~Gumbs outlines ongoing and future Improvement Measures~

PHILIPSBURG:---  The General Audit Chamber officially handed over its audit report on the building permit issuance and denial process to the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs during a productive meeting focused on transparency, efficiency, and reform.
The audit examined the legal framework, procedural integrity, and data usage in St. Maarten's building permit process (2020-2024), a critical system for managing development on an island with limited land resources, fragile ecosystems, and infrastructure constraints. The report is intended as a roadmap to reduce fraud risks and improve efficiency in permitting processes.
The audit revealed that St. Maarten's permitting framework is fragmented and outdated. The Building and Housing Ordinance of 1935 remains the primary legal basis for construction, supplemented by ordinances and non-binding policies that lack formal legal status. The long-awaited island-wide zoning plan remains incomplete, forcing staff to interpret outdated policies on a case-by-case basis, which increases risks of inconsistent enforcement and legal uncertainty.
The permit process operates largely through manual, paper-based workflows. While applications are logged in the system, neither applicants nor management can track progress effectively. Critical safety advice from entities like the Fire Department is sometimes disregarded without written justification, and ministerial decisions can deviate from expert recommendations without documented reasoning.
Significant capacity constraints were identified. The Permits Department operates with limited staff, many lacking technical qualifications specified in official function descriptions, and no structured training program exists. At the time of the audit, only one Fire Department officer handled all permit-related reviews.
During the handover meeting, the Ministry welcomed the five key recommendations and outlined concrete steps to address the recommendations:
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): The Ministry echoed the urgent need for SOPs to curb discretionary and inconsistent permit decisions. The Civil Works manual has been finalized, and will soon be published, clarifying circumstances under which certain permits are required. The creation of a general workflow document will also commence, to ensure uniform evaluation, through clear procedures, which will also help to mitigate the potential for a backlog.
Digitalization: Recognizing that paper-based processes increase inefficiency and risk, the Ministry is preparing a Terms of Reference for automating and digitizing permitting processes. The request for managing this procurement, on behalf of the Ministry, is set for review at the end of next week. The digitalization effort will focus on improved customer communication, status tracking, and transparency.
Capacity Building: The Netherlands, through the Ministry of BZK, provided VROMI €1.4 million to build capacity for the trust-fund related projects. Subsequent discussions have given way for the subsidy to also be used for building the necessary secondary capacity within the Ministry. The Ministry will be hiring between 6 and 9 people for a period of one year. VROMI is collaborating with the Ministry of VSA’s National Employment Services Center (NESC) and will use their database to fill the vacancies, where possible. The vacancies are live as of today and can be found on the Government’s social media. Interested people are encouraged to apply; the deadline is set for Friday, December 5, 2025. More structurally, the Ministry is in discussion on revising the existing function book, which regulates the positions, salaries, and tasks of civil servants.
Accountability and Documentation: The Audit Chamber voiced its concerns regarding Ministerial deviation, that is, the ability of Ministers to accept or deny building permits without proper substantiation. The Minister outlined his efforts to ensure transparent decision-making with the introduction of memos that document concerns and deviations, if applicable. The Audit Chamber welcomed this initiative but noted that political change could mean the return to unsubstantiated deviations as observed in the past, underscoring the need to make mandatory, through law, the substantiation of a Ministerial deviation.
Policy Updates: The Ministry outlined progress on several policies, including the land policy, the spatial economic strategy, the land price policy, and the domain affairs backlog, which have all been recently approved by the Tijdelijke Werkorganisatie (TWO). In addition, the Ministry is awaiting the approval of its proposal to TWO for the completion of the zoning process for Sint Maarten. The Minister viewed the lack of uniformity in zoning as an obstacle to development.
“The lack of zoning creates an unclear and subsequently unfair playing field for persons who wish to develop a parcel of land. Approval currently relies on ministerial discretion to accept or deny the proposed advice. The realization of this zoning, coupled with our timeline to have a corrected National Decree on Administrative Enforcement by Q2 2026, will support our policies on beach and hillside use and strengthen our ability to implement and enforce our own laws”, stated Gumbs.
The General Audit Chamber thanked the Ministry for its exceptional cooperation, recognizing the openness of the staff throughout the audit process. The Minister invited the Audit Chamber to consider a follow-up report to assess the impact of the ongoing and proposed initiatives. Both parties commended the spirit of cooperation and emphasized the shared goal of depoliticizing and professionalizing the Ministry's operations through transparency and sustainable procedure reforms.
The complete report is available on the General Audit Chamber's website.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A shocking breach of public trust has been uncovered, revealing that a civil servant is engaging in the illegal sale of a substance known as 'peptides' directly from within a government building. This illicit operation, conducted with the assistance of a complicit pharmacist, represents a profound level of corruption and poses a significant threat to public health and safety.
The very halls meant for public service have been converted into a marketplace for unregulated substances. This scheme not only exposes the brazen misconduct of the individual or individuals involved but also raises serious questions about the oversight within our government institutions. By using their positions and access to a government facility, these employees have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law and the ethical standards they are sworn to uphold.
The involvement of a pharmacist in this illegal trade is particularly alarming. A healthcare professional's primary duty is to protect patient health, yet this individual is reportedly enabling the distribution of 'peptide' without proper prescriptions or medical supervision. This reckless behavior could lead to devastating health consequences for unsuspecting buyers, including severe allergic reactions or other dangerous side effects. The potential for anaphylactic shock from unregulated substances is a known risk, one that this pharmacist has chosen to ignore in pursuit of profit.
This situation demands immediate and decisive action. The individuals involved must be identified and held fully accountable for their actions. Their behavior is not just unethical; it is criminal. They have abused their authority, endangered the public, and tarnished the reputation of the dedicated public servants who work honestly every day. A thorough and transparent investigation is crucial to root out this corruption and prosecute all parties involved, from the civil servants peddling the substance to the pharmacist supplying it. Anything less would signal that such egregious conduct is acceptable, and that is a risk we cannot afford.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Special Olympics St. Maarten proudly celebrates the outstanding athletic ability of its athletes at two major regional competitions in November 2025, while preparing to host the 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games.

From November 12–16, 2025, in Guadeloupe, the St. Maarten delegation made its debut in the first-ever Unified 3x3 Basketball Tournament, competing against teams from Jamaica and other regional territories. The athletes, Tahnicio Peterson, Quincy Martes, Joel Carty, Mikheal Lake, and Eli Bruno, delivered an exceptional performance, capturing five gold medals under the leadership of Coaches Mr. Paul Bell and Mr. Franklyn Carty Jr., with Mr. Franklyn Carty serving as Head of Delegation.

Just days later, from November 20–24, 2025, another delegation of 11 traveled to Curaçao to participate in the Special Olympics Kingdom Games, organized by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the Special Olympics International Events Foundation (SOIE), in partnership with Special Olympics North America, the Caribbean Initiative, Think Ahead, and Special Olympics International.

Team St. Maarten excelled, proudly returning home with 10 medals in swimming and bocce:

Swimming – Breaststroke & Freestyle
• Holdson Jean-Fort – 2 Gold
• Mikael Alexander – 2 Silver
• Jarrell Brooks – 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
• Anna Willemijn Verloop – 1 Gold, 1 Silver

Bocce (Doubles)
• Milinda Sponsper – Gold
• Marijke Richardson – Gold

A defining highlight of the games in Curaçao was the official Passing of the Torch Ceremony. In a symbolic and historic moment, the Curaçao organizing team officially handed the 2027 Kingdom Games Torch to St. Maarten, confirming the island as the next host. Representing St. Maarten in this moment of pride was athlete Anna Willemijn Verloop.

National Director Ms. Sharon Cangieter expressed deep gratitude to WINAIR for its continued support and sponsorship of the athletes’ travel. Cangieter also extended appreciation to the Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Melissa Gumbs, for endorsing St. Maarten as the 2027 host, and to all collaborating partners who will play a vital role in bringing the Games to life.

“We are proud of our athletes’ achievements and honored to host the 2027 Special Olympics Kingdom Games. We look forward to welcoming Kingdom partners and Caribbean neighbors to St. Maarten for a celebration of inclusion, ability, and national pride.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) Member of Parliament (MP) Lyndon Lewis said he is “personally not impressed” with the government’s performance after its first year in office, calling it “poor, with the clear notation that they could have done far better.”
Asked to assess performance, Lewis criticized multiple ministries for underperformance, highlighted long-standing citizen complaints, and stressed the need for urgent reforms.
Lewis specifically singled out the Ministries of Justice and VROMI for significant underperformance. He said, “With regard to VROMI, the island feels stagnated to the point where the lack of progress can almost be compared to a national development crisis.” He noted an ongoing influx of complaints about long-pending permits, poor communication, and the absence of clear direction. On Justice, Lewis said, “A new approach and meaningful reform are desperately needed—particularly within the immigration sector. Citizens continue to express frustration and exhaustion over delayed permit processing and the lack of communication surrounding their applications.”
He also raised concerns about crime rates, stating that despite increased patrols, “crime rates continue to rise, creating economic fear and heightened concern within the community.” Lewis compared the current Minister of Justice’s performance to his own tenure, saying, “During my tenure as Minister of Justice, although brief, my administration successfully issued approximately six batches within seven months. This current Minister, who has now served a full year, has not initiated a single new batch, aside from the two batches that were already initiated under my administration.”
Lewis criticized the Ministry of TEATT for unkept promises and delays, particularly regarding the long-promised reconstruction of the Marketplace. “One year later, the long-promised reconstruction of the Marketplace has yet to begin or be completed, leaving hardworking vendors without the solution they were assured,” he said, noting that repeated promises have not translated into tangible results.
When asked about priorities for the coming year, Lewis spoke of the need for comprehensive reforms in immigration, improved policies for VROMI and TEATT, and urgent relief measures for residents regarding GEBE’s billing system.
Assessing the government’s overall effectiveness in addressing citizen issues, Lewis stated, “Critical issues such as the issuance of batches for law enforcement employees, the completion of the function book that covers ambulance and fire department workers, financial relief for families struggling with their GEBE bills, the long-delayed Marketplace project, rising crime, and stagnation in economic development remain at an all-time high. These are issues the government has failed to address in any meaningful way.”
Lewis could not cite any examples of ministers exceeding expectations, saying, “At this moment, I cannot provide any such examples. The level of production from the government remains at the bare minimum.”
Lewis says he remains hopeful that “we will witness a meaningful shift in how this government approaches its responsibilities to the people. St Maarten deserves leadership that is present, proactive, and committed to action, not just promises. This year must be different. This year must deliver results. The people of St Maarten deserve nothing less, and I will continue to hold the government accountable while offering my full support to ensure that real, tangible progress is finally achieved.”