PHILIPSBURG:--- Today, representatives of the NV GEBE Management Team, led by Temporary Manager Ms. Iris Arrindell, met with two members of the ACP-SXM Board and their legal representative, Ms. Valya Pantophlet. Also present on behalf of NV GEBE was the company's legal representative, Ms. Florentine Paanakker of Lexwell Attorneys.
Prior to the meeting, ACP-SXM formally presented its petition to NV GEBE Management. The petition was signed and received by Temporary Manager Ms. Arrindell in the presence of ACP-SXM Board members and their supporters who had gathered for the peaceful march.
Following the presentation, both parties convened in the conference room of NV GEBE, where the ACP-SXM Board provided an overview of the points contained in the petition.
NV GEBE acknowledges receipt of the petition and appreciates the respectful and constructive dialogue that took place. Management will review the matters presented and continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders in the best interest of the company, its employees, and the people of Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Many of our students opt to pursue their tertiary education in the USA and Canada. To do so, students will need a student visa or study permit as the last legal documents before leaving the island.
The Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport is hosting a workshop entitled “Applying for a U.S. Student Visa or Canadian Study Permit” on Thursday, June 18, 2026. This free workshop will be held at the University of St. Martin from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
According to SSSD officials, many students are often overwhelmed by the process of obtaining a student visa or study permit. Some also find it challenging to navigate all the requirements and changes related to studying in the USA and Canada. With this workshop, SSSD aims to address those concerns.
This annual workshop is open to students who will be going to the US or Canada to study in the upcoming school year (August/ September or January) as well as students in their last year of secondary school who are considering these countries as places to study. Parents are also welcomed, together with their child, based on availability of seats.
“The recent developments in both the US and Canada, as it relates to international students, dictate that all immigration documents are properly completed and procedures followed,” SSSD officials stated. They stressed that it is important that students follow the correct steps in the application process since this can cause delays or even that their application is turned down. The workshop will explain the steps students need to take when applying either for their U.S. Student Visa or Study Permit for Canada. Explanation of the documents needed as well as the fees to be paid, will be given.
“Even if you have not received your I-20 (US schools) or Letter of Acceptance (LOA) (Canada) and you are scheduled to start school later this year, you can still attend this workshop,” SSSD officials stated.
Persons interested in attending this workshop are encouraged to contact Student Support Services Division (SSSD) at telephone 543-1235 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve a seat since space is limited. People can also go to the SSSD Facebook page and scan the QR code on the flyer to register. Participants are encouraged to bring their own writing materials to the workshop and to be on time.
The Student Support Services Division is located upstairs of the Gatspy’s store, across from the Police Station and next to the Windward Island Bank (WIB) in Philipsburg. SSSD provides many services to students including psychological services, counseling services, speech language pathology services, social work services, educational diagnostic services, career services, as well as parental workshops and parent support groups.

PHILIPSBURG:--- An estimated 500 residents, joined by politicians, union representatives, community leaders, and concerned consumers, took to the streets on Monday in a powerful show of public frustration over electricity and water bills, fuel clause charges, and utility disconnections imposed by NV GEBE.

The march, organized by the Association for Consumer Protection (ACP), culminated at GEBE's headquarters, where ACP President Peggy Ann Dros-Richardson delivered a strong message to the utility company and informed supporters that GEBE has been given seven business days to respond to a list of nine demands presented on behalf of consumers.

The massive turnout signaled growing dissatisfaction among residents who say they have been burdened by rising utility costs, inconsistent billing, and a lack of transparency regarding the controversial fuel clause.

Speaking to the crowd following a meeting with GEBE officials, Dros-Richardson said ACP was not interested in endless discussions that failed to produce results.

"This country sometimes has us spinning in a wash cycle of talking, discussion after discussion, with no deadline set and no resolution in sight," she told supporters. "On behalf of the Association for Consumer Protection, I am saying this will not occur."

Dros-Richardson warned that if GEBE fails to provide what ACP considers a reasonable resolution within seven business days, the organization is prepared to seek legal action.

"This isn't about GEBE. This is about consumer rights. Today it is GEBE, tomorrow it can be another institution. We are standing up for the people of this country."

ACP presented nine demands to the utility company, two of which the organization considers immediate and non-negotiable.

The first demand calls for the immediate reversal of what ACP describes as the unauthorized and unlawful retroactive application of the fuel clause. The second requires GEBE to suspend all residential utility disconnections and reconnect households that have already been disconnected.

"I have made it clear to NV GEBE that those two points are non-negotiable," Dros-Richardson stated.

The remaining demands seek greater transparency regarding tariff calculations and fuel clause methodology, an independent audit of billing practices dating back to the March 2022 cyberattack, the publication of a customer service policy, compensation for consumers who may have been improperly charged, and stronger protections for vulnerable groups including seniors, low-income families, persons with disabilities, medically dependent residents, and households with children.

ACP is also demanding full cooperation with regulatory and oversight bodies, as well as the publication of a clear infrastructure and service reliability plan to improve electricity and water services. The organization further called on GEBE to invest more aggressively in renewable energy solutions to reduce long-term costs for consumers.

Receiving the ACP delegation was Temporary Manager Iris Arrindell, who acknowledged the growing frustration among residents and the widening divide between the utility company and the public.

"We understand that you are frustrated," Arrindell told the gathering. "There is really a gap between us and the people."

Arrindell assured the crowd that GEBE intends to engage with ACP representatives and review the concerns presented.

"Never believe for one moment that we ourselves don't want this situation fixed. The quicker we get this fixed, the quicker we can gain your trust back and move on together as a company," she said.

While the demonstration highlighted widespread public dissatisfaction with GEBE's billing practices and customer service, the utility company is simultaneously facing a severe financial challenge of its own.

Recent disclosures indicate that approximately NAf. 184.7 million is currently owed to NV GEBE in unpaid electricity and water bills. The staggering figure has fueled concerns among policymakers and financial experts who warn that the utility's long-term sustainability is being threatened by mounting arrears and a growing culture of non-payment.

The issue has become increasingly controversial as some residents and interest groups have called for debt forgiveness or write-offs. However, critics argue that such measures would place an even greater burden on an already struggling utility and ultimately shift costs onto paying customers and taxpayers.

Many observers note that while consumers have legitimate concerns about billing accuracy, fuel-clause increases, and service reliability, the reality is that electricity and water services cannot be maintained if large numbers of customers simply stop paying their bills in the expectation that debts will eventually be written off.

Monday's demonstration therefore highlighted two competing realities facing Sint Maarten. On one hand, consumers are demanding transparency, accountability, and relief from what they believe are unfair charges. On the other hand, GEBE must recover millions in outstanding payments while rebuilding public confidence and maintaining essential services.

As ACP's seven-business-day deadline begins to count down, attention will now turn to whether GEBE responds to the organization's demands or whether the dispute escalates into a legal battle.

What was evident on Monday is that nearly 1,000 residents made their voices heard, sending a clear message that public patience has run out and that consumers expect answers, accountability, and action.

Pond Island:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Maarten, today extended warm congratulations to Ms. Iris Arrindell on her appointment as Temporary Manager of NV GEBE, describing the appointment as “an important step toward restoring stability, transparency and public confidence in GEBE.”
“I wish Ms. Arrindell strength and success as she takes on this critical responsibility,” the Minister stated. “Her appointment is a breath of fresh air and comes at a pivotal moment, and I look forward to constructive cooperation as we work to bring clarity, accountability and relief to the people of St. Maarten.”
Minister Heyliger-Marten also reiterated her earlier public position regarding the recent increase in the fuel clause, which she previously condemned as unjustified and unsupported by transparent data.
“My position has not changed,” she emphasized. “Any adjustment to the fuel clause must be based on verified information and lawful procedures. That is why I initiated the Supervisor Mechanism under the Electricity Concession Ordinance to ensure that, for the first time, the Government receives full transparency into GEBE’s calculations.”
The Minister confirmed that BTP, in its role as Supervisor, has already held meetings with GEBE and that the company is now providing information that has never been submitted in full compliance with the Concession.
“For the first time in our history, the Government will be receiving the data needed to independently verify the fuel clause,’ she said. “This is the direct result of the formal oversight actions we have taken using the legal tools available to Government.”
When asked about the recent departure of former Temporary Manager Thomas Roggendorf, the Minister responded: “My focus has always been on compliance with the law and protection of the people. The Supervisor mechanism sent a clear message that the days of operating without full transparency are over. The country deserves accountability, and I will continue to use every legal instrument available to ensure it; it came as no surprise that he resigned.”
The Minister also addressed the growing public interest in GEBE’s operations, including the Association for Consumer Protection's recent activities. “Public engagement is healthy for our democracy,” she noted. “I welcome every voice that advocates for fairness and transparency in a respectable manner. At the same time, it is the Government that carries the legal responsibility to act, and we are acting.” Earlier this year, after the new Supervisory Board was installed, Minister Heyliger-Marten initiated the concession compliance process.
The Minister noted that historically, fuel clause levels were similar in 2022, yet no structural reforms were undertaken at that time. “The public deserves more than temporary relief,” she said. “They deserve a system that is transparent, predictable, and fair. That is why this Government is taking a fundamentally different approach, one that addresses the root causes, not just the symptoms.”
She reaffirmed that renewable energy is a sustainable path to long-term affordability. “We cannot continue relying only on fossil fuels,” she stated. “Renewable energy is not optional; it is essential for our economic future and for lowering the cost of living.”
She added that the Government will evaluate the future of GEBE’s concession. “If the concession must be rewritten to guarantee that St. Maarten finally realizes an energy transition, then that is the direction we will take,” the Minister declared. “The people of St. Maarten deserve nothing less.”
The Minister noted that the existing concession already contains clear, legally binding obligations on renewable energy that were never enforced. Article 14 of the concession explicitly requires GEBE to “strive toward a yearly increase in the use of sustainable energy” and to ensure that at least 2% of all electricity delivered to consumers by 2015 would come from renewable sources. It also requires GEBE to incorporate renewable energy development into its mandatory five-year rolling multi-year plans.
“These obligations have been in the concession since 2010,” the Minister emphasized. “Yet no government ever held GEBE accountable to them. No multi-year plans as outlined in the concession were approved, no renewable energy targets were enforced, and no structural oversight was applied. That is how we ended up where we are today, with no transparency and a fuel clause that keeps our people vulnerable to global oil prices.”
She continued: "That era is over. As Minister, I will not allow these obligations to be ignored any longer. The concession makes renewable energy a legal duty, not an optional aspiration, and GEBE is required to meet it. If GEBE cannot fulfill these obligations, then the concession will be rewritten, because one way or another, St. Maarten must realize our energy transition.”

In closing, the Minister stated, “To the people of St. Maarten, I hear you, I stand with you, and I am using every legal tool available to protect our interests. This is the beginning of a new chapter for GEBE, one built on transparency, compliance and a clear path toward renewable energy and lower electricity costs.”