MARIGOT:--- Maritime professionals and members of Métimer protested at Sandy Ground Bridge on Thursday, demanding action over its prolonged failure to open for vessels and criticizing the Collectivité’s lack of concrete information about repairs.

Demonstrators carried banners highlighting the consequences for the boating industry. Their message included: “No bridge. No boats. No business.” The breakdown has persisted since August 11

The closure concerns marine passage through the movable bridge. The reports reviewed do not establish an ongoing closure to road traffic.

Diagnostic report was expected in October

The Collectivité announced on September 8 that technicians and a hydraulic expert would conduct a visual inspection. Opening and closing tests were scheduled for September 9 between 8:30 and 9 a.m., potentially causing temporary road traffic disruptions.

Its notice said the final diagnostic report was expected in October, following a civil engineering assessment. It provided no repair completion date.

Businesses are now seeking both an explanation of the failure and a timetable for restoring access.

Detours add costs and complications

According to Le97150, vessels must use Dutch-side routes, adding administrative procedures, charges, and delays. Deep-draft boats face particular difficulties.

Shipyards need to release vessels sheltered during hurricane season as tourism activity increases. Marine maintenance and technical businesses inside the lagoon also depend on access.

Métimer representatives told the newspaper they still lack a clear timetable despite approaching the Collectivité and CCISM. An October 15 meeting was supposed to produce information about the diagnosis and planned work.

The newspaper mentioned the main motor as a possible cause, but that explanation remains unconfirmed.

Concerns could reach Territorial Council

Le97150 reported banners and black flags at the bridge and Marina Royale. Jules Charville spoke with protesters, encouraged them to form a delegation, and said he intended to raise the issue at the November 13 Territorial Council meeting. His statement does not establish that a debate has been formally scheduled.

Earlier failure also disrupted access

The bridge suffered another disruption in January. It has been reported that opening operations were suspended because of defective safety barriers following unrest.

In February, maritime professionals warned that the earlier closure threatened more than 30 full-time jobs. That figure is not a verified assessment of the current breakdown.

As of the November 6 reports reviewed, no confirmed reopening date had emerged. Businesses are still waiting to learn what repairs are required and when vessels can again use the French-side passage.

The highest-ranking military officer within the Ministry of Defense, the Commander of the Armed Forces, General Onno Eichelsheim, recently paid a working visit to Defense operations in the Caribbean Region. During this visit, General Eichelsheim visited various units and barracks.

On Curaçao, the Commander of the Armed Forces visited the Parera Naval Base, the Hato Coast Guard Support Center, and the Suffisant Naval Barracks. There, he spoke with Curaçaoan military personnel and members of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. During his visit to Aruba, General Eichelsheim visited the Savaneta Marine Barracks and boarded the station ship HNLMS Friesland for the annual ‘relations at sea’ day.

General Eichelsheim spoke with military personnel, among other things, about their contribution to counter-narcotics operations and the support provided to local police and authorities.

A region in flux

According to the General, the Caribbean is always a ‘region in flux.’ “The Caribbean part of the Kingdom never stands still. Together with local authorities, our colleagues from the Navy, the Army, and the Marechaussee are deployed every day to keep the islands safe. Counter-narcotics operations, emergency relief efforts, and support for local authorities are key tasks for Defense in the Caribbean Region. Beyond these routine responsibilities, the region has also had to contend with tensions between the United States and Venezuela over the past year. Our military personnel here then played a vital role in building a picture of the situation and, above all, in protecting the islands. I have great appreciation for that. Ultimately, by working together, we keep the islands safe—regardless of the nature of the threat.”

The Dutch government is investing in Defense to ensure that the armed forces are prepared to keep the Kingdom and its allies safe. For the Caribbean region, this also includes investments in areas such as radar systems, counter-drone measures, increased flight hours for the Coast Guard, and the permanent presence of a Marine unit. Furthermore, Defense is making additional investments in the equipment, weaponry, and infrastructure of the Caribbean-based military forces (CARMIL), which play a vital role in regional security.

Minister targets end of November for draft decree, declines to promise refunds without financial verification and faces MPs’ demands for immediate consumer relief.

PHILIPSBURG:---  TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten told Parliament that GEBE failed to submit a requested proposal addressing deficiencies in its electricity tariff calculations, prompting Bureau Telecommunications and Post to prepare the fuel-clause framework itself.

Responding to MPs during the November 6 debate on the 2027 draft budget, the minister said a draft national decree containing general measures was expected by the end of November. She subsequently clarified that this would mark the beginning of the decree’s formal process, rather than the immediate implementation of new tariffs.

Heyliger-Marten also declined to commit to refunds or credits based solely on the fuel-cost surplus identified in the April 2025 RAC/BTP evaluation. She maintained that a broader, verified financial assessment was needed before the government could determine whether to return money to customers.

Her detailed responses drew acknowledgment from MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, but also renewed pressure to establish the proper tariff framework and deliver tangible relief.

GEBE did not provide the requested corrections

Addressing Wescot-Williams’s questions about implementing the RAC/BTP recommendations, Heyliger-Marten said the evaluation identified several deficiencies in the existing fuel-clause methodology.

These included timing mismatches in calculations, allocating electricity fuel costs to potable water production, and using a fixed percentage for non-revenue electricity instead of a dynamic calculation.

According to the minister, the government required GEBE to submit a proposed structure addressing those matters, together with its own consumption, allocations associated with Seven Seas and a correction to the N1 calculation.

“GEBE failed to provide the requested proposal,” she said.

Consequently, BTP was preparing the structure for submission to government.

Heyliger-Marten argued that the formula could and should be corrected, but through a verified and legally established methodology rather than arbitrary changes to individual figures.

End-of-November target is for a draft

Following requests from MPs for a specific timeline, the minister identified the end of November 2026 as the expected delivery point for the draft fuel-clause decree.

MP Sjamira Roseburg immediately sought clarification, noting that a draft would still have to pass through the applicable advisory process.

Heyliger-Marten confirmed that distinction.

It would be a draft “for us to start,” she said, rather than a completed instrument already in force.

The minister said a separate draft concerning the base tariff structure, including categories of utility connections, would follow.

She also referred to provisions for vulnerable consumers, including Tariff 16.

Her response did not establish when the complete framework would take effect or when customers would see resulting adjustments on their bills.

Minister acknowledges a longstanding legal gap

Heyliger-Marten said the evaluation found that electricity tariffs were not being established through the mechanism prescribed by the Electricity Concession Ordinance.

In her explanation, the ordinance required tariffs to be determined by a national decree containing general measures, based on cost orientation and allowing departures for social considerations.

During clarification, she said the required decree had not been established since 2010.

That was the minister’s account of the regulatory gap. The debate itself did not constitute a court determination concerning the legality of individual bills or customers’ entitlement to compensation.

Wescot-Williams nevertheless stressed the urgency, saying she had requested and examined the basis GEBE was using and found it insufficient for current operations.

She also noted that consumers had brought the matter of electricity and water charges before the courts, while acknowledging that the outcome was unknown.

MP Omar Ottley called for a firm timetable and said Parliament should be informed promptly if a deadline could not be met.

No refund commitment on the surplus figure alone

Asked whether government could return or credit the fuel-cost surplus identified in the evaluation, Heyliger-Marten refused to treat the reported figure as sufficient on its own.

“Not responsibly on the basis of the reported figure alone,” she said.

According to her explanation, the report called for a broader cost-coverage analysis examining fuel expenses against fuel-clause revenues, alongside operating and capital expenses against base-tariff revenues.

She said the information required to complete that assessment had not been available during the evaluation.

Before deciding whether an amount should be returned or credited, the government would therefore need verified financial information.

“I am not dismissing the recommendation,” she said. “I am saying that any decision involving consumer money must be supported by a complete and reliable financial assessment.”

She did not announce a refund amount, eligibility criteria or payment date.

Water-production costs require coordinated review

Heyliger-Marten said electricity costs associated with potable water production could not be examined separately from the water tariff structure.

She said the evaluation identified deficiencies in both areas and recommended a comprehensive review supported by an impact analysis.

Correcting one component without examining the other could produce unintended consequences for consumers, she cautioned.

She also linked the work to discussions involving the responsible ministries over a possible extension of the Seven Seas water-production agreement.

Her position was that corrections should proceed, but based on verified calculations and through coordination with the responsible ministries.

BTP oversight and audited information

The minister said government had designated BTP as supervisor under the electricity concession framework, moving one central recommendation of the report into implementation.

That designation, she argued, created a foundation for independent concession monitoring, tariff review and greater transparency.

However, she explicitly acknowledged that not every recommendation had been implemented.

Heyliger-Marten also said the evaluation noted that an accountant had not audited the quantitative information used.

She maintained that audited financial information was essential to independently verify the costs used to determine consumers’ charges.

“Consumers should not simply receive a bill with a number,” she said. “They should be able to understand how that number was calculated.”

Fuel supply chain faces broader scrutiny

Heyliger-Marten said the RAC/BTP evaluation found GEBE’s light and heavy fuel procurement prices broadly followed international market movements, while identifying additional components requiring attention.

She listed premium surcharges, insurance, procurement, inspection, loss allowances, remittance tax, throughput charges and marketing differentials.

Her objective, she said, extended beyond reviewing individual charges to examining procurement, transportation, storage and supply arrangements.

She proposed exploring GEBE’s own storage and pipeline infrastructure to create more opportunity for competitive procurement, alongside a faster transition to renewable energy.

These were directions for examination, rather than announcements of approved or financed infrastructure.

Throughput rate and cost share are different figures

Questions from MPs Darryl York and Francisco Lacroes also focused on port throughput fees.

The minister initially specified rates of eight cents per liter for regular fuel imports and four cents per liter for fuel imported for sale to the airport and GEBE.

She separately explained that the 1.3% figure in her presentation represented the port fee’s approximate share of GEBE’s total monthly fuel purchasing expenditure—not the per-liter tariff.

Using her stated figures of approximately US$100,000 in monthly port throughput fees against US$7.5 million in GEBE fuel purchases, she argued that removing the port charge alone would produce limited savings.

She said she had requested information on total throughput revenues since its introduction and would provide it in writing.

Lacroes also raised questions about the Causeway loan and sought port audited statements. Those questions were not fully resolved in the supplied exchange.

Irion presses the case for relief now

MP Ardwell Irion challenged the minister’s emphasis on structural reforms, arguing that households needed assistance immediately.

Heyliger-Marten responded that recurring cash injections could not be the principal solution to electricity costs.

A subsidy could provide targeted temporary relief, she said, but would shift part of the expense from consumers’ bills to the national budget without necessarily reducing generation costs.

Irion interrupted to clarify that his question concerned relief for people suffering now, while longer-term plans remained unimplemented.

The minister maintained that sustainable reductions required more efficient generation, scrutiny of fuel costs, independent oversight, solar energy and battery storage.

She said GEBE was advancing plans for approximately 6.5 megawatts of solar capacity alongside battery storage. She did not provide a commissioning date or a quantified household-bill reduction.

Roseburg offers legislative assistance

Roseburg renewed questions about the absence of the tariff decree and reiterated the importance of investigating how the situation had developed.

Heyliger-Marten welcomed a copy of Roseburg’s proposed legislative amendment, saying it could be considered alongside BTP’s recommendations.

The minister’s responses established a target for producing the draft framework and explained why she was not yet promising refunds. MPs’ remaining challenge was for that regulatory work to produce a dependable implementation timetable and relief that customers could measure on t

Minister outlines collection from short-term rentals and overseas owners as MPs demand clarity on low-income impacts, project financing and the promise of a 2027 “year of execution.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten confirmed that a draft amendment proposes raising the accommodation tax from 5% to 10% and extending it to comparable tourist accommodation, including villas, apartments and short-term vacation rentals.

However, she made clear that the separate financial transaction tax remained under exploration, with no adopted rate or implementation date.

During the November 6 continuation of the 2027 draft budget debate, Heyliger-Marten outlined plans to strengthen collection from overseas property owners, allow agreements with booking platforms and modernize the country’s economic institutions.

Her declaration that 2027 would be a “year of execution” met pointed questions from MPs about financing, legislative capacity and whether the proposed transaction tax would leave minimum-wage households worse off.

Accommodation-tax increase included in draft

Responding to MP Sjamira Roseburg, Heyliger-Marten said the increase from 5% to 10% was already included in the draft accommodation-tax amendment under review at Legal Affairs.

The proposed framework would extend coverage to hotels, villas, apartments and short-term vacation rentals, with the intention that comparable accommodation contributes on a fairer basis.

She also described modernizing rental definitions, changes to timeshare taxation, stronger collection arrangements, allocating revenue to tourism marketing, and a phased increase in the accommodation tax.

The minister said Finance’s position on the proposed rate still needed confirmation as the ministries worked through the amendments and collection arrangements.

The 10% rate was therefore a proposal, not an approved tax announced for immediate collection.

Roseburg asked whether additional revenue could support cleaner communities or electricity relief. Heyliger-Marten said those would require separate budget decisions with Finance.

Overseas owners and booking platforms included

Answering MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, the minister said the proposed legislation would apply regardless of whether owners lived in St. Maarten or abroad.

Paid short-term rentals arranged directly or through platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com would fall within the modernized framework.

A proposed provision would allow the Finance Minister to enter into collection agreements with local and international entities, including booking platforms, rental companies and accommodation intermediaries.

Under those arrangements, participating entities would collect the applicable tax from guests and remit it to the government.

The draft also contemplated stronger monitoring, including technology to identify properties advertised online.

Heyliger-Marten said the ministry was additionally examining whether nonresidents should be required to obtain a CRIB number before purchasing real estate. She did not announce that it had adopted such a requirement.

Rental tax does not resolve zoning concerns

MP Dimar Labega questioned the expansion of vacation rentals into residential neighborhoods and its effect on long-term housing availability.

He asked whether the legislation would include zoning provisions or limits to preserve residential accommodation.

Heyliger-Marten said the current draft addressed taxation rather than spatial planning and did not provide separate rental zones.

She suggested that stronger registration and collection arrangements could help establish where rentals operated, creating a basis for later zoning discussions.

Her response did not announce restrictions on short-term rentals in residential areas or a timetable for a separate zoning measure.

No proposed 5% to 10% transaction-tax rate

On the financial transaction tax, Heyliger-Marten rejected the suggestion that government had proposed a rate between 5% and 10%.

She said the 5% figure previously presented was illustrative.

The work so far relied on Central Bank payment data, government revenue figures and scenarios examining whether a transaction-based measure could replace or reduce existing taxes.

However, she acknowledged that billions moving through the banking system could not automatically be treated as a taxable base.

The assessment would need to determine which transactions could be taxed, which should be exempt, and the consequences for households, businesses, inflation and government revenue.

“This has not yet completed a feasibility study,” she said, distinguishing preliminary research from a final assessment.

Minimum-wage impact remains unanswered in numbers

MP Darryl York clarified that his concern was not about any particular rate.

He wanted to know how a transaction tax would affect the purchasing power of people earning minimum wage or less, especially those already paying little or no wage tax.

Heyliger-Marten said the social and economic effects would form part of the assessment.

She suggested that businesses retaining more capital might hire more employees or increase salaries, but did not present a quantified distributional analysis or establish that those outcomes would occur.

Her stated objective was that residents should be better off, not worse off, under any eventual reform.

For low-income households, the practical question therefore remained open: would savings from reduced existing taxes exceed any additional costs passed through prices or financial transactions?

Finance coordination defended; task-force formalities continue

Heyliger-Marten credited MP Ludmila de Weever with exploring the concept during her tenure as TEATT Minister in 2020.

“Good policies should not have an expiration date simply because a minister leaves the office,” she said.

She reported that TEATT had presented its exploratory findings to Finance and that the Finance Minister had requested Central Bank advice.

She described a joint technical task force, but later clarified that its formal arrangements were being finalized following legal advice, with completion hoped for before year-end.

MP Ardwell Irion questioned whether Finance was equally committed, saying he had not received that impression from the Finance Minister’s presentations.

Heyliger-Marten replied that Finance was on board for the preliminary phase and that TEATT was leading the exploratory work under the governing program.

“I’m not saying that it’s going to happen,” she said. “We’re simply exploring it.”

She also agreed to compile available reports requested by Irion, who referred to earlier work involving BDO, the IMF, the Central Bank and Fiscal Affairs. The exchange did not establish the conclusions of any of the documents he mentioned.

Wescot-Williams and York pressed for clarity on how the proposal related to tax reform already underway. Heyliger-Marten said Finance’s participation should allow the processes to move together, but did not present a consolidated roadmap.

Airport-port cooperation and possible shared services

Responding to MP Viren Kotai, Heyliger-Marten supported examining whether closer coordination between the airport and port could reduce costs and improve investment decisions.

She said an Ernst & Young assessment of the port group’s governance structure could help determine the next steps, including whether further financial and legal due diligence was warranted.

She also proposed examining shared services or possible combinations involving other government-owned companies, including GEBE and TeleM.

Examples included fiber infrastructure, billing and administration.

She acknowledged that any merger would require proper financial, legal and operational assessment. No merger or unified authority was announced as approved.

“Year of execution” challenged on financing

Heyliger-Marten said much of the previous two years had involved policy development, legislation, stakeholder engagement and project preparation.

“I see 2027 as our year of execution,” she said.

MPs questioned how that promise could be delivered if the capital financing underpinning projects remained uncertain.

MP Lyndon Lewis asked where the money would come from. Irion cautioned that government could not operate on “hopes and dreams” and requested the alternative financing plan.

Heyliger-Marten said the ministry was working with strategic partners and had a plan B for many projects if capital financing did not proceed.

She subsequently acknowledged that alternative arrangements could help advance some projects, not all.

She did not identify committed partner funding, contractual arrangements or a complete project-by-project financing schedule.

Met Office, square and Philipsburg projects at different stages

The minister identified the Met Office project as a critical capital investment with a development plan prepared in collaboration with NRPB.

Development plans for Clem Labega Square were being procured, while strategic-partner discussions were underway for Philipsburg beautification.

She supported incorporating local murals into the broader plans and said additional alleys offered opportunities for that work.

On the removal of the umbrella attraction, she said it had not been a TEATT installation. Christmas decorations would begin soon, with further possibilities to be discussed after the season.

She also confirmed that local marketing firms and influencers would be engaged once policies governing their participation and the ambassador program were developed.

Project Walk targeted for mid-December

Heyliger-Marten disputed the claim that cruise ferry passengers were being dropped exclusively at Walter Plantz Square.

According to information she obtained from operators, one-ship days involved service to Bobby’s Marina and Captain Hodge Wharf, with three designated drop-off points served when two or more ships were in port.

She said businesses near Walter Plantz Square had complained about insufficient passenger traffic.

The minister also described a new pedestrian-access initiative, Project Walk, expected to open around mid-December 2026.

It was intended to improve movement from the cruise-port area toward Philipsburg and address congestion and unauthorized solicitation near the port entrance.

She discussed changes in cruise shopping-promotion arrangements that she believed could redirect more passengers toward town, but did not present independently measured results from those changes.

Licensing progress, but performance targets unfinished

Heyliger-Marten reported that the licensing department was processing applications received in 2026 within the same year.

Only a handful from 2025 remained, primarily awaiting additional information from applicants, she said.

Although the question requested an updated backlog figure, her reference to more than 300 applications did not provide a clearly defined current outstanding total.

She maintained the objective of reducing processing times from months to weeks.

Numerical inspection targets for 2027 had also not been finalized. Performance indicators were being developed around inspection coverage, compliance, complaint handling and corrective action.

The ministry’s function book was with P&O for changes, with an initial draft anticipated in 2027 but no firm completion date.

Tourism figures must be validated first

The minister declined to provide final numerical tourism targets before a validated picture of 2026 performance was available.

Targets had to reflect arrivals, cruise capacity, hotel occupancy and spending patterns, she argued.

She clarified that the 5.1 million-guilder tourism-development allocation covered a combined program, not each individual campaign.

She said the online entry system shared electronic arrival information with Statistics and used it for tourism insights and dashboards.

She also attributed some reporting delays at the airport to its management transition and said passenger projections indicated the airport could surpass one million passengers during the year.

Cannabis legislation expected in 2027, without projected revenue

Heyliger-Marten said the cannabis draft was being revised following initial Legal Affairs advice and would continue through the advisory process.

She expected to submit it to Parliament in 2027.

However, she defended excluding cannabis revenue from the budget because the legislation and regulatory framework had not been approved.

“There is a difference between identifying potential revenue sources and actually being in the position to collect that revenue,” she said.

She also maintained the confidentiality of the submitted cannabis agreement despite MPs questioning why details had appeared publicly.

Legislative priorities and investment vehicles

Asked by Roseburg to identify her top three legislative priorities, Heyliger-Marten named the agriculture, livestock and fisheries agency, competition and consumer protection legislation, and the Gambling Authority law.

Her broader agenda included tourism governance, cannabis, pricing, telecommunications number portability, business licensing, independent statistics, public transportation and investment promotion.

She expected some legislation to be ready from the second quarter of 2027 onward.

The minister also described restructuring EDC through financial and governance cleanup, a supervisory board and management recruitment.

Her longer-term vision connected an investment promotion agency attracting investment, EDC executing projects, and a potential national development bank facilitating finance. Those were intended complementary roles, not three fully operational institutions announced during the debate.

Vehicle titles, charter access and bridge fees

Heyliger-Marten outlined a proposed centralized vehicle ownership and titling system involving Cadastre, inspection services, insurers, dealers and importers.

It was intended to strengthen road-tax compliance, ownership verification, stolen-vehicle detection, accountability for wrecks and transport planning.

The next steps included formal cooperation with Cadastre and technical and legal work. No implementation date was given.

She also supported engagement with Anguilla and French-side authorities over charter-boat operating conditions.

On lagoon management, she described responsibilities assigned to the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation, including navigation facilities, vessel monitoring and bridge operations.

She confirmed that the port group did not charge users to cross the Causeway. Wescot-Williams clarified that her proposal concerned fees for vessel-related bridge openings rather than a road toll, and the minister said the possibility could be considered.

Across the exchange, Heyliger-Marten defended an extensive reform agenda. Parliament’s central demand was that agenda be matched with clear priorities, verified economic impacts, and financing arrangements capable of turning proposals into delivery.