Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean

The quality of childcare services on Saba and across the Caribbean Netherlands is steadily improving. This is the conclusion of the Dutch Inspectorate of Education following its third round of inspections in 2024. Most childcare locations on Saba are making clear progress, ensuring children are cared for in safe, healthy …

The Dutch government is adopting a new approach to strengthen economic self-reliance across the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Local entrepreneurship will take center stage, supported by both public and private investment. The first application of this strategy will be the €24 million previously allocated by the Cabinet to improve …

Saba is celebrating a major milestone in its fire service history: the Caribbean Netherlands Fire Department (BKCN) has trained and certified the island’s first-ever female shift leaders. These two trailblazing women are among ten new shift leaders prepared to take charge during emergencies across Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The …

The population of the Ca­ribbean Netherlands stood at nearly 32,000 at the begin­ning of this year, an increase of five percent or 1,583 peo­ple compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Dutch Central Bu­reau of Statistics (CBS). Most of the increase was attrib­uted to Bonaire, the largest …

The rollout of the Citizen Service Number BSN in the Caribbean Nether­lands has received broad sup­port from the Dutch House of Representatives, following assurances regarding data se­curity and a multilingual public information campaign. State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Ferenc Zsolt Szabo responded positively to a mo­tion calling for additional sup­port …

The business community is being given a greater role in the cooperation with the Caribbean islands and countries in the Kingdom. Local entrepreneurship is encouraged by combining money from the Central Government and local private parties. This new approach is now the first to be deployed with the 24 million …

Last week, Commissioner Bruce Zagers attended the second edition of the Zero Waste Seminar in St. Barthelemy. The event was part of the INTERREG Zero Waste in the Caribbean program, initiated by SYVADE. The INTERREG program is an initiative funded by the European Union, to promote sustainable waste management and …

The Council for Law Enforcement today publishes its State of Law Enforcement in the Caribbean Netherlands 2024. While the Council acknowledges the hard work and progress of various justice chain partners—particularly the Dutch Probation Service and the efforts of the Board of Chiefs of Police to improve inter-island cooperation—it issues …

Today, the Council for Law Enforcement publishes the State of Law Enforcement Caribbean Netherlands 2024. In the report, the Council expresses its appreciation for the efforts of judicial chain partners and the progress that has been made at various organisations individually and in their cooperation. In doing so, the Council …

Renovations and restoration to The Hyacinth House, located in the heart of Windwardside, have begun this week. Hyacinth House is a historic Saban cottage located in the heart of Windwardside on the island of Saba. Owned by the Public Entity Saba, this traditional wooden structure is undergoing significant restoration in …

In a debate on the economic development of the Caribbean Netherlands, PVV MP Van Haasen submitted a motion to exclude flights to and from the region from the Netherlands’ planned flight tax increase, set to take effect in 2027. The proposal highlights concerns over the islands’ heavy reliance on air …

The Governments of St. Eustatius and Saba provide the following update regarding the Makana Ferry service and ongoing discussions about its operational funding under the Public Service Obligation (PSO) agreement. The PSO partners include the governments of St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Maarten, and Makana Ferry. As part of the second …

The new interim direc­tor for Saba Comprehensive School (SCS), Marco de Vries, was introduced to parents and members of the community on Wednesday evening during a town-hall meeting hosted by Saba Educational Foundation (SEF). De Vries served as an Interim Director for various schools in the Netherlands for eight years …

Theme 2025: Indispensable links – the power of social initiatives Social organizations play an important role in our society. They identify problems, see where the greatest need lies and offer help where it is most needed. From supporting vulnerable groups, creating meeting places or connecting people with local services. They …

Members of the Dutch Parliament’s Committee on Kingdom Relations are calling for greater transparency re­garding the various mea­sures aimed at improv­ing purchasing power of residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES islands). According to right-wing People’s Party for Free­dom and Democracy VVD Member of Parliament (MP) Aukje de Vries, …