PHILIPSBURG:---  The Government of Sint Maarten has announced the successful completion of its Joint Tax Compliance Initiative, conducted between February and April 2026. The initiative resulted in improved taxpayer engagement, strengthened compliance administration, and positive revenue performance.

Led by Minister of Finance Ms. Marinka Gumbs in collaboration with SZV Deputy Director Mr. Elton Felisie, the initiative was carried out through a coordinated effort involving SBAB, ATS, and tax compliance specialists from Sint Maarten and Curaçao. The project focused on strengthening tax compliance, enhancing taxpayer engagement, and improving the accuracy of taxpayer information.

A total of 30 professionals were deployed across nine districts, resulting in the delivery of 2,253 compliance letters to businesses and taxpayers concerning outstanding declarations, unpaid obligations, missing filings, and record discrepancies.

Key outcomes of the initiative included:

• 392 taxpayer submissions containing supporting documentation;
• 388 company files referred for review;
• 286 files fully processed; and
• 106 files remaining under active review.

The project also resulted in significant administrative updates, including new registrations, deregistrations, salary adjustments, and corrections to employer and taxpayer records. In addition, the initiative identified and verified more than 200 changes across over 100 employers, underscoring the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date compliance data.

Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs emphasized that the project successfully balanced compliance enforcement with taxpayer support.

“This initiative demonstrates that compliance is most effective when government and taxpayers work together. Many individuals and businesses responded constructively, corrected inaccuracies, and regularized their positions, contributing to a stronger and more sustainable future for Sint Maarten.”

SZV Deputy Director Elton Felisie highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in achieving these results.

“These outcomes underscore the value of cooperation between institutions and the importance of maintaining accurate taxpayer information to support the effective administration of tax and social insurance obligations.”

Preliminary indicators show positive improvements in both compliance and revenue performance compared to the same period in 2025. Revenue collections increased across several major tax categories, including Wage Tax, Turnover Tax, Profit Tax, AVBZ, AOV/AWW, and ZV/OV, reflecting stronger compliance and improved taxpayer responsiveness.

While a comprehensive analysis of the initiative’s long-term impact remains ongoing, the Government views these early results as evidence that targeted compliance efforts can strengthen revenue administration, improve data accuracy, and support a fair and sustainable tax system.

The Government of Sint Maarten remains committed to advancing compliance initiatives, enhancing taxpayer services, and promoting transparency, fairness, and fiscal responsibility throughout the country's tax administration system.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sundial School held its annual Taaldorp today, coordinated by Ms. Roxsana Pantophlet. The event is a highly anticipated tradition for the school’s Form 2 students, although for some students it is also a little feared. Each year, Taaldorp gives students the opportunity to put their Dutch language skills into practice in a lively and realistic setting.

Throughout the school year, Mrs. Drachtenstein, the Dutch teacher, and Ms. Olivia Murray, the Remedial Dutch teacher, work diligently with students to prepare them for their third-term test-week assessment. Taaldorp provides a practical, interactive way for students to demonstrate what they have learned.

During the activity, students moved from classroom to classroom, with each room transformed to represent a real-life location. These included places such as the market, the police station, the Census Office, the doctor’s office, and other everyday settings. At each station, students were required to hold conversations in Dutch with instructors, teachers, and volunteers.

The instructors included Dutch-speaking teachers as well as community volunteers, including MP Irion, Mrs. Claire Elshot, Les Brown, Theo Telting, Estella Matinburgh, Doris Dedier, Mireya Torrenga, Letitia Dragtenstein, and Joan Essed. Their presence and participation helped create a meaningful and authentic learning experience for the students.

Sundial School sincerely appreciates everyone who contributed in any way, shape, or form to making today’s Taaldorp a wonderful experience. The support, time, and encouragement given to the students made the event both educational and memorable.

A special word of thanks goes to Accessible Ventures St. Maarten for sponsoring the Taaldorp banners. Their contribution helped enhance the atmosphere and visibility of this important school activity.

Taaldorp remains a valuable part of Sundial School’s language program, allowing students to build confidence, improve their Dutch-speaking skills, and experience the importance of language in real-life situations.

PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- Port St. Maarten is proud to announce the successful completion of the Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge Lighting Upgrade Project, a landmark infrastructure investment that modernizes and enhances the functionality, reliability, and visual appeal of one of St. Maarten's most recognizable gateways.

The project involved the complete replacement and modernization of the bridge's lighting system, upgrades to the electrical and control infrastructure, installation of newly fabricated side panels, repairs to key bridge components, and the deployment of advanced programmable LED technology throughout the structure.

The bridge now features more than 1,350 meters of programmable linear LED lighting, with approximately 675 meters installed on each side. If placed vertically, the total length of the installed lighting would extend higher than a 400-story building, illustrating the scale and complexity of the project.

The newly installed lighting system utilizes modern, energy-efficient LED technology that significantly reduces power consumption while delivering enhanced brightness, durability, and operational performance. The system is fully programmable, enabling the bridge to display dynamic colors, animations, and themed lighting sequences to support national celebrations, cultural events, awareness campaigns, and special commemorations throughout the year.

Following months of planning, procurement, engineering reviews, fabrication, and logistics coordination, physical works commenced in January 2026 and were successfully completed on schedule on June 4th, 2026.

To celebrate the successful completion of the project, Port St. Maarten will host a special 20-minute inaugural light show beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5th, showcasing the full capabilities of the new lighting system.

Following the inaugural presentation, the Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge will be illuminated in purple to support Vitiligo Awareness, demonstrating the Port's ongoing commitment to community engagement and to important social causes.

Port St. Maarten extends its sincere appreciation to all project partners, contractors, government stakeholders, technical teams, and members of the public for their patience, cooperation, and support throughout the implementation of the works.

"The completion of the Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge Lighting Upgrade underscores Port St. Maarten's commitment to preserving and enhancing critical infrastructure while ensuring that one of the island's most iconic landmarks continues to serve as a source of pride for residents and visitors alike for generations to come," said Alexander Gumbs, Chief Executive Officer of Port St. Maarten Group.

CURACAO (WILLEMSTAD)/SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG):---  During a bilateral summit in Willemstad, Curacao, the governments of Sint Maarten and Curaçao made substantial progress in strengthening the independence of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS), as a cornerstone of a stable monetary union.
During the summit, the Ministers of Finance, Mr. Charles Cooper (Curaçao) and Ms. Marinka Gumbs (Sint Maarten), reached agreement on principles aimed at sustainably strengthening governance relations within the CBCS. The discussions took place in the presence of Prime Minister Luc Mercelina and Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, as well as members of the CBCS Executive and Supervisory Boards. Prof. Dr. Jaap de Winter acted as independent chairman of the two-day event.
The discussions followed earlier disagreements over the appointment of members of the CBCS Supervisory Board. Against this background, both ministers emphasized the shared interest of an independent Central Bank and a strong monetary union, which contributes to the stability and resilience of the economies of Sint Maarten and Curaçao. Ensuring price stability and a solid exchange rate forms the central objective in this regard.
Key results
The Supervisory Board unanimously nominated candidates for the position of President of the CBCS and for two members of the Executive Board. These nominations will be carefully and jointly assessed by both ministers prior to the formal appointments.
With regard to the Supervisory Board, the ministers requested that Prof. Winter advise on various models for its chairmanship. In addition, the parties agreed that strengthening mutual trust and respect is central. This requires clear and transparent procedures and agreements to which all parties commit and for which they can hold each other accountable.
The Minister of Finance of Sint Maarten will request that the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board submit a proposal to further strengthen the CBCS office in Sint Maarten. The Ministers of Finance emphasize that the results achieved constitute an important step towards a future-proof monetary system and an independent Central Bank, thereby further strengthening confidence in the joint financial infrastructure of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.