~Early vacancy listings expected to produce better matches between businesses and registered job seekers~

PHILIPSBURG:---  VSA Minister Claret Connor is calling on businesses to register their available positions through the National Employment Services Center ahead of the National Job Fair 2026.

The event will be held on September 24 at the Aleeze Convention Center from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Connor said businesses should post their vacancies early through the NESC employment portal at www.nesc.sx.

Publishing vacancies before the fair will allow registered job seekers to review the available positions, submit applications, and arrive at the event already informed about the employment opportunities being offered.

The approach is expected to create more targeted and productive meetings between employers and job seekers.

The NESC portal will serve as the central digital platform throughout the process. It will support vacancy listings, job-seeker registration, employer-candidate matching, and post-event follow-up.

The call for employers to participate follows findings contained in the NESC Stakeholder Analysis Report 2025.

According to the report, 68.4 percent of surveyed businesses said they were interested in partnering with the NESC. Seventy-three percent said they were willing to hire employees through the organization’s services.

Businesses participating in the job fair will represent hospitality and tourism, marine and yachting, retail and wholesale trade, utilities, financial services, timeshare and property services, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Connor described the National Job Fair as a strategic investment in Sint Maarten’s people and economy.

The minister said the VSA Ministry and the NESC remain committed to building a more inclusive and resilient labor market by connecting employers with people actively seeking work.

~VSA minister promises future updates on financial performance and management indicators~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Claret Connor has received a presentation from the board and management of USZV covering the organization’s services, budgets and internal performance-monitoring system.

The meeting was held on Friday, September 11, 2026.

According to Connor, management provided an update on a dashboard that delivers real-time information concerning the organization’s operations.

The dashboard includes information on the director’s key performance indicators and a financial performance overview comparing budgeted figures with actual results.

Such comparisons can help management identify differences between planned expenditure and actual financial performance.

The minister did not disclose any figures from the budget presentation or details concerning the results displayed on the dashboard.

Connor said he intends to provide further information during future press briefings about the dashboard and how it is being used as a management instrument.

The promised updates could give the public greater insight into how USZV monitors its financial performance and management's work.

Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announces additional Cg. 400,000 as government launches Restoring Utility Affordability initiative

PHILIPSBURG:---  Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announced Wednesday that N.V. GEBE will provide a total of Cg. 1.5 million in utility assistance during 2027, with senior citizens and vulnerable families expected to benefit from the expanded relief programme.

Mercelina made the announcement as GEBE marked 66 years of service to Sint Maarten and government launched the Restoring Utility Affordability for the People of Sint Maarten initiative.

According to the Prime Minister, GEBE will provide an additional Cg. 400,000 in direct relief and community support. This will increase the total amount allocated for 2027 to Cg. 1.5 million.

Mercelina said the 2027 allocation represents three times the level of assistance provided when the programme was initiated in 2024.

“We started in 2024 with a subsidy of 500,000, and now we are already at 1.5 million. In cooperation with GEBE, we are going to serve the people of Sint Maarten, especially the elderly and those who are more vulnerable in our society,” the Prime Minister said.

The funding will come from GEBE.

Responding to questions during the Council of Ministers press briefing, Mercelina said the utility company is the source of the funding and acknowledged GEBE’s willingness to contribute to the relief programme.

“The funding—the resource—is GEBE. So, we have to acknowledge the goodwill of this company to contribute to this effort,” Mercelina stated.

The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor and GEBE are negotiating how to distribute additional financial support.

The VSA Ministry will help identify eligible senior citizens and a broader group of vulnerable families who may qualify for assistance.

Mercelina stressed that the process must be properly coordinated, transparent, and focused on ensuring that relief reaches households experiencing genuine financial difficulty.

“Our senior citizens have contributed throughout their lives to the development of Sint Maarten. They deserve our support,” Mercelina said.

He added that government also recognizes that many vulnerable families are struggling with the cost of living and their monthly utility expenses.

According to the Prime Minister, the government insisted that the assistance be expanded so that more households would be able to benefit.

“This increase is not simply about numbers. It is about providing meaningful assistance to the people who need it the most,” he said.

Mercelina described the additional Cg. 400,000 as a further commitment to supporting the people of Sint Maarten. He said increasing the overall amount to Cg. 1.5 million demonstrates that government is listening and responding to the realities facing the community.

The Prime Minister did not announce when applications for assistance would open or provide the eligibility requirements that will be used to select beneficiaries. He said the VSA Ministry and GEBE remain in negotiations concerning the distribution of the support.

~Plans include solar installations at Hope Estate and Walter G. Nisbeth Road, backed by large-scale energy storage.~

PHILIPSBURG:---  N.V. GEBE is advancing two major renewable-energy initiatives intended to improve the reliability of Sint Maarten’s electricity network and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuel, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announced Wednesday.

The initiatives consist of a utility-scale solar-generation project and a battery energy-storage system.

According to Mercelina, the planned solar project includes approximately four megawatts of ground-mounted solar capacity at Hope Estate and approximately 2.5 megawatts of solar-carport capacity at the Walter G. Nisbeth Road parking lot.

The battery energy-storage system is expected to provide approximately 25 to 26 megawatt-hours of storage capacity, supported by approximately 11 megawatts of inverter capacity.

The proposed locations for the battery-storage component include Pond Island, Seegersgut and Mullet Bay.

Mercelina said the projects will support grid stability, improve energy security and allow Sint Maarten to integrate more renewable energy into the national electricity network.

The battery system would allow electricity produced by the solar installations to be stored and used when demand is higher, or the grid needs additional support.

GEBE Responsible for Green-Energy Investment

Responding to questions during the Council of Ministers press briefing, Mercelina confirmed that the renewable-energy project falls under GEBE’s responsibility and budget.

“Concerning the alternative green-energy projects that we have, it is the responsibility of GEBE to look into alternative energies if we want to continue producing energy for Sint Maarten,” Mercelina said.

He explained that GEBE will develop the projects in cooperation with the government.

The battery-storage component will receive support through SDE++ funding from Europe. Mercelina said this contribution will provide additional value by expanding the country’s energy-storage capacity.

Fossil-Fuel Dependence Driving Electricity Costs

The Prime Minister said the government must address the structural factors driving high electricity costs while providing immediate assistance to vulnerable residents.

Sint Maarten remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuel, leaving consumers and businesses exposed to unpredictable changes in international fuel prices.

Mercelina also said the influence of fuel supplier Sol on the final electricity price was discussed during a meeting involving the Prime Minister, MP Omar Ottley, and GEBE’s supervisory and management boards.

The parties examined the different factors contributing to energy prices, including Sol’s role in determining the final amount charged to consumers and GEBE’s base rate, which Mercelina said has remained at 25 cents for years.

Regulatory Adviser Planned

The government is also working to establish a regulatory adviser to advise the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication on energy pricing.

Mercelina said the regulatory function is intended to give government a better overview of—and greater control over—the electricity prices charged to consumers.

The Prime Minister maintained that the renewable-energy and battery-storage projects demonstrate that government and GEBE are planning beyond immediate utility relief and looking toward the country’s long-term energy needs.

If implemented as outlined, the projects would give Sint Maarten 6.5 megawatts of planned solar-generation capacity, alongside up to 26 megawatt-hours of battery storage to support the electricity network.