Vito Charles, Chairman of the Committee for Emancipation and the Commemoration of the History of Slavery on Saba presented a speech today in Oosterpark, Amsterdam. This year marks the 22nd time the National Institute of the Dutch Slavery History and Heritage (NiNsee) organized the National Commemoration of the Dutch Slavery …
Read More »New Visitor Entry Tax Rules in Bonaire Effective July 1, 2024
Starting July 1, 2024, new regulations for the Visitor Entry Tax, commonly referred to as the tourist tax, will come into effect in Bonaire. These changes aim to accommodate children of the island who live elsewhere and Bonairean students studying abroad. Reduced Rate for Island Children Children with connections to …
Read More »Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management Announces Additional Subsidy to Reduce Water Costs
The Public Entity Saba is excited to announce a significant initiative to make water more affordable for residents. As part of the annual effort to lower water costs, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has allocated additional funding for 2024 under the purchasing power package for the Caribbean Netherlands. …
Read More »Notice: Temporary Uniform Change for Dutch Caribbean Police Force
From July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, officers of the Dutch Caribbean Police Force will temporarily wear a dark blue sports shirt combined with a safety vest, instead of the usual black polo shirt with a horizontal yellow stripe. The sports shirt, typically used by officers during sports activities, …
Read More »New state secretary aims to “optimise” kingdom relations
Zsolt Szabó, the upcoming state secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalisation, aims to work towards improving the relations between the Netherlands and the islands in the Caribbean part of the kingdom. Last week, the state secretary emphasised this during the introductory public hearing for the upcoming cabinet in the Dutch …
Read More »Maximum BES electricity rates to decrease slightly
Households in the Caribbean Netherlands will get slightly lower electricity bills from July 1, due to the price reduction of fossil fuels. The Authority Consumer and Market (ACM) has set slightly lower maximum rates for energy suppliers on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES). As a result, an average household …
Read More »Former “Scout’s Place” now officially dubbed “Scenery Hotel”
During a special ceremony at the newly renamed Scenery Hotel, various stakeholders gathered to celebrate the achievement of reaching the highest point of construction for the new establishment. The event took place in the newly constructed area that will house the restaurant/lounge area, with representatives from PMCN, PCN, QBR, Saba …
Read More »VNG launches Caribbean Desk for BES islands
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) are intensifying their collaboration. A significant development is the establishment of the VNG Caribbean Desk, which will serve the Caribbean Netherlands—Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. This desk, co-financed by BZK, will commence operations on …
Read More »Vernisha Robinson received her Marechaussee beret
Vernisha Robinson received her Marechaussee beret. The class of students of the Royal Dutch Marechaussee (military/border police) received their blue berets on Tuesday from Chief Guard Alexander Pas-veer, sector basic training instructor of the Education, Training and Knowledge Center in Apeldoorn. They had gone to the Netherlands on April 8 to follow …
Read More »Emancipation Day and Community Events
In recognition of Emancipation Day, July 1st is a civil servant holiday, and all government offices will be closed. Due to this, school bus services will not be operating, and schools will also be closed. We ask all residents to plan accordingly for this holiday. We warmly invite the community to participate …
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