Dear Editor,
Yesterday I attended atop of the scenic mountain, Bells Lookout point, and saw a large pig and multiple chickens there. The Pig is unwell. Chicks are dead.
There was no water and the Pig wasn’t moving even when stimulated. I gave it water and it took the water. Other people were feeding the pig and the chicks. Even though it says not to feed.
This is a real shame and the buses of people / onlookers felt overwhelming sad about the condition of the pig and the chicks – one chick was found dead.
If this is Animal Defenders responsibility, as a volunteer organisation, it fails.
The pig needs proper placement and the top of that mountain with no water is unacceptable. The young birds / chicks also need water. One chick was found dead near the Pig.
This is heartbreaking and not what the island represents. Surely you should place the pig, chicks and animals atop this dry mountain somewhere else. Leaving the animals to be fed by the tourists is not right and they need water and a proper location.
It doesn’t take much to fix this situation. Someone has to do it. Tourists were / are disgusted that they were left in this location and position.
Please see to it that they are relocated and properly treated. Someone has to say / do something.
Concerns Tourists, – lifetime SXM travellers:
Jaimie Noel
Rita Roy
Eric Brisebois
Lilianne Roy
Dear Editor,
In a small island state like Sint Maarten, government decisions are felt directly by residents and businesses. At this moment, the legal position of taxpayers is under pressure. Not because the tax laws are weak, but because objections to tax assessments are not being handled on time.
When the Tax Inspector does not decide on an objection within the legal nine-month period, that deadline simply expires. This is not just a technical issue. It forces taxpayers to file an appeal with the Court of First Instance to protect their rights.
In other words, administrative delay leads to court cases that could have been avoided. This increases legal costs, creates long periods of uncertainty, and puts financial pressure on families and businesses. What should have been a careful internal review becomes formal litigation, only because the objection was not processed in time.
Under the General National Tax Ordinance (ALL), the Inspector must decide on an objection within nine months. If that does not happen, the taxpayer has no real choice but to go to court. The objection procedure then loses its purpose. Instead of being a serious reconsideration, it becomes a step toward litigation caused by the backlog rather than a real disagreement about tax law.
Recent developments in the Netherlands show that a different approach is possible. After the childcare benefits scandal, Dutch administrative law shifted course. Authorities were urged to act less rigidly and more fairly. Greater attention was given to proportionality, transparency, and practical solutions. Objection procedures were treated as a real opportunity to correct mistakes, not as a formality before going to court.
This shows that a government does not become weaker by avoiding unnecessary litigation. On the contrary, it gains legitimacy. Respecting deadlines and resolving disputes early strengthens public trust.
Tax enforcement is essential for fiscal stability. But enforcement must also protect taxpayers’ procedural rights. Appeals to the Court should be exceptional – not the structural consequence of mounting backlogs.
Marco Aalbers
Dear Editor,
Traffic congestion has become one of the most pressing issues affecting Sint Maarten’s economy. From productivity losses to reduced quality of life, the problem impacts residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Many residents argue that there are simply too many vehicles on the road, but the more important question is: how many of those vehicles are actually legal?
How many vehicles have paid road tax? How many drivers possess valid licences? How many vehicles are properly insured and have up-to-date inspection cards? The absence of consistent, year-round traffic controls has significantly contributed to the current situation.
To address this, I urge Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling and Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger to initiate formal dialogue with French Saint Martin authorities. The objective should be to establish joint and coordinated traffic control efforts, where French Police (Police Municipale) participate as observers during traffic controls conducted on the Dutch side, and vice versa.
The role of French law enforcement would be limited, but essential, verifying the legality of French-registered vehicles, including compliance with French traffic laws. Given their expertise, French officers are best positioned to determine whether documentation is valid. If a French-registered vehicle is found to be non-compliant, Dutch (side) police should have the authority to confiscate the vehicle.
Vehicles operating without proper documentation are in direct violation of the international agreements that allow French-plated vehicles to circulate on the Dutch side, just as Dutch-plated vehicles are permitted on the French side. This principle must apply equally and consistently.
Likewise, Dutch (side) police officers should be invited as observers during traffic controls on the French side to verify documentation of Dutch-registered vehicles. This is particularly important because many vehicles operate exclusively within neighbourhoods on both sides of the island and never cross official border checkpoints. As a result, they evade detection during joint border operations.
The Dutch side urgently needs more neighbourhood-based traffic controls, with a strict focus on: vehicle registration and road tax; valid driver’s licences, insurance coverage, inspection cards, and other traffic violations can be addressed through warnings, except for illegal window tint, which should be removed immediately on the spot.
The primary goal is simple: remove non-compliant vehicles from public roads and compel owners to regularise their documentation. When vehicles are fully compliant, the government benefits directly through increased and guaranteed revenue.
Lose Your Car, Lose Your Legal Status. During the high tourist season, particularly when cruise ships are in port, individuals from neighbouring islands frequently rent vehicles to engage in illegal “gypsy” taxi operations. Others use their personal vehicles for the same purpose. These individuals openly drop off tourists in town and collect payment as though they are licenced taxi operators.
This activity continues largely unchecked, not because it is unknown, but because enforcement priorities are misplaced.
A specific law must be enacted to address this issue. Anyone caught conducting illegal taxi operations should face: immediate fines, prosecution in court, the prosecutor should be empowered to request judicial approval to auction the vehicle, or, if the vehicle is not roadworthy, order its destruction.
Individuals without valid work or immigration documents must be arrested and deported. Those holding legal or permanent residency should face the revocation of their status and removal from the country if found in violation. Legal residency is not granted for the purpose of engaging in illegal transport activities. No one receives legal status to drive gypsy taxis.
Conclusion, extra and sustained traffic controls are no longer optional – they are necessary. Proper enforcement will reduce congestion, restore order, protect licensed operators, improve public safety, and significantly increase government revenue. What is required now is political will, inter-ministerial cooperation, and cross-border collaboration.
Gromyko Wilson
Dear Editor,
My father used to tell us that you can lead the horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Why am I stating this? Because I am under the impression that our political ministers don’t have what it takes to make the S.G’s and other supervisors in their departments execute. This morning, a gentleman said to me: “He cannot understand why there are so many potholes in the roads of Sint Maarten”. That I cannot explain, but what I would like to know is what is preventing the people at VROMI from replacing the traffic signs. Today between 11.25am and 11.45am on two occasions I had to help drivers of rental cars reverse back into the traffic because they entered the forbidden direction of the Debrot street and the Hotelsteeg. The no-enter sign is missing at the end of both roads. And so there are several roads where the road signs, as well as traffic signs are missing. I have stated it before and will repeat it. Why should there be problem for us to get traffic signs, numberplates. road names, and other signs made from the same kind of metal of which we have a mountain next to the Little league ballpark? There is something very wrong with that picture. And the traffic accidents go on.
Russell A Simmons
Dear Editor,
I will be honest and mention off the bat that I did not read the article USM to start new GED classes. That is simply because I always, in my way, advocated for everyone to have at least an equivalent to M.U.L.O education.
During the last political election I asked a candidate if the majority of those men cleaning the streets are voters, that candidate told me yes. So I suggested to him to find out their level of education and depending on the results he could look into the possibility of getting them into GED classes. And from there he should know what to do as a candidate.
I never liked the saying “In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is King”. I would like for everybody to be able to see.
Russell A SIMMONS
