Newsdesk | Monday 19 January, 2026 - Planning, Prices, and Public Debate

Minister Tackling hosts a Joint Oversight meeting in a newly revised strategic format aimed at sharper coordination on Sint Maarten. Infrastructure and mobility take center stage with the Ministry of VROMI and UNOPS signing a letter of intent to advance national transportation planning, while new data shows consumer prices remained stable in the third quarter of 2025. In the business sector, Tamara Leonard’s election as the new COCI president signals a change in leadership, even as political debate intensifies over the Belvedere land deal, with MP Irion raising concerns about favoritism and long-term planning. We also look to the maritime and tourism community as the SMMTA marks a successful Crew Year’s Eve 2026 in Simpson Bay, touch on public safety updates from Saba, and close on a lighter cultural note by asking who is shaping the bold Road Gods vision for Carnival 2026.