GREAT BAY--Members of Parliament Kotai and De Weever have raised concerns about St. Maarten's wastewater management infrastructure, the potential contamination of public waterways and the country's ability to accommodate continued residential and commercial development without adequate sewage facilities. Both parliamentarians called on Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs to provide clarity on existing sewage systems, planned upgrades, environmental enforcement and the government's long-term approach to wastewater management.

GREAT BAY--Members of Parliament Lacroes and Omar Ottley have called for greater government action to address longstanding sewage problems, garbage accumulation and abandoned vehicles across St. Maarten, questioning why problems repeatedly brought to the attention of authorities continue without lasting solutions. Both parliamentarians emphasized the need for stronger enforcement, clearer policies and greater cooperation between government and Parliament to resolve issues affecting the daily lives of residents.

GREAT BAY--Members of Parliament Egbert Jurendy Doran, Ardwell Irion and Darryl York raised concerns about the management of St. Maarten's wastewater treatment plant, garbage collection contracts, district cleaning and environmental enforcement during a parliamentary meeting with Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs on Tuesday, October 20.

GREAT BAY--Caribbean literature made its way into an American classroom on Tuesday, October 20, when St. Maarten-based TamLeo Books brought its storytelling and literacy initiative to Miami Springs Elementary School in Florida, introducing students to a children's book created in St. Maarten and inspired by the experiences of local children.

GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs provided Parliament with an update on the implementation priorities, funding arrangements and legislative work associated with the Nature Policy Plan St. Maarten 2025-2030 on Tuesday, October 20.

THE HAGUE--Twelve years after negotiators reached an agreement on the maritime boundary between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and St. Kitts and Nevis, a treaty formally establishing the approximately 140-kilometre sea border is moving through the parliamentary approval process. The agreement is considered important for fisheries management, marine environmental protection and defining the jurisdiction of neighboring Caribbean territories, particularly St. Eustatius.