Dear Editor,
With the opening of the new Parliamentary year, Over the past 15 years, Parliamentarians in St. Maarten have collectively received over Cg48,000,000 in salary payments. That figure, staggering in its own right, demands a sobering question: what has the country tangibly gained in return? This is without traveling expenses, rent etc.
A Hefty Investment in Leadership
Members of Parliament earn approximately Cg20,000 monthly, placing them among the highest-paid public officials in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The rationale behind such compensation is clear: attract top-tier talent, ensure independence, and reward public service. But when the cost of governance reaches this magnitude, the public deserves more than just payroll transparency—they deserve results.
The Reality Check: What’s Changed?
Let’s examine the past 15 years through the lens of progress:
- Infrastructure: Roads remain riddled with potholes, and hurricane recovery has been sluggish. Despite billions in pledged aid post-Irma, execution has been marred by delays and mismanagement.
- Healthcare: The long-promised general hospital remains incomplete. Citizens still travel abroad for specialized care.
- Education: Teachers have faced salary freezes and benefit cuts, while school facilities deteriorate.
- Youth & Employment: Unemployment among young people remains high, and vocational training programs are underfunded or nonexistent.
- Transparency & Accountability: Successive governments have collapsed amid infighting, and corruption allegations continue to erode public trust.
The Cost of Political Instability
Since 2010, St. Maarten has seen more than ten different governments.( Where as under normal circumstances we should constitutionally have had no more than 4 governments in office if each government had sat for 4 years). Each change brings new ministers, new priorities, and new delays. Continuity in governance is a luxury we haven’t afforded ourselves—despite the premium we pay for leadership.
Return on Investment: A Failing Grade
If Parliament were a business, shareholders would be demanding answers and face consequences. What policies have lifted the standard of living? What legislation has transformed the economy? What oversight has protected public funds?
The truth is that the average citizen has not seen a proportional return on this multimillion-euro investment. Instead, many feel increasingly disconnected from the political class—whose salaries remain untouched while civil servants, police, nurses, and teachers endure cuts.
What Needs to Change
- Performance-Based Accountability: Tie compensation to measurable outcomes—legislative productivity, constituency engagement, and national development benchmarks.
- Transparency in Spending: Publish detailed breakdowns of parliamentary expenditures and travel budgets, and show tangible results on those travel expenses.
- Civic Engagement: Create platforms for citizens to evaluate their representatives and participate in policy-making.
- Salary Reform: Revisit the salary structure to align with regional standards and economic realities or raise productivity.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
St. Maarten’s Parliamentarians have been entrusted with both power and privilege. But with that comes responsibility. The people have paid the bill—now they deserve the benefits. It’s time for leadership to prove its worth not in speeches, but in outcomes. The last elections have shown that Voter apathy is now very prevalent, as shown in the lower voter turnout on polling day.
If Cg48 million can’t buy progress, then what are we really paying for?
Signed
Julian H Rollocks Sr. (Former Commissioner of Tourism and Economic Affairs)
