~Fire Department Grants 24-Hour Extension for Clarity and Action on Agreement."~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Fire Department personnel of Sint Maarten wish to address the Prime Minister, Dr. Luc Mercelina, 's recent public statement regarding the ongoing situation within the Fire and Ambulance Department.
While we acknowledge the Prime Minister’s confirmation that the matter remains in mediation, it is crucial to highlight that a written agreement has been on the Minister’s desk since January 26, 2026, awaiting formal action.
In the interest of good faith and respect for the mediation process, Fire Department personnel are extending an additional 24 hours for clarity and progress on this matter.
We also feel it necessary to correct the public narrative. The meeting with the Council of Ministers was not initiated by the union, as suggested. It was requested directly by Fire Department personnel, using the union as the formal and required channel. This distinction is significant.
While the Prime Minister implied that the union is “behind all of this,” we want to make one thing abundantly clear:
The union’s strength comes from its members.
Fire Department personnel are not acting impulsively or without understanding. We are skilled, educated, and informed professionals who are fully capable of making decisions about our careers, rights, and futures. The union does not act independently of us—it acts with us, under our direction and mandate.
Our approach remains measured, lawful, and focused on solutions. We respect the mediation process and the institutions involved, but we also expect the same level of seriousness, transparency, and urgency in return.
We are committed to dialogue, fairness, and resolution, while standing firmly by the agreements that have already been reached and documented.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Referencing Wednesday’s parliamentary meeting on the draft law amending the General National Ordinance on Taxes, Member of Parliament Wescot-Williams reiterated the position she recently communicated to the Minister of Finance. 

In a letter to the Minister, the MP welcomed the government’s initial work on tax reform while cautioning that meaningful reform cannot succeed if it is built on an already broken foundation.

In the letter, the MP acknowledged the technical efforts of the Ministry of Finance and the civil service, but stressed that introducing new tax policies on top of existing structural weaknesses will not deliver lasting results.

“We cannot simply build anew on a broken foundation,” the MP stated in her recent letter. “If we want a fair and effective tax system, we must first clean house—address existing inefficiencies, outdated practices, and gaps in compliance—before layering on new rules and expectations.”

The MP emphasized that true tax reform must go beyond internal technical exercises and actively involve the business community, civil society, and independent financial and economic experts. According to the MP, these perspectives are critical to identifying what is not working in the current system and to restoring public confidence.

While recognizing the importance of safeguarding government revenues, the MP cautioned against an approach that prioritizes revenue neutrality at the expense of fairness, simplicity, and economic growth. She argued that tax reform must be grounded in Sint Maarten’s current realities, including a large informal economy, limited administrative capacity, and widespread distrust between taxpayers and the tax authority.

The MP reiterated her previous call for a national “get-your-CRIB-number” campaign, encouraging individuals and businesses to register within the tax system through low thresholds, simplified procedures, and taxpayer education. She noted that expanding the tax base requires trust-building measures and a clear signal that government is prepared to reset the system fairly.

In this context, the MP urged the government to consider “clean house” measures as a first phase of reform, including compliance amnesties, data cleanup, modernization of registries, and the removal of obsolete or contradictory tax provisions. Such steps, she stated, would create a stable foundation upon which sustainable reform can be built.

The MP also outlined a broader policy vision for the reform process, including:

• Evidence-based and transparent policymaking, supported by public data and economic impact assessments;
• Inclusive stakeholder engagement through structured consultations and advisory bodies;
• Simplification and digitalization of tax administration, with targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises; and
• Phased implementation with independent monitoring, clear performance indicators, and regular public reporting.

“Tax reform must inspire confidence,” the MP concluded. “Cleaning house first is not about lowering standards; it is about creating a system that people believe in, understand, and are willing to comply with.”

During Wednesday’s parliamentary meeting on the draft law amending the General National Ordinance on Taxes, the MP also floated the idea of a Tax Compliance Pact with the people of Sint Maarten as a means of rebuilding the relationship between government and taxpayers. She noted that such a pact would strengthen the incremental efforts already being undertaken by the Minister in the area of tax collection.

“We have to do this together. In fact, every lasting endeavor of the government hinges on collaboration with all social partners.”

The MP expressed her readiness to engage constructively with the Minister of Finance and all stakeholders to help deliver a fair, credible, and effective tax system for the people of Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Sarah A. Wescot-Williams has formally submitted questions to the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), seeking clarity on how the recently launched St. Martin Climate Impact Atlas will be practically integrated into national planning, climate resilience, and funding strategies.

While welcoming the public availability of the Atlas, MP Wescot-Williams emphasized that its true value lies not in its launch, but in its active and systematic use across government decision-making.

“The Climate Impact Atlas is a powerful evidence-based tool. The critical question now is whether it will meaningfully guide spatial planning, infrastructure development, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation, or whether it risks remaining a purely technical exercise,” Wescot-Williams stated.

In her correspondence, the MP requested specific information from the Minister regarding:

• How the Atlas is being incorporated into VROMI’s planning, zoning, and permitting processes;
• Its role in shaping a national or sector-specific climate adaptation strategy for Sint Maarten.
• Capacity-building and outreach initiatives to ensure that government departments, public entities, and communities can effectively interpret and apply the data;
• Planned follow-up actions such as inter-ministerial coordination, workshops, regular updates, and alignment with ongoing or future projects.

The MP also raised the issue of climate financing, noting that the Atlas consolidates topic-specific risk data in a way that is well-suited to targeted and thematic funding mechanisms.

“Sint Maarten continues to face climate risks related to coastal erosion, flooding, heat stress, water security, and infrastructure resilience. The Atlas presents an opportunity to structure climate financing around real, documented vulnerabilities, but only if it is actively leveraged as a funding foundation,” she noted.

MP Wescot-Williams further asked whether the Ministry has already initiated discussions with potential funding partners, including Kingdom partners, the European Union, or international climate finance mechanisms, to use the Atlas as an evidence base for accessing climate adaptation and resilience funding.

She also underscored the importance of coordination across ministries and public entities to ensure that any funding pursued translates into measurable, on-the-ground resilience outcomes, rather than remaining at the level of reports and data platforms.

“Evidence must lead to action. The people of Sint Maarten deserve climate policy that moves beyond studies and launches into implementation,” Wescot-Williams concluded.

The questions were formally submitted via Parliament and forwarded to the Minister of VROMI for response  .

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI), Mr. Patrice Gumbs, convened a special meeting of his Cabinet and the Secretary General with the Sint Maarten Housing Foundation to discuss the organization's strategic direction and to bid farewell to Ms. Kimberly Meyers. The mandate of Ms. Meyers, who had taken on the role of Chair of the Supervisory Board just over a year ago, came to an end today, February 4th. The meeting marked the finalization of a strategic agenda, centered on strengthening collaboration between the government and the Foundation to better address the housing and social development needs of Sint Maarten's residents.
"With this new calendar year, we are truly focused on approaching the social aspect and development in a more strategic way," Kimberly Meyers stated. "Our discussions have centered on how we can better align government and Foundation views and really accommodate what the need is for the island. This collaborative approach will ensure that we're not just building homes, but building stronger communities." Kimberly continued.
The Foundation reiterated its commitment to approaching the social aspects of housing and development in a more comprehensive and coordinated manner, ensuring that efforts align seamlessly with government priorities and address the evolving needs of the island. This renewed strategic focus emphasizes partnership and community impact as central pillars of the Foundation's mission moving forward.
The Ministry of VROMI extends its sincere gratitude to Ms. Meyers for her dedicated service and the significant contributions she has made in support of the foundation and the government’s housing goals and community development on Sint Maarten.
"We are deeply grateful for Kimberly's service to the Foundation," said Minister Patrice Gumbs of VROMI. "In her very short period, Ms. Meyers worked to professionalize and strengthen the board and its functionality, during a time of great challenge within the foundation. Her insights and her team’s strategic approach very much facilitated the strong working relationship that we experienced with both the supervisory board and the management. I wish her well and continued success in all her future endeavors."