PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Dr. Luc F. E. Mercelina, has formally addressed the Supervisory Board of NV GEBE regarding ongoing public concerns surrounding the utility company’s billing system, emphasizing the need for urgent action, transparency, and restored public trust.

In a letter issued on April 20, 2026, the Prime Minister emphasized that the matter remains a significant national concern, citing persistent unease among citizens about the accuracy and reliability of their utility bills.

“The issue of the billing system remains a significant point of unease among the people of Sint Maarten,” Prime Minister Mercelina stated. “Despite prior discussions and assurances, public confidence in the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of the system continues to be questioned.”

The Prime Minister highlighted that the issue extends beyond administrative or technical challenges, stressing its broader implications for public trust in one of the country’s most essential utilities.

“This lingering uncertainty is not merely a technical or administrative matter—it directly impacts public trust,” he said. “It is imperative that this issue be addressed with urgency, clarity, and accountability.”

To address these concerns, Prime Minister Mercelina has called on the Supervisory Board to take immediate and decisive steps, including a thorough review of the billing system, ensuring accuracy and transparency in billing processes, identifying and correcting discrepancies, and improving public communication.

“At this juncture, the people of Sint Maarten deserve unequivocal assurance that the bills they receive are fair, accurate, and reflective of their actual consumption,” the Prime Minister emphasized. “Restoring and strengthening this confidence must be treated as a priority.”

The Prime Minister also expressed confidence in the Supervisory Board’s role and responsibility to safeguard the public interest.

“I trust that the Supervisory Board will exercise its oversight role diligently and take the appropriate actions to uphold the standards expected of NV GEBE,” he stated.

Prime Minister Mercelina concluded by urging prompt action and requesting updates on measures being implemented to resolve the issue, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the well-being of the people of Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- 

The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on April 22, 2026.
The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 13.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda points are:
1. Report from the Committee of Parlatino Matters regarding the First Vice Chairmanship of a Parlatino Committee (IS/962/2025-2026 dated April 15, 2026)

2. Approval of composition delegation and provisions for Members of Parliament to participate in the 22nd ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and the 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network, in Ottawa, Canada, from May 19- 22, 2026 (IS/936/2025-2026 dated April 7, 2026)

3. Approval of composition delegation and provisions for Members of Parliament to participate in IPKO and Tripartite meetings in the The Hague, the Netherlands from June 4-8, 2026 (IS/724/2025-2026 dated February 23, 2026)

4. Debriefing on ParlAmericas workshop on care systems for Caribbean Parliamentarians from April 16-17, 2026, in St. George’s, Grenada

5. Discussion regarding the proposal of Kingdom Law amending the Netherlands-Sint Maarten Tax Arrangement in connection with the implementation of the outcomes of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as other amendments (IS/256/2025-2026 dated October 30, 2025)
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.
All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.
The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- Let me start with something simple. The questions MP Lewis has been talking about in the press have not yet reached my office. They will be answered in full once they come through the proper channel in Parliament. But because the narrative being advanced in public right now is wrong, a few things need to be said straight away.
For the sake of clarity, one important point should be corrected at the outset. The Chief of Police has not been “appointed” to a separate post of Secretary-General. What is at issue is a temporary stand-in arrangement to ensure continuity of the Ministry when the Secretary-General is absent or unavailable. Such arrangements are governed by Article 25 of the Civil Servants Ordinance and exist precisely to prevent administrative stagnation. “Acting Secretary-General” is not a job. It is not a position that gets posted, advertised, or filled through a recruitment process. It is simply the rule for who steps in on days when the Secretary-General is away, sick, traveling for work, or otherwise unavailable. Every ministry needs someone who can sign papers and keep the work of government moving. That is all this is.
Now to the heart of the “conflict of interest” claim, because it rests on a basic misunderstanding of how the justice chain actually works.
A conflict of interest arises when someone ends up in a position to supervise themselves, or to check their own work, or to make decisions about their own pay, promotion, or discipline. That is not the situation here, and it never has been. The Chief of Police does not report to the Secretary-General. He never has. Under the law, the Chief of Police answers to the Minister for operational policing matters, and the Secretary-General runs the civil service side of the ministry. They are two separate tracks that both lead to the Minister, not one track where one person sits above the other. And on both of those tracks, the Minister holds political responsibility and the final decision. A stand-in does not set policy. A stand-in does not take decisions that are reserved to the Minister by law. Nothing of substance moves in this ministry without my knowledge and my authorization. That is how the system is designed, and that is how it is being run.
As a lawyer and as the sitting Minister of Justice, I take that responsibility seriously. The decision to designate the Chief of Police as a stand-in was mine, made with full awareness of the applicable legal framework. Mr. John has my confidence. He has served as Chief of Police since 2015, has performed well in that role, and has played a constructive part in bringing cohesion to the Ministry.
And this is where the concern deepens, not about the arrangement, but about the person raising the alarm. MP Lewis is a former Minister of Justice and a former police officer. The Kingdom Act on the Police and the broader framework governing how the Chief of Police, the Minister, and the civil apparatus of the ministry relate to each other are not unfamiliar territory to him. It is territory he has worked in for years, from both sides. A misunderstanding of this basic structure, from someone with his background, is difficult to explain as an honest mistake. The public is entitled to ask whether the confusion is real or whether the framework is being misrepresented on purpose to manufacture a controversy. Neither possibility reflects well on the seriousness of the concerns he claims to be raising.
That brings us to the history, and this is where the facts matter most.
This arrangement is not new, and it is not unusual. For years, under several different governments, the role of acting Secretary-General has been filled by whichever service head within the ministry made sense at the time. Under Minister Kirindongo, the Chief of Police filled it. Under Minister Anna Richardson, the role rotated among multiple service heads over the course of her tenure. For a long stretch spanning multiple administrations, including during MP Lewis’s own tenure as Minister of Justice, the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit filled it. None of this was treated as a conflict of interest at the time. No fifty-question letters were sent to Parliament. No press releases were written about good governance and institutional integrity. The work of the ministry simply continued, because that is what the stand-in arrangement exists to make possible.
So the question answers itself. If the same arrangement was acceptable under Minister Kirindongo, across Minister Richardson’s full tenure, and during MP Lewis’s own time as Minister of Justice, it cannot suddenly become a scandal now. The arrangement has not changed. The person writing the press release has.
I welcome scrutiny. Every minister should. But scrutiny only means something when the same rules are applied to everyone. Raising an alarm about something that was perfectly fine when you were the one doing it is not scrutiny. It is politics.
Public debate is important, but it should remain grounded in the applicable legal framework and in the facts.
The people working in our justice sector deserve better than that, and so does the public. When MP Lewis’s questions reach my desk through Parliament, they will be answered, fully and on the record.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Bureau Telecommunications and Post Sint Maarten (BTP) proudly announces its participation in the 25th Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (UPAEP), held in Cascais, Portugal, from April 13–17, 2026.

Representing Sint Maarten, Director Ms. Judianne Hoeve actively participated in the congress deliberations and contributed to key discussions shaping the future of the postal sector. During the congress, Ms. Hoeve signed several important resolutions on behalf of Sint Maarten, reinforcing the country’s commitment to regional and international cooperation in postal development and regulation.

Also representing Sint Maarten were Director of Postal Services Sint Maarten (PSS), Ms. Antonia Wilson and Senior Postal Consultant, Mr. Franklin Sluis, underscoring a strong delegation focused on advancing the postal sector.

The 25th UPAEP congress brought together member countries to strengthen cooperation, modernize postal services, and establish strategic priorities for the next four years. Key topics included the review of UPAEP legislation, regulatory frameworks, and enhanced technical cooperation, with a strong focus on logistics, e-commerce, and sustainable development.

Participation in this congress is of significant importance to Sint Maarten, as it ensures the country remains aligned with international standards and best practices in postal services, while also providing opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships and improve service delivery locally.

Director Judianne Hoeve stated:

“Our active participation in the UPAEP congress ensures that Sint Maarten has a voice in shaping the future of postal services in our region. Strengthening cooperation and modernizing our systems are critical not only for Sint Maarten, but for the wider Caribbean, as we work towards more efficient, resilient, and inclusive postal networks that support trade, e-commerce, and connectivity.”

BTP remains committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and regulatory excellence in both the telecommunications and postal sectors for the benefit of Sint Maarten and the wider region.