PHILIPSBURG: --- Former Minister of VROMI and Member of Parliament Egbert Jurendy Doran opened a heated parliamentary session Tuesday with sharp criticism surrounding the controversial Simpson Bay tree removal that sparked public outrage and demonstrations on Monday, as MPs across the political spectrum accused the government of failing to listen to the people of St. Maarten.

Doran, speaking during notifications ahead of Parliament’s ongoing public meeting with the Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr, stressed that “the numbers don’t lie” while pushing back against claims surrounding the approval process for the controversial permit extension.

“I also used to work in VROMI,” Doran stated. “Yes, I do believe that this current Minister approved an extension last year, but that was made with the number 205 of 2022, which means that the draft decree to actually approve that extension was made in 2022.”

Doran urged the Minister to present “all of the facts” when addressing the nation on the matter, setting the tone for what became an emotionally charged exchange centered on environmental protection, public frustration, and government accountability.

Several MPs used the opportunity to express solidarity with residents of Simpson Bay, where demonstrators gathered on Monday to protest the removal of a historic tree many residents viewed as symbolic of the district’s identity.

MP Raeyhon Peterson echoed Doran’s remarks, arguing that the public deserved complete transparency regarding the permitting process and the timeline of approvals.

MP Christopher Wever, however, criticized what he described as political opportunism surrounding the protests, pointing to Parliament’s own failure to secure a quorum for a Nature Policy meeting held just one day earlier.

“Yesterday, the nature policy plan and the Minister were here to present it and had to go because we didn’t have a quorum,” Wever said. “Yet today, when a tree falls down, they want to stand with people’s sympathy.”

MP Darryl York reminded Parliament that environmental concerns had already been formally addressed through a motion passed unanimously in October 2024 aimed at protecting sensitive coastal and environmental zones, including Mullet Bay.

York said the motion called for zoning protections, mandatory environmental impact assessments, and guaranteed public beach access, but lamented that little action had followed.

“This is one of those examples of a motion being passed and nothing being done with the motion,” York stated, adding that repeated requests for updates and meetings had gone unanswered.

MP Omar Ottley said the Simpson Bay protest represented an explosion of long-standing frustrations within the community.

“These people have been complaining, not now,” Ottley said. “What you saw was overflow. The complaints have been going to VROMI. Yesterday, the people had had enough.”

Ottley warned that similar demonstrations could continue across the country if authorities fail to address public concerns.

“Unfortunately, that’s when things get done,” he said.

MP Egbert Jurendy Doran’s earlier remarks were later reinforced by MP Ardwell Irion, who described the tree not merely as vegetation, but as a symbol of displacement felt by longtime Simpson Bay residents.

“The tree is more than just a tree for them,” Irion said. “It’s actually a symbol of the uprooting of the Simpson Bay people in general.”

Irion said the broader issue transcended any one minister or administration, calling instead for a national discussion on development and environmental preservation.

“What matters is what we want to do as a community, what we envision for St. Martin going forward,” he stated.

MP Lyndon Lewis praised demonstrators for exercising their democratic rights peacefully and criticized what he described as a culture in which citizens feel unheard until public action draws attention.

“I stand in solidarity with you all with regards to what’s happening,” Lewis declared, while also shifting focus toward broader economic concerns involving utilities and fuel prices.

Meanwhile, MP Sjamira Roseburg defended the public’s right to protest, saying citizens must continue making their voices heard when they feel ignored by authorities.

“I commend the community of Simpson Bay for making their voice heard in a positive, nonviolent manner,” Roseburg said.

The parliamentary meeting with the Minister of VROMI continues amid growing public pressure for answers regarding the permit process, environmental oversight, and the future direction of development policies on St. Martin.

~At a regional meeting in Montevideo, the Social and Economic Council of Curaçao emphasized the need to connect education, labor policy, and social cohesion~

Willemstad/Montevideo:--- In a region where artificial intelligence, migration, and inequality are rapidly reshaping the world of work, Curaçao faces a pressing policy question: how to ensure that young people, women, and workers are not left behind.

That question was at the center of the participation of the Social and Economic Council of Curaçao, the SER, in an international meeting of economic and social councils and institutions for social dialogue, held from May 19 to 21, 2026, at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española in Montevideo, Uruguay. The SER was represented by Raul Henriquez, director and secretary-general, and Miloushka Sboui-Racamy, senior adviser for international affairs.
The meeting brought together social dialogue institutions from Spain, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Portugal, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and Curaçao. Discussions focused on democratic governance, migration, discrimination, inequality, women’s access to opportunity, education, and the social consequences of artificial intelligence.
The meeting was officially opened by Juan Castillo, Uruguay’s minister of labor and social security. His presence underscored a central message of the gathering: social dialogue is not merely a formal consultative mechanism, but a tool for making societies more resilient in a period of rapid social, technological, and economic change.
During the meeting of CESISALC, the regional network of economic and social councils and similar institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, the SER contributed to two themes directly relevant to Curaçao’s policy agenda: women’s access to development opportunities and the future of education in the age of artificial intelligence.
According to the SER, these issues converge in one central task: building a stronger connection between education, skills, the labor market, and social mobility. Formal equality is necessary, but not sufficient. Real opportunities for women require access to education, work, entrepreneurship, leadership, and decision-making. Education, vocational training, and lifelong learning are therefore not secondary policy concerns; they are conditions for economic independence and meaningful participation in society.
Artificial intelligence, the SER emphasized, should not be treated as a purely technological development. For a small, open, and multilingual economy like Curaçao, AI is above all a policy question. The way schools, employers, workers, and government respond to digital transformation will help determine whether new technologies expand opportunity or deepen existing labor-market divides.

“For Curaçao, the central question is not whether artificial intelligence will change the labor market, but whether our education and labor-market policies will adapt quickly enough to include young people, women, and workers
in that transition,” said Henriquez. “Institutionalized social dialogue is not an administrative formality. It is a necessary instrument for making policy workable, balanced, and broadly supported.”
The urgency for Curaçao is concrete. According to the most recent figures from Curaçao's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the overall unemployment rate fell from 13.1 percent in 2022 to 7.8 percent in 2024. Youth unemployment declined over the same period from 29.8 percent to 16.3 percent. That improvement is significant, but the level of youth unemployment remains a clear warning: the connection between education, vocational training, and the labor market must be strengthened further.
For Curaçao, the debate in Montevideo therefore had direct significance. A country seeking inclusive growth can no longer treat education, digital skills, women’s participation, migration policy, and social protection as separate policy fields. Together, they form the basis for income security, productivity, and social cohesion.
Alongside education, gender equality, and technological transformation, migration and inequality featured prominently on the agenda. For Curaçao, those issues are not abstract. Labor migration, demographic change, and social cohesion directly affect the structure of the labor market, the pressure on public services, and the quality of policymaking. That is why the SER considers active participation in regional networks essential: they allow countries and institutions to exchange knowledge, experience, and policy practices.
On May 21, the SER also attended the opening of a meeting of RICESIS, the Ibero-American network of economic and social councils and similar institutions. Since Curaçao is not an Ibero-American country, the SER’s engagement with this network is framed around observer participation. That position offers an additional route to connect Curaçao with Ibero-American networks for social dialogue, policy knowledge, and institutional cooperation.
According to the SER, international participation is not an end. Its value lies in translating regional insights into better, evidence-based advice for Curaçao. The issues addressed in Montevideo — migration, inequality, women’s opportunities, education, and artificial intelligence — directly affect the future of work, income, and social cohesion on the island.
With its participation, the SER reaffirmed its commitment to connecting Curaçao with regional and global knowledge networks for social dialogue. At a time when social and economic challenges increasingly cross borders, that connection is essential to enrich Curaçao’s policymaking with comparative insights, practical experience and broadly supported solutions.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sint Maarten entered 2026 with relatively stable consumer prices, even as global fuel markets experienced renewed volatility. According to the Department of Statistics (STAT), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the first quarter of 2026 reached 115.78, reflecting a modest quarterly increase of 0.43% and a year-on-year rise of 0.66%.

The report paints a picture of an economy balancing rising transportation and food costs against easing housing and energy pressures. While inflation continues to affect essential goods and services, the pace of price growth remains moderate compared to the more severe inflationary periods experienced globally in recent years.

Understanding the CPI and Why It Matters

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures changes in the prices consumers pay for a basket of goods and services over time. It is one of the most important indicators for tracking inflation and assessing the cost of living.

STAT collects CPI data during the first two weeks of every month and validates it later in the month. This timing became especially important in Q1 2026 because a major global fuel price surge occurred after the second week of March, following geopolitical tensions related to the war in Iran. As a result, the sharpest fuel increases were not fully reflected in the quarter’s CPI results.

Inflation Remains Moderate

The overall inflation rate of 0.66% year-on-year indicates that consumer prices in Sint Maarten are growing slowly rather than rapidly. This suggests that while households are still experiencing higher costs in certain areas, inflation is not accelerating uncontrollably.

Several offsetting forces helped maintain stability:

• Lower electricity and energy-related costs
• More affordable housing units are entering the market
• Declines in some personal care and financial service expenses
• Controlled increases in food and transportation costs

The most influential CPI categories included Housing, Water and Energy (36.1% weight), Transport (14.6%), Miscellaneous Goods and Services (13.4%), and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (7.2%).

Housing Costs Help Ease Inflationary Pressure

Housing remains the largest component of the CPI basket, accounting for over one-third of total consumer spending weight. Although the category recorded a slight quarterly increase of 0.57%, it actually declined by 1.57% compared to Q1 2025.

The decline was driven primarily by reductions in electricity, gas, and other fuels, which fell by 7.64% year-on-year. Electricity prices alone declined by nearly 10%.

At the same time, the housing market experienced increased availability of affordable apartments, helping moderate rental pressures. However, maintenance and dwelling repair costs continued to rise, contributing to the category’s quarterly increase.

This dynamic demonstrates how different components within the same category can move in opposite directions while still producing a relatively stable overall result.

Transportation Costs Continue to Climb

Transportation emerged as one of the strongest inflationary drivers during the quarter. The transport category rose by 0.68% compared to the previous quarter and by 2.45% year-on-year.

Much of this increase came from:

• Rising transport service costs
• Higher air travel expenses
• Increased fuel prices for vehicles

Air transportation in particular experienced significant upward pressure, increasing by 13.88% year-on-year.

Fuel prices also climbed sharply during the quarter:

• Gasoline prices rose 6.8% quarter-on-quarter
• Diesel prices rose 9.8% quarter-on-quarter
• On a yearly basis, gasoline increased 5.0% and diesel 10.8%

The chart on page 4 of the report shows that average gasoline prices rose from 2.202 in Q4 2025 to 2.351 in Q1 2026, while diesel increased from 1.883 to 2.068 over the same period.

These increases reflect broader international energy market instability, particularly following geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Food Prices Show Mixed Trends

Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 0.78% during the quarter and 1.29% year-on-year.

The strongest increases came from:

• Food products not elsewhere classified (+16.07%)
• Coffee, tea, and cocoa (+8.83%)
• Vegetables and meat products

However, not all food categories became more expensive. Milk, cheese, and eggs declined by 5.75%, helping offset broader food inflation.

These mixed movements suggest that supply chain conditions and international commodity prices continue to affect different food groups unevenly.

Fuel Clause Decline Softens Inflation Impact

One of the more important findings in the report concerns the Fuel Clause, which rose modestly by 0.53% quarter-on-quarter but declined by 16% compared to the previous year.

The Fuel Clause is especially significant because it affects electricity-related charges and utility costs. Its annual decline helped offset the impact of rising transportation fuel prices.

According to the report, this reduction in energy-related costs played a major role in keeping overall inflation low despite increases elsewhere in the economy.

The tables and charts on page 4 visually illustrate how the Fuel Clause averages in Q1 2026 remained below Q1 2025 levels despite slight quarterly increases.

What This Means for Residents

For the average household in Sint Maarten, the Q1 2026 inflation data reflects a mixed economic reality:

Positive Signs

• Overall inflation remains low and manageable
• Electricity and energy costs have eased
• Housing inflation has moderated
• The broader economy appears relatively stable

Ongoing Challenges

• Transportation and fuel costs continue rising
• Air travel has become significantly more expensive
• Certain food products are increasing sharply
• Global geopolitical tensions could create additional price volatility later in the year

The relatively stable CPI suggests that consumers are not facing widespread runaway inflation. However, the concentration of price increases in essential sectors like transport and food means many households may still feel financial pressure in daily life.

Outlook for the Rest of 2026

While Q1 2026 showed stability, the report hints at potential future risks. Because the major fuel surge tied to the Iran conflict occurred late in March—after much of the CPI data had already been collected—the full impact may appear more strongly in Q2 2026 figures.

If international oil prices remain elevated, Sint Maarten could experience:

• Higher transportation inflation
• Increased utility costs
• Rising imported food prices
• Stronger overall inflationary pressure

At the same time, continued stability in housing and energy markets could help cushion these impacts.

Conclusion

Sint Maarten’s Q1 2026 CPI report presents a cautiously optimistic picture. Inflation remains contained despite global uncertainty, largely due to declines in housing and electricity costs. Nevertheless, rising transportation expenses and fuel prices serve as reminders that the island’s economy remains sensitive to international developments.

The balance between external shocks and domestic stabilizing factors will likely determine whether inflation remains manageable throughout the remainder of 2026. For now, the data suggests that Sint Maarten has successfully avoided severe inflationary escalation while continuing to navigate a challenging global economic environment.

POND ISLAND:---  The 2026 Dutch Caribbean Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Alliance (DC ALFA) Conference officially commenced this week in Sint Maarten, bringing together representatives and stakeholders from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten for a week of dialogue, collaboration, field activities, and policy-focused discussions surrounding the future of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and food security within the Dutch Caribbean.

DC ALFA, originally established in 2023 as a regional alliance focused on strengthening cooperation within the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors, continues to evolve into a more strategic platform centered on regional collaboration, food security, innovation, and long-term sustainability across the islands.

The conference agenda spans several days of scheduled activities, including workshops, policy dialogues, field visits, stakeholder engagement sessions, and inter-island presentations focused on food security, fisheries development, climate-smart agriculture, trade connectivity, youth involvement, financing opportunities, and regional cooperation.

The official opening ceremony took place today at Simpson Bay Resort, where the Honorable Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication (TEATT), delivered opening remarks highlighting the importance of agriculture and food security as critical components of economic stability and regional development within small island economies.

During her address, Minister Heyliger-Marten emphasized that food security, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries can no longer be viewed as secondary sectors, particularly amid increasing geopolitical uncertainty, rising food costs, supply chain disruptions, and climate-related pressures affecting the region. The Minister further noted the importance of stronger regional cooperation, knowledge-sharing, innovation, and practical solutions aimed at reducing dependency and strengthening local food systems.

The Minister also highlighted several initiatives currently being supported by the Ministry of TEATT, including agricultural awareness programs, hydroponics exposure within schools, fisheries dialogue, and the Agriculture Business Academy developed in partnership with Qredits, SOFIN, and TWO, aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, financing access, and agricultural business development in Sint Maarten.

The conference has also brought together a wide cross-section of regional and international stakeholders, including representatives from the World Horti Center, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Wageningen University & Research, the Ministries of BZK and EZK from the Netherlands, LVVN, VNP, TWO, as well as the Ministry of VSA, which continues to work closely alongside TEATT’s Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV).

Throughout the sessions and discussions held thus far, extensive policy and operational matters have been addressed, including opportunities for stronger inter-island coordination, knowledge-sharing mechanisms, technical cooperation, research support, innovation, and strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors throughout the Dutch Caribbean.

Following the official opening, participating islands engaged in presentations outlining their current position, ongoing developments, challenges, and opportunities within the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors. Presentations focused heavily on food security initiatives, sustainability efforts, regional collaboration opportunities, and policy development throughout the Dutch Caribbean.

A presentation was also delivered by the Acting Head of TEATT’s Policy Department, Mr. Shervin Frederick, who provided insight into several ongoing initiatives and developments taking place within Sint Maarten related to agriculture, fisheries, food security, and inter-island cooperation. Discussions also included updates connected to the E6 Country Package initiatives and the broader efforts being undertaken to strengthen data collection, agricultural planning, stakeholder support, and long-term sector development.

Additional project and research insights were presented by Mr. Eugene Hoogstad, who highlighted the importance of evidence-based research and strategic development initiatives aimed at assisting stakeholders within the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries industries. Presentations included discussions surrounding the development of an agricultural digital portal platform, agricultural research initiatives, farm-to-market pilot concepts, feasibility studies, MSME-related opportunities, and broader food security-related projects currently being explored in Sint Maarten.

The Ministry of TEATT and the Government of Sint Maarten extended appreciation to the organizers and coordinators of the DC ALFA Conference, participating islands, stakeholders, and development partners for contributing to the successful hosting of this important regional initiative.

Special appreciation was also expressed for the continued support provided by the Netherlands and its supporting entities, whose collaboration has assisted in making the conference and several ongoing agricultural and food security initiatives possible throughout the Dutch Caribbean.

The Government of Sint Maarten reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration, innovation, and regional engagement aimed at strengthening food systems, agricultural development, fisheries practices, and economic opportunities across the region.