Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean

On July 9, Saba welcomed Jocelyn Levenstone as its new Island Governor in a ceremony marked by pride and reflection on his roots — including his great-grandmother Rebecca Levenstone, great-aunt Bernadette Levenstone, and late mother Alidia — and his career in the Police Force and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. MC …

The Public Entity recognizes that the continued closure is significant for residents and businesses who depend on in-person banking services. RBC maintains responsibility for branch operations and customer communication, but we are actively seeking updates and raising the issue with supervisory and governmental authorities. Based on the latest information available, …

On the recommendation of the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Effective Government, Jocelyn Levenstone has been appointed Island Governor of the public entity Saba effective July 1, 2026. Acting Kingdom Representative (wRv) Jan Helmond swore him in on July 9 during a ceremony of the Island Council. With this …

The Dutch government is strengthen­ing its “comply or explain” principle, requiring minis­tries to make new national policies and legislation applicable to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (so-called BES) by default un­less there are compelling reasons to do otherwise. The policy is intended to promote greater equality between the three public …

The site Dossier Koninkrijszaken reports that the Caribbean Netherlands will retain its own tax legislation, State Secretary for Finance Eelco Eerenberg has assured the House of Representatives. “The socio-economic circumstances on the islands, and in the surrounding region, mean that fully applying Dutch social security and tax legislation would be …

The Temporary Unemployment Benefit regulation BES was published in the Government Gazette (Staatscourant) on 8 July 2026. The regulation will enter into force on 1 January 2027 and provide temporary income support to employees in the Caribbean Netherlands who become unemployed through no fault of their own. Temporary regulation The …

As electricity costs continue to be affected by rising international fuel prices, the Public Entity Saba is taking additional steps to help reduce the impact on residents and businesses. Following the recent Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) determination of the maximum electricity tariff applicable from July 1, 2026, the …

The quality of childcare on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba has improved since the supervision by the Inspectorate (2020). Children are being supported in their development ever better and the management is increasingly steering on further quality improvement. Operators do need to continue paying attention to the VOGs and the …

Following the Dutch House of Representatives, the Dutch Senate has now also adopted the ‘Expansion Act’ proposed by Eric van der Burg, State secretary for Kingdom Relations. The bill aims to contribute to more effective governance and broader representation of residents on the island councils. This is achieved by increasing …

Financial backing for air traffic in the Windward Islands is one step closer. On Thursday, the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber (House of Representatives) ap­proved the bill enabling as­sistance, including the sub­mitted motions. Based on an exploratory study, a decision will be made after the summer re­cess regarding the manner in …

Students completing internships in Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten will not be covered by a draft legislation that would grant students the right to receive compensa­tion for mandatory intern­ships. The proposed law announced by the Dutch government, will apply only in the European- and Ca­ribbean Netherlands. The public entities of …

The Dutch Newspaper De Volkskrant published a 4-page article on Saba in their weekend edition of July 4th. The article in Dutch can be read here. An automatic translation is available below.

The Acting Island Governor of the Public Entity Saba hereby cares to inform the public that there will be a special Island Council meeting on Thursday, July 9th, 2026 at 3:00 pm at the Princess Juliana Sports Field. You may also view the public meeting on the Saba Government YouTube …

The website BES-Reporter pointed to a report from the University of Curacao that researched the consequences of a legal status change in relation to the European Union. Today, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba can rely on the legislative and executive capacity of the Netherlands in the event of a closer …

The integrity of employees within the justice system is an important prerequisite for trust in the rule of law. Justice personnel have access to sensitive information, often hold far-reaching powers, and work in positions where reliability is essential. For that reason, careful, timely, and complete screening is of great importance. …