Former VROMI Minister Says Cg. Millions were left for projects, accuses Government of an execution crisis and demands answers across Ministries
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament and former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Egbert J. Doran delivered a sweeping attack on the government during the 2026 budget debate, arguing that St. Maarten’s fundamental problem is no longer simply a shortage of money but a failure to execute, while households continue struggling with high GEBE bills, deteriorating roads, rising living costs and unfulfilled promises of relief.
Doran framed his presentation around what he described as the repeated “licks” the population endures.
“You drive on the road, licks. You look around how dirty the country has become, licks,” Doran said, also pointing to healthcare difficulties, supermarket prices and GEBE bills as pressures confronting residents.
His central message was that government has repeatedly announced relief, but ordinary residents have yet to see the promised improvement in their household finances.
Doran Confronts Government with Prime Minister’s Own GEBE Promises
Doran returned to statements made by Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina concerning GEBE and the fuel-cost component of electricity bills.
He cited the Prime Minister as saying the government had reached an agreement with GEBE under which the utility would absorb fluctuations in fuel costs, meaning consumers would not have to bear increases associated with those fluctuations.
Doran then pointed to another commitment discussed in Parliament in June 2025. According to his presentation, the Prime Minister had indicated that GEBE's Supervisory Board of Directors was being asked to have management identify irregularities in electricity fuel costs.
Doran said the proposed correction was expected to reduce costs by six to seven cents per kilowatt-hour, translating to about a 19% reduction in the fuel-cost portion of electricity bills, effective with the July 2025 billing cycle.
But Doran told Parliament that consumers instead experienced higher bills.
“Where is the relief?” he demanded, arguing that residents continue hearing announcements and explanations while their financial reality remains unchanged.
He gave the example of someone he knows who, according to Doran, took out a $10,000 loan to settle what that person considered a fictitious GEBE bill, while simultaneously having to remain current on new electricity bills.
Doran warned that households forced to borrow to pay existing debt while taking on additional obligations are being pushed deeper into poverty.
“We are creating poverty. We are breeding poverty here in this country,” he said, stressing that the problem is affecting not only minimum-wage earners but also people considered part of the middle class.
“VROMI does not have a Money Problem — It has an execution problem”
The former VROMI Minister then turned directly to infrastructure.
Doran told Parliament that he left Cg. 8 million in capital expenditure funding for roads and rejected suggestions that insufficient financing explains the road network's current condition.
“The problem in VROMI is execution,” he declared.
According to Doran, the last bid for road repairs was executed in 2024 during his tenure, and he alleged that no corresponding 2025 or 2026 road-repair bid has been issued since.
Later in his presentation, Doran broadened the financial argument, saying his former administration left approximately Cg. 67 million Cg. 68 million available for projects, much of it connected to VROMI.
He maintained that a substantial portion remains available.
“So when some people say VROMI has a money problem, they have an execution and a priority problem,” Doran said.
He also pointed to a hard-surfacing project covering 40 side roads, which he said began during his tenure and is now nearing completion but is almost a year overdue. Doran asked whether government intends to proceed with a second phase and demanded clarity on when the proposed road fund will actually become operational.
Five of 155 Building Permits
One of Doran’s strongest attacks concerned building permits.
Citing information raised during the budget debate, Doran said that only five out of 155 building permits for 2026 had been signed and approved.
He acknowledged that, during his own tenure, meeting the statutory timeframe for every building permit was difficult because of backlogs. But he argued that approving only five out of 155 applications represents an unacceptable level of performance.
“Five out of 155, that's clear failure on all ends,” Doran said.
He also demanded the status of the government’s promised 1,200 homes, asking when construction is projected to begin.
Doran additionally requested information on water rights granted during the current VROMI Minister’s tenure, including the amount of land involved.
Vineyard Heights: “Over 100 Homes, 100 Families”
Housing was another major target.
Doran reminded Parliament of plans for Vineyard Heights and the former Post Office location, saying Vineyard Heights could have produced more than 100 homes for more than 100 families.
He complained that development was stopped and demanded an update on what the government intends to do with the project.
He separately asked about the status of the GEBE housing project in Hope Estate, referring to an MOU involving Vida Nova and GEBE and a government letter of support. According to Doran, the initiative was meant to give GEBE employees the opportunity to own homes.
Doran Questions Cg. 39 million First-Quarter Result
Doran also challenged government over its finances.
He said the first quarter had produced approximately Cg. 39 million in positives, around Cg. 36 million better than expected, yet the government projected that only about Cg. 5 million in free cash would remain at year-end.
His question was straightforward: where will the money go between now and December?
Doran tied that question to outstanding payments, asking why employees are not receiving jubileums and increases and why some vendors, according to him, have remained unpaid since last year.
He also asked the finance minister to provide Parliament with a breakdown of approximately Cg. 143 million in short-term obligations.
Doran further questioned the absence of meaningful new revenue-generating measures.
He pointed to the long-discussed tourist tax, which he said could generate approximately Cg. 18 million but remains absent from the budget because the required legislation is unfinished.
He challenged the government to identify five new revenue-generating measures contained in the budget.
Property Tax Proposal: Protect Local Homeowners
Doran also revisited a National Alliance proposal to examine a form of property taxation structured to protect local homeowners while concentrating on foreign and non-resident ownership.
He questioned why the government had not studied the proposal.
Using Anguilla as an example, Doran argued that other jurisdictions have mechanisms that distinguish between local and foreign land ownership and questioned why Sint Maarten cannot similarly develop policies that protect opportunities for its own people.
“Why can’t St. Maarten protect St. Martiners?” Doran asked.
Tourist Tax, Traffic and Marketplace — “When does execution take place?”
Doran repeatedly returned to one theme: plans and studies mean little without implementation.
On traffic, he questioned the government's Request for Information for mobility and traffic-management solutions, asking when residents will see an actual traffic plan backed by both a timeline and financing.
“Or is this just another study?” Doran asked.
He accused the government of being good at “studying and monitoring” while failing to execute.
At the Philipsburg Marketplace, Doran asked what relief measures the government had actually implemented for vendors after it said it would explore options.
He also demanded figures showing how many economic license applications remain pending and the average processing time.
400-Plus Pages to Explain GEBE Fuel Cost
GEBE returned to the center of Doran's presentation when he questioned how the fuel-cost calculation is being independently scrutinized.
Doran said BTP had received more than 400 pages explaining the fuel-cost calculation and asked that the material be provided to him so he could examine it himself.
With electricity costs continuing to hit households, he demanded transparency over precisely how the fuel-cost figure is determined.
Cost of Living and Price Controls
Doran then turned to supermarket prices, demanding figures on the number of price-control inspections conducted this year, the number of violations identified and how many businesses were fined or otherwise sanctioned.
He also called for the government to reconsider the composition of the basket of basic goods.
Doran argued that specifying particular brands and package sizes can undermine the effectiveness of price controls because importers can simply bring in different brands or sizes.
Instead, he suggested regulating categories of essential products more broadly so that the mechanism better protects consumers.
Schools, Healthcare and Frontline Workers
Doran's criticism stretched into education.
He questioned the condition of schools, referring specifically to photographs he said showed a girls' bathroom at a school without proper toilet seats and with cardboard being used.
“If it's your school, then fix it, Minister,” Doran said, questioning how conditions could deteriorate to that point without intervention.
On healthcare, Doran called attention to homelessness, addiction and mental-health challenges and asked government how it intends to make healthcare-related professions more attractive to workers.
He also returned to the case of an officer injured in the line of duty, using it to highlight what he described as communication failures between healthcare institutions and concerns about insurance protection for frontline workers.
Doran said the previous supplemental insurance for frontline workers expired at the end of 2023 and had subsequently been put out for tender, but problems arose with that process. He demanded an update on how far government has progressed toward restoring accident and risk insurance coverage for frontline workers.
Doran: Government Is Flying Without a Flight Plan
Doran closed his lengthy presentation with an aviation analogy, portraying the government as an aircraft whose crew has positions but no clear direction.
He said Sint Maarten continues to face high GEBE bills, poor roads, cleanliness problems, healthcare challenges and a rising cost of living while salaries fail to keep pace.
The former VROMI Minister contrasted that situation with measures implemented under the previous administration, citing minimum-wage increases, indexation, the SSRP, the Enterprise Support Project and educational initiatives during the COVID-19 period.
But his final challenge returned to the Prime Minister's earlier words about restoring public trust.
If government promises relief, Doran said, it must deliver it.
“If you tell the people relief is coming, deliver relief. If you tell the people their burden will become lighter, make it lighter.”
“Trust does not come from another press release. Trust comes from doing what is said and what you say you're going to do.”
Doran concluded that Sint Maarten cannot afford another year of promises without execution, warning that residents need tangible relief rather than additional announcements.
“It's time to land the promises and deliver relief.”
