~Case of “Great Bay Development” Seen as Prototype for New Incentive Framework. ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Sarah A. Wescot-Williams has formally written to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication,  raising a series of questions and recommendations regarding Sint Maarten’s tax holiday legislation and the broader system of fiscal incentives.

The MP notes that the matter of so-called tax holidays has long been under scrutiny, both in Parliament and in the public domain. “Recent questions by a colleague member of Parliament again highlight the need for clarity and transparency in how these tax incentives are applied,” Wescot-Williams stated.

In her letter, Wescot-Williams references responses given to Parliament in 2023 by the then Minister of Finance concerning the disclosure of tax-holiday information. She asks whether the current Ministers share the same view regarding disclosure to Parliament and transparency in these matters.

The MP further points out that documents and presentations to Parliament on tax reform to date suggest the abolition of existing tax holiday legislation. “If this is indeed the Government’s position, it should be clearly stated. If not, the Government should outline its view on the continued existence or reform of this legislation,” she wrote.

Wescot-Williams also referenced a 2019 announcement by the former Minister of Finance that an amendment to the incentive framework was being prepared, asking what became of that initiative.

The MP highlighted the 2018 tax holiday granted to the developer of the “Great Bay” property, noting that an extension was later given by Ministerial Decree in 2020. She questions whether the required investment criteria were met, whether there was a measurable economic justification, and whether the subsequent decree was validly tied to the original 2018 decree.

“These questions go to the heart of how fiscal incentives are granted, monitored, and enforced,” the MP emphasized.

Pending answers, Wescot-Williams proposes using this case as a test model for a reformed, modernized incentive framework. Her recommendations to Government include:

Establishing a Policy Review using the Great Bay case as a pilot to test post-grant auditing and compliance tools;

Introducing clear criteria for future incentive requests, including economic and environmental impact assessments;

Embedding revocation clauses to withdraw benefits in cases of non-compliance;

Separating CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives from tax incentives; and

Publishing approved incentive projects and results, taking a look at Curaçao’s 2024 “revision and repair” Ordinance.

“Although the Great Bay case may be considered procedurally closed, it offers a timely opportunity for Sint Maarten to demonstrate proactive governance and fiscal responsibility,” Wescot-Williams stated. “By testing new evaluation tools and transparency measures on this case, the Government can set a regional benchmark in sound economic management and accountability.”

She concluded that this initiative, if pursued promptly, could position Sint Maarten as a regional leader in transparent and responsible investment policy.

PHILIPSBURG:---  November 15, 2025 - Members of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, the Learning Unlimited Interact and EarlyAct Clubs, and the St. Maarten Academy Interact Club gathered at the Belair Community Center today to prepare 225 Food Baskets for the upcoming Holiday season. An assembly line of volunteers put flour, rice, cereals, canned vegetables, and many other food items necessary for a great holiday feast into Carrefour Market bags and staged them for same-day delivery to those in need.
According to Rotary Club of Sint Maarten President, Adelena Chandler, “The preparation and distribution of food baskets to those in need goes right back to the reason so many of us are members of Rotary. We all simply want to ‘do good in the world,’ and the distribution of these food baskets is just another example of doing good in the world right here in our local community. I am particularly proud that our young leaders, the Interactors and Earlyactors, who have shown us the importance of serving our community, continue to live on in the new generation. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, please accept our best wishes for a joyous, safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

Chandler continued, "Thank you to everyone who helped organize today's effort. I would be remiss if I did not mention James Park, our Service Project Chair, and our Past President Danny Ramchandani for their special efforts to make this project a success. Happy Holiday Season to all!

For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the website www.rotarysxm.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of Sint Maarten, Wycliffe Smith, was the sole representative from Sint Maarten at the international conference “Christianity and Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean Islands, Surinam, and the Netherlands,” held November 10–14 at the University of Curaçao.
The conference was organized by the University of Curaçao, the Protestant Theological University of Utrecht, and the Free University of Amsterdam. It brought together scholars and clergy and researchers from the Netherlands, the USA, Africa, Surinam, Indonesia, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Aruba, and Curaçao. Over four days, participants examined how Christian denominations shaped, supported, or resisted the structures of slavery throughout the Dutch colonial world. With some 40 presentations delivered, the event offered a rich comparative view of religion’s role during the era of enslavement.
Only two presentations focused on the Dutch Windward Islands. Ms. Alma Louise de Bode-Olten presented on the Anglican/Episcopal Church in Saba, St. Maarten, and St. Eustatius. Smith’s presentation followed, entitled “The Role of the Christian Church in the History of Slavery on the Dutch Windward Islands (1643–1863),” which was met with enthusiasm for its clarity, depth, and historical precision.
Drawing on extensive archival research, Smith compared the six major churches active on St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Maarten during slavery: the Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches. He emphasized that the first four, aligned closely with the colonial powers, offered little spiritual outreach to the enslaved. Their ministries largely excluded the enslaved population, reflecting the social and racial divisions of the time.
In contrast, the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches sought to evangelize the enslaved, promote literacy, and encourage moral and spiritual development. Smith highlighted how these churches became vital spaces of dignity, community, and hope, offering the enslaved a faith that empowered rather than suppressed.
Smith also pointed to the striking legacy of these contrasting approaches. The Reformed, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, once influential among the colonialists, have largely disappeared from the islands. The Methodist and Catholic churches, however, remain vibrant, “filled with the descendants of those who were once denied entry,” he noted. His closing line resonated deeply with attendees: “That, brothers and sisters, is God at work. The gospel that was meant to control the enslaved became the gospel that set them free.”
On the final day, participants toured several historic religious sites on Curaçao, including the island’s earliest Dutch Reformed and Roman Catholic churches; spaces where the intersections of faith and slavery remain preserved until this day.
Smith shared that he is finalizing his research for publication and is in discussion with House of Nehesi Publishers. His forthcoming work will offer an important contribution to the understanding of the complex role that Christianity played on the Dutch Windward Islands.
Through his presentation, Wycliffe Smith ensured that the stories of St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius were firmly represented within the broader Caribbean narrative of faith, oppression, resilience, and redemption.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A long-simmering transport scandal has boiled over in St. Maarten, revealing staggering levels of corruption, cronyism, and abuse of power among politicians, civil servants, and business elites. An explosive investigation by local media and watchdogs has exposed how the island’s taxi, bus, and tour licensing system has been manipulated for decades — enriching the connected while drowning public transport in chaos.

Decades-Old Corruption, Modern-Day Consequences

Documents obtained by investigative reporters show that since at least 1986, politically connected individuals have been granted multiple transport licenses, far beyond what the law allows. Despite clear legal stipulations that taxi, bus (B), and tour (G) licenses should go to operators who depend on them as their primary source of income, influential players have wielded their clout to amass 8 to 10 licenses each — and fleets of up to 30 vehicles.

Among those implicated are politicians, civil servants, and business owners who double as board members of politically aligned companies. These are not small-time operators: many are deep in government, party leadership, or influential business circles.

Shockingly, spouses of parliamentarians are running tour companies and car rentals. These family-run businesses operate under the same political umbrella, benefiting from a system built to protect insiders.

Even more brazen: close relatives of high-ranking coalition leaders reportedly secured 14 transport licenses through a single company, while politically active on both sides of the island. This means political power is being used to build personal empires, with little oversight or public accountability.

The Case of Claude Omeus: A Red Flag

One of the most alarming revelations: Claude Omeus is controlling 21 bus licenses — not for his own use, but seemingly as a front. These licenses are leased out to operators who, according to sources, “can barely pay their own bills.” The real beneficiaries of the licenses remain hidden, raising serious questions about who Omeus is actually working for.

To make matters worse, the front-line operators — the lessees — are left responsible for insurance and maintenance. They shoulder the risks, yet the profits may not even reach them. It’s a lopsided system that protects the powerful and penalizes the vulnerable.

Institutional Breakdown & Regulatory Failure

Regulatory bodies have largely failed the public. Despite a moratorium on new transport licenses that should have prevented further expansion, licenses continued to be handed out. An internal investigation by the Integrity Chamber and the St. Maarten Audit Bureau (SOAB) found that the Public Transportation Committee, mandated by law, has not functioned since 2009. Without that checks-and-balances body, license issuers operated with virtual impunity.

To make matters worse, opaque decision-making has become the norm: many license applications were accepted even when incomplete, lacking basic documentation such as income proof or medical clearances. Reports suggest that a single senior advisor wielded outsize influence in approving licenses—making decisions behind closed doors without genuine transparency.

Political Earthquake: MP Lewis Lashes Out

MP Lyndon Lewis has been taken to Parliament in a fiery tirade, accusing fellow lawmakers of leveraging their positions for personal enrichment. He pinpointed the Minister of TEATT, Grisha Heyliger-Marten, calling out her family to benefit from the same transport empire he claims was built through nepotism and corruption.

Lewis didn’t mince words:

“Taxi plates … became political currency … while regular citizens were denied …”

He says these licenses “cement loyalty,” reward political allies, and effectively buy influence — undermining the very purpose of public service.

Promises of Reform — But is it Enough?

In the face of mounting pressure, Minister Heyliger-Marten has unveiled a five-phase reform package:

1. Data Verification: A full audit of every taxi, bus, and tour license on the island.
2. Mandatory Certifications: Drivers must obtain the required certifications to operate legally.
3. Legislative Overhaul: New laws to close loopholes in the current licensing regime.
4. Digital Dispatch System: A modern platform to streamline and regulate public transport.
5. Transport Authority: The creation of a dedicated authority by 2027 to oversee the entire transport licensing process.

The minister has also pledged to revoke non-compliant licenses, potentially stripping power from some of the most entrenched license-holders on the island.

A System in Need of Radical Change

While the proposed reforms offer a glimmer of hope, many are calling for structural transformation rather than just superficial fixes. Some experts argue for the use of blockchain technology to build a transparent, tamper-proof system — one that logs every license, every owner, and every transaction, forever, in a way no political insider can manipulate.

But even the most cutting-edge technology can’t fix a broken culture. This scandal goes beyond transportation: it’s about governance, accountability, and how political power has long been converted into personal profit.

For St. Maarteners, the message is clear: without serious, enforceable reform, the powerful will continue to grab, hoard, and sell public resources — leaving ordinary citizens to struggle for the ride.

IS THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ASLEEP?

Decades Of Alleged License Corruption Demand Answers on Sunny St. Maarten

A stunning stream of documents, testimonies, and internal government findings has exposed what appears to be one of the longest-running abuses of public office in St. Maarten’s modern history — a transport licensing system twisted for private gain while ordinary citizens are pushed aside.

Yet as the scandal widens, one question echoes across the island:

Where is the Prosecutor’s Office?

And why has no one been held accountable — not in 5 years, 10 years, or even 40?

The Alleged Scheme: Powerful Figures, Multiple Licenses, Years of Quiet Benefit

Transport licenses — taxi, bus, tour (G), and others — are, by law, meant to be granted only to people who rely on the activity as their primary source of income.

But for decades, a very different reality took root.

According to documents obtained, multiple politicians, civil servants, business leaders, and board members of state-owned companies allegedly secured 8, 10, or even more licenses — sometimes through front companies.
Some reportedly operate fleets of 20 to 30 vehicles in the transport and tourism economy.

In one case, 21 bus licenses are tied to a single individual — raising immediate questions about fronting, political protection, and financial beneficiaries.

Many ordinary operators say they are forced to rent buses or taxis from politically connected license holders, leaving real drivers struggling while elites profit quietly in the background.