neighbours.
When a sick person enters a small bus, ten sick persons come down at arrival.
When a sick person pushes the door of a shop or bar, how many will bring the virus home, even if they carry their mask?
Before the official messages, please listen to the medical messages.
This week is quiet, next week will be coughing, the week after will be a nightmare.
All of us, we can avoid the maximum of the COVID damage, please just stay home.
It is everything but a joke.
One month home is better than eternity in a grave.
Stay safe and healthy.
God bless you.
Dr. Marc Thibaut
On Monday, March 9 last, my daughter had an appointment with SZV to renew her medical ID card. When she was called in for her appointment, she was asked about her working hours, to which she replied that sometimes she leaves the office early and works from home when necessary. Because of this, she was told that she will not get a card and that SZV will send someone within 10 working days to the office, to assess.
As it turned out, my wife and I also had an appointment that day to renew our cards. When my turn came to be attended to, I identified myself as the director of the company my daughter works for and informed them that although my daughter is not required to work all day or even every day for that matter, she is on the company payroll and pays all relevant taxes and contributions, which can easily be confirmed by SZV just by going into their system to confirm if they receive contribution payments from my daughter’s salary.
This had no influence on the service provider, who maintained that a decision was taken, and I have to deal with it and wait until they call us. And now we are smack in the middle of a pandemic and my daughter is without her medical ID card.
Now I would be remiss if I did not state that my daughter was off island for an extended period and therefore could not renew her card. This is none of SZV’s business. What needs to be established by SZV is that the company is registered, that the company has its employees registered and that all taxes and contributions are deducted and paid to government and SZV. Now all this was clear and in order, because my wife and I got our cards.
What are we to do if my daughter requires medical attention? Will it then be as generally practiced by this institution, that an emergency card will be issued, and the patient has to come and go a couple of times prior to receiving what they are entitled to?
After a week of waiting, my daughter called SZV to enquire about her card and was told that she has to wait and that they would contact her, while SZV is very aware of the pandemic and the need for medical attention when and if required.
This is not professional, but rather borders on bullying. I therefore request the attention of the Minister of Health to intervene in order for my daughter to receive her entitled medical ID card.
Louis Engel
FUNINCO N.V.
