Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean

In April and May, several employees from Public Entity Saba participated in crisis and disaster management events. Their participation included the attendance at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando in April, followed by the Governor’s Hurricane Conference in West Palm Beach in May. The National Hurricane Conference and the Governor’s …

Saba welcomed two separate delegations from the Openbaar Ministerie and the Koninklijke Marechaussee on May 21st. Outgoing Brigade Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Roland Scheltes, and his successor, Lieutenant Colonel Gerhard Smit, together with Head of Operations, Captain Luuk van de Ven were among the representatives of the KMar. From OM, Saba …

Dutch Na­tional Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen and Ombuds­man for Children Margrite Kalverboer are once again calling for more direct action from the Dutch government to support the people in the Caribbean Netherlands, many of whom are still liv­ing in poverty. In their an­nual report, Van Zutphen and Kalverboer argue that poverty …

Repairs to the metal mesh fencing, located after the S-curve on the way to Fort Bay, are due to begin in July. These repairs are necessary due to serious damage caused by falling rocks, especially during heavy rainfall, to both the fence and the steel cables. Research at the site …

Seven out of nine motions proposed last week were passed by majority vote in the Dutch Second Chamber of Parlia­ment on Tuesday, May 21. The motions requesting that the Dutch govern­ment assess the impact of increasing the minimum wage on small businesses in the Caribbean Netherlands and that the government …

The BES Childcare Law passed the Dutch First Chamber of Par­liament by a large majority. Only four members from the SGP and FvD parties voted against the law proposal. This means that parents re­siding on Bonaire, St. Eusta­tius and Saba (BES) will soon pay much less for childcare. In his …

Are you looking for a low-maintenance gardening method? Join the Sea & Learn Foundation and the hydroponics farm on May 25 for a hands-on workshop to start your own wicking bed garden! Wicking beds use less water, require less frequent attention, and help grow plants that can flourish in less …

On Wednesday, May 15th, a new enforcement car arrived on Saba, making Saba the first in the Caribbean Netherlands to have an official enforcement car. The new vehicle will be more clearly recognizable and is equipped with a siren, speakers, and a radio system. Saba’s full-time general enforcers, Alexandria Hassell …

Improving of the social security for residents of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius and coming to new agreements on the collaboration to implement reforms with the countries Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten. In 2023, these were some of the most important milestones in the relations between the Netherlands and the …

Raoul White, Groenlinks-PvdA Member of Parliament (MP) with Surinamese roots, would like the Dutch government to monitor whether the steps that have been taken to increase the social minimum on Bo­naire, St. Eustatius and Saba have been sufficient. White submitted this motion during a debate with the Permanent Committee Kingdom …

The impact of the extra 30 million euros that the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Re­lations BZK allocated for the Caribbean Netherlands (CN) cannot be determined. This was concluded by the Netherlands Court of Audit in their report on the Annual Report 2023, published on Wednesday, May 15. In …

Oranje Fonds and Kinderpostzegels are launching the three-year programme Strengthening Families Together, for social initiatives in the Caribbean part of our Kingdom. The programme focuses on initiatives that support fami­lies — children, youth and parents — in vulnerable cir­cumstances. Organisations in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba …

Representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Jeroen Adler and Kim Boon, visited Saba on May 13th and 14th to present the draft tax plan for 2025. Meetings were held with the Executive and Island Councils, Saba Business Association, Chamber of Commerce and community members were also invited to attend a town hall meeting on …

From May 6th to May 8th, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) visited Saba to discuss the IAB BES (BES Establishment and Activities Decree), which requires all companies to comply with its regulations. According to the IAB BES, businesses will be categorized into four types, based on their level …

A significant in­crease in ticket prices for the “Makana” Ferry Service were set to take effect today, Wednes­day, but the planned rate hike has been postponed for a week as negotia­tions continue about the terms of a public service obligation (PSO) con­tract. Earlier this month, the operators of the popu­lar …