No new comprehensive meter audit identified, no fixed testing interval, and no verified 2026 tally of affected customers or financial adjustments—while outstanding bills remain collectible.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Dr. Luc Mercelina’s answers to Parliament on October 1 exposed a significant gap in the information available about GEBE’s billing system: government could describe how disputed meters are investigated, but could not provide verified figures showing how many customers were affected or how much money was involved in 2026.

Responding during the Central Committee’s consideration of the draft 2027 Budget, Mercelina said that, based on the information presently available, GEBE was not aware of a new comprehensive, system-wide audit covering all electricity and water meters.

The response leaves consumers with an unresolved question: how will the utility demonstrate the reliability of its billing beyond investigating individual complaints?

Meter Checks Remain Largely Reactive

Responding to MP Egbert J. Doran, Mercelina explained that smart electricity and water meters are calibrated by their manufacturers before installation.

Subsequent checks generally arise when customers report a possible consumption or billing issue, or when GEBE identifies one internally. Investigations can involve inspections, technical measurements, comparison meters and, for electricity, a power quality analyzer.

However, GEBE does not apply a fixed periodic field-testing or recalibration interval to every installed smart meter.

Mercelina said a fully functional advanced metering infrastructure system should help identify unusual conditions and consumption patterns, allowing more proactive monitoring. That describes an intended improvement; it does not provide the missing picture of current meter performance.

Parliament Still Lacks the Financial Picture

Doran sought the numbers of meters tested, meters found defective or inaccurate, customers affected, and the financial value of discrepancies in 2026.

Mercelina said those figures would require a verified review and reconciliation of investigation orders, change orders and billing records. He cautioned that an investigation alone does not establish that a meter is defective.

Nevertheless, the answer included no verified totals.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that both overbilling and underbilling have occurred historically. When a discrepancy favors a customer, the account receives a credit against applicable outstanding or future bills. When a customer has been underbilled, the difference is debited and becomes payable under the applicable conditions.

For Parliament, the next accountability test is clear: a reconciled report establishing what happened in 2026, how many people were affected, and the value of the adjustments.

Independent Testing Remains a Proposal

Asked whether consumers could obtain independent verification of disputed meters, Mercelina said the government would encourage GEBE to explore the possibility.

He described third-party testing as technically feasible, subject to qualified testing entities, clear standards, secure meter handling, responsibility for costs and acceptance of results.

No implementation date was provided. Consumers therefore received an expression of support for exploring independent verification, rather than confirmation of an operating mechanism.

Collection Continues While Confidence Remains Contested

Asked what concrete steps government was taking to restore billing confidence, Mercelina stated: “This is not a responsibility of the government.”

He immediately placed responsibility with GEBE and said government, as shareholder, continues to hold the company accountable. He also said billing concerns have featured in multiple shareholder meetings and that GEBE continues working with customers reporting discrepancies.

The distinction does not remove government’s oversight obligation. Mercelina identified himself elsewhere in the presentation as GEBE’s primary liaison for the Council of Ministers.

His response also emphasized collecting outstanding receivables and existing payment arrangements. That makes verified billing information especially important: consumers should be able to understand and challenge the amounts they are expected to pay.

Doran’s separate question about whether small and large businesses should face different commercial tariff structures was referred to the Minister of TEATT. Mercelina did not present a substantive tariff adjustment proposal.

Governance Repairs Are Still Unfinished

Responding to MP Francisco Lacroes, Mercelina said GEBE’s code of conduct and complaints procedure were still being documented and reviewed. The compliance officer role is expected to be filled in 2027, while a confidential advisor has not yet been appointed.

Audited financial reports for 2019 through 2024 have been submitted to shareholders, but questions remained, and the shareholder meeting had been adjourned pending further explanations. Parliament is to receive the reports through a confidential route after the shareholder process. The 2025 statements are still being prepared for the external auditor.

Mercelina also described cybersecurity improvements following the March 2022 attack and said a customer portal was approaching a controlled soft launch, subject to final security and readiness checks.

These are steps toward stronger operations. But the central questions remain unanswered: when will Parliament receive the verified billing figures, when will independent testing become available, and when will outstanding governance safeguards be completed?

General Affairs has 236 filled posts against an approved formation of 439, no formal ministry-wide multi-year strategic plan, and no fixed quarterly recruitment schedule.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Dr. Luc Mercelina told Parliament on October 1 that shortages in the departments supporting the entire government continue to delay recruitment, legal work, procurement and digital modernization.

His answers during the Central Committee’s examination of the draft 2027 Budget revealed the scale of the problem: General Affairs has 236 filled positions against an approved formation of 439.

The proposed budget funds 59 vacant positions, bringing the total number of funded posts to 295. Even if all those funded vacancies are filled, the ministry would remain 144 positions below its approved formation.

Funding is therefore a necessary step, but it does not by itself establish when the ministry will have the people needed to deliver.

The Departments Needed to Fix Government are themselves Understaffed

Mercelina identified Personnel and Organization, Legal Affairs and Legislation, ICT, Facility Affairs and the Fire Department as priority areas.

The effects extend across government. Personnel shortages impede recruitment and workforce planning. Legal capacity constraints delay legislative drafting, review and advice. ICT shortages limit digital transformation. Facility Affairs faces difficulties in procurement, contracts, buildings management, security and financial administration.

The Prime Minister said virtually all non-emergency services delivered by these departments are negatively affected.

His explanation identifies a difficult cycle: government needs staff to recruit staff, legal expertise to advance reforms, and administrative capacity to implement the budgets meant to address those weaknesses.

No Fixed Recruitment Timetable

When MP Lyndon Lewis asked for a quarterly recruitment plan, Mercelina said the ministry does not operate on a fixed quarterly schedule.

Recruitment instead proceeds continuously, depending on operational needs, budget availability, priorities and qualified candidates.

Government is broadening its search to Aruba, Curaçao, Suriname, the Netherlands and the diaspora, alongside local recruitment. Temporary expertise and specialist recruitment support may be used to maintain critical services.

Those measures address real constraints. However, the answers did not establish quarterly hiring targets against which Parliament could assess whether the 59 funded vacancies are being filled.

No Formal Multi-Year Strategic Plan

Responding to MP Darryl York, Mercelina acknowledged that the ministry has no formal multi-year strategic plan, and most individual departments do not either.

He said the newly appointed Secretary-General is strengthening planning and control through departmental plans, clearer annual objectives, improved reporting and performance monitoring.

For now, the ministry’s direction rests on the governing program, national development vision, country package reforms and annual budget priorities.

The admission matters because General Affairs is responsible for much of the machinery required to turn the wider government’s promises into results.

Coordination Without a Measurable Delivery Overview

Doran asked how the Prime Minister tracks implementation of the governing program and whether Parliament could receive a ministry-by-ministry account of progress.

Mercelina rejected percentage scoring as his management approach, arguing that the program contains hundreds of initiatives, many intended for the full governing period.

He described regular ministerial communication, coalition meetings and a standing Council of Ministers agenda item through which he raises matters requiring follow-up, including crime prevention, waste management, roads and abandoned vehicles.

Percentages alone cannot capture the complexity of governing. But Parliament’s oversight need remains: which commitments have been completed, which are delayed, who is responsible, and what happens next?

The coordination examples did not provide the project-by-project timetable and allocation of responsibilities Doran requested.

Reforms Continue, With Funding and Deadlines Unresolved

Mercelina said the “It’s All About the People” public service reform program is not yet fully funded. Several components depend on future allocations and continued support for the country package.

Outstanding concerns include career development, succession planning, employment conditions, workforce planning and organizational culture.

Legislative initiatives also remain in progress, with Mercelina declining to provide specific submission dates because of drafting capacity, consultations and legal review.

He said the 2026 Budget had entered into force only the previous week and that implementation of additional support had begun. Many commitments will continue into 2027 and beyond.

Some targets are clear: initial digital services are expected by the second quarter of 2027, alongside work on digital identity, data sharing and a redesigned portal.

The broader challenge is to apply that same clarity to recruitment, legislation and administrative reform. Residents can understand that rebuilding capacity takes time. Parliament still needs a way to determine whether each successive budget is reducing the delays.

Cell broadcast has passed a controlled test, but final payments remain pending; firefighter placement and compensation issues also lack firm settlement dates.

PHILIPSBURG — Sint Maarten’s cell broadcast public warning system still awaits final payments to TELEM, Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Dr. Luc Mercelina told Parliament on October 1, creating an administrative and financial hurdle for an emergency communication tool.

Responding during the Central Committee’s consideration of the draft 2027 Budget, Mercelina said the system had already been successfully tested in a controlled environment. The related advice had been drafted and was moving through the approval process.

He did not provide a public activation date.

For a system intended to warn people during emergencies, the difference between successful testing and operational availability matters. Parliament still needs to know when that final step will be completed.

Several Disaster Planning Measures Target Late 2027

Mercelina identified the fourth quarter of 2027 as the target for completing tsunami and earthquake plans and standard operating procedures, a host nation support plan and procedures, and exploring micro-insurance possibilities.

He said some products could be delivered earlier, but the government had selected the later target because of possible unforeseen bottlenecks.

Those dates do not mean Sint Maarten has no existing emergency arrangements. They do mean several planned improvements remain unfinished, with completion targets set late in the coming budget year.

The Office of Disaster Management’s broader five-year development program also remains ongoing.

Government Promises Readiness Testing Before Hurricane Season

In response to MP Lyndon Lewis, Mercelina committed to a comprehensive readiness assessment and hurricane preparedness exercise before the 2027 hurricane season.

The assessment is intended to verify plans, personnel, communications equipment and coordination arrangements. He said readiness would be tested through tabletop exercises, communications tests, Emergency Operations Center activation exercises and field exercises where appropriate.

This is a substantive commitment. Its value will depend on whether the exercises identify weaknesses and whether those weaknesses are corrected before an emergency.

Parliament could assess delivery through the exercise dates, findings, assigned corrective actions, and completion status.

Backup Communications Exist, but Public Warning Remains Unfinished

Mercelina said several satellite phones are available for emergency communication. Extra handheld radios and vehicles equipped with built-in repeaters can provide backup if antennas are damaged.

He also referred to previous discussions about requesting assistance from the Marines if necessary.

Those arrangements support emergency coordination. They do not settle when the cell broadcast system will be available to issue warnings to the public.

An update on shelters was deferred to a later response in his capacity as acting Minister of VSA, leaving that component outside the answers delivered in this part of the meeting.

Firefighters Still Await Personnel Resolutions

The Prime Minister’s disaster preparedness answers also exposed continuing delays affecting Fire Department personnel.

Responding to MP Darryl York, he said the placement process had commenced, and draft letters had been prepared. The first batch remained under review following consultations with management, WICSU-PSU and negotiation teams.

Staff shortages in Personnel and Organization, together with medical leave affecting key personnel, had delayed the process.

Mercelina described practical capacity constraints and said the parties were working to complete placement carefully and promptly. He did not give a completion date.

Responding to MP Francisco Lacroes, he also identified unresolved matters involving placement, ranks, promotions, retroactive salary or compensation adjustments, higher-level duties and historical acting arrangements.

No overall settlement date was offered.

Response Ambitions Need Performance Evidence

Mercelina said the Fire Department works toward an approximately eight-to-ten-minute response standard, depending on incident location, traffic, time of day and operational circumstances.

For 2027, government intends to maintain and improve its ability to achieve that standard through staffing, vehicles, equipment, training, station readiness and communications.

However, the response did not provide actual response-time figures showing how consistently the department currently meets its target.

Planned investments include equipment renewal, breathing apparatus, professional training, fire prevention, and stronger emergency coordination.

These improvements are necessary. The unanswered questions are operational: when will the public warning system go live, when will firefighter personnel matters be resolved, and what measurable readiness gains will be in place before the next hurricane season?

Emergency preparedness cannot be assessed solely 

by promises in a budget. It requires functioning systems, equipped personnel, and verified readiness before those capabilities are needed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Performance Sports Academy (PSA) Athletics Association is preparing to welcome young basketball talent from across the region for the 3rd Annual U15 Paradise Showdown, scheduled for October 3–7, 2026, at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium.
The five-day tournament will bring together teams representing Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saba/Aruba, Anguilla, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Tortola, and Statia for several days of competition, training, development, and regional exchange. The first three days will feature four games per day, followed by crossover games, semi-finals, and the championship final during the closing stages of the tournament. More than 90 players, coaches,
officials, and team representatives are expected to arrive in Sint Maarten by air and ferry beginning October 2. This figure does not include family members and supporters who will also be traveling with the delegations.

PSA looks forward to welcoming the visiting delegations to Sint Maarten and providing them with an opportunity to experience the island both on and off the basketball court. A new feature of this year's tournament is the opportunity for selected top-performing players to travel to Tampa, Florida, for several days of additional basketball training and exposure. During the visit, selected athletes will have opportunities to engage with individuals connected to
junior colleges and NCAA Division II programs, allowing them to gain greater insight into
potential educational and athletic pathways.
The Paradise Showdown also continues to emphasize grassroots basketball development. Experienced coaches from the United States will lead morning training sessions and work directly with student-athletes and coaches from the participating teams. Referee development will also form part of this year's program. PSA, in collaboration with the Netherlands Basketball Federation (NBB), will focus on strengthening the development
of local and international officials, with the aim of improving officiating standards alongside the growth of players and coaches.

“As passionate proponents of youth sports development, we are committed to offering young athletes opportunities to develop, gain exposure, and compete at a higher level,” said Omar Beauperthuy, Founder of PSA.
The Sint Maarten U15 team has been preparing for the tournament and is looking forward to representing the island and showcasing its skills in front of a home crowd.
The tournament will tip off on Saturday, October 3, with Sint Maarten facing Guyana at 4:35 p.m., followed by Statia versus St. Kitts and Nevis at 5:40 p.m., Saba/Aruba versus Anguilla at 6:45 p.m., and Saint Martin versus Tortola at 7:50 p.m.

Competition continues on Sunday, October 4, with St. Kitts and Nevis facing Saint Martin at 5:00 p.m., Guyana versus Saba/Aruba at 6:05 p.m., Statia versus Tortola at 7:10 p.m., and Sint Maarten versus Anguilla at 8:15 p.m.
PSA encourages the public to come out and support the participating teams throughout the tournament and extend Sint Maarten's well-known hospitality to the visiting athletes, coaches, families, and supporters. Admission is US$2.00 for children under 18 and US$4.00 for adults. The full game schedule and tournament updates are available via Instagram at performance_sports_academy_sxm and Facebook at Performance Sports Academy – PSA.
PSA looks forward to welcoming the community to the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium for five days of competitive youth basketball and regional sports development.