PHILIPSBURG;--- With the community's support echoing the demand for utility bill relief, Member of Parliament Omar Ottley announced that he intends to bring forth a motion in Parliament to prompt immediate government intervention on behalf of struggling NV GEBE customers during the 2024 Budget Amendment Public Meeting. The honorable MP emphasized the dire need for relief from the overwhelming financial strain, double taxation, and inflated utility bills for residents and businesses stemming from the unresolved issues with NV GEBE.
The motion to be presented during the public Budget Amendment Meeting in Parliament will call upon the fourteen other members of Parliament to join in ensuring NV GEBE takes accountability for the unresolved issues, which continue to impact thousands of families and businesses. "It is beyond reason," Ottley remarked, "that the people of St. Maarten should endure further hardship due to a flawed fuel clause and an ambiguous throughput fee that was increased to pay the loan for the Causeway Bridge. The throughput fee burdened the people of St. Maarten, as the Sol company transfers their added expenses to their consumers who in turn transfer their added expanse to the people of St. Maarten." This is why MP Omar Ottley is requesting that the government urgently address the double turnover tax and additional fees that impact the fuel clause, which has made essential utilities unaffordable for many."
As the people's representatives, we must be cognizant that the ransomware hack was not the fault of the people, and only the people have suffered since. "A large portion of our population is living without electricity due to their inability to pay fifty per cent of their past due bills. Electricity is a basic right, and this motion will help those vulnerable persons in need." Said Ottley
Adding to the financial strain, the government has recently requested Parliament's approval to amend the 2024 Budget to accommodate the purchase of three new generators for NV GEBE at a cost of Naf. 75.6 million. Despite this significant financial commitment, We are asking the people to bear the cost, knowing it could take two or more years for the generators to arrive and become operational.
"The proposed amendment and purchase timeline are too distant to provide relief now, and in the meantime, our people continue to suffer, especially as the tourism season and holidays approach. If we proceed with this amendment, we need to ensure an actionable commitment to bring immediate relief while these long-term solutions unfold," Ottley said.
St. Maarten deserves a reliable, transparent NV GEBE that serves in the people's interest, not a company that passes on burdens without accountability."
The Honorable MP encourages citizens to watch the debates closely and participate in shaping the future of St. Maarten's utility sector and economic health.
