PHILIPSBURG – The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) in Sint Maarten has become a byword for corruption, incompetence, and failure. A damning series of investigations has laid bare a sordid saga of cronyism, political manipulation, and a flagrant disregard for the law, leaving public trust in tatters.
From issuing licenses in violation of moratoriums to running a chaotic, lawless system devoid of accountability, the Ministry is collapsing under the weight of its own mismanagement. Revelations implicate key figures, such as former Minister Arthur Leo Lambriex and his Chief of Staff Francisco Lacroes, in a scheme designed to bend rules, favor friends, and erode transparency in pursuit of political gains.
The investigations—conducted by the Integrity Chamber, SOAB, and internal auditors—paint a bleak picture of a Ministry in complete disrepair. Despite a moratorium on taxi and bus licenses established in 2014 to prevent market saturation, new licenses were brazenly issued in 2023 under the leadership of Lambriex. These actions weren’t just ill-advised—they directly violated the law. Even more disturbingly, incomplete applications were approved without explanation while proper procedures were discarded as inconvenient nuisances.
Key systemic breakdowns include the absence of a centralized database to track licenses and license plates, a failure that opened the door to arbitrary approvals and potential abuse of power. Worse still, the advisory council mandated by law to oversee public transportation licensing has been defunct since 2014. The Ministry operated in a vacuum of oversight, with decision-making driven by personal whims rather than legal requirements or accountability.
The rot runs straight to the top. Lambriex, aided by Lacroes, exploited their positions to circumvent checks and balances. Applications that were riddled with errors or missing critical documents—such as income tax returns and medical certificates—were inexplicably pushed through. A single senior advisor, who simultaneously served as head of the Department of Economic Licenses, held immense unchecked power, effectively becoming judge, jury, and executioner in the licensing process.
The timing of these questionable moves raises a clear red flag. Just months before the January 2024 elections, the moratorium was conveniently revised, and new licenses began to flow. These actions reek of political maneuvering, raising suspicions of vote-buying and other underhanded electioneering tactics, even as concrete evidence of bribery has yet to emerge. The stench of impropriety is impossible to ignore.
The Ministry has proven itself incapable of even the most basic forms of governance. Out of 79 taxi license applications reviewed, only 26 were submitted with the necessary documentation. Shockingly, none of the applications included proof of payment, a glaring failure that highlights a lack of financial control. This bureaucratic free-for-all has left key processes in ruins, with rules applied inconsistently at best—and ignored outright at worst.
Poor communication, insufficient training, and a complete lack of accountability further cement the Ministry’s reputation as an epicenter of failure. Employees operated without integrity-focused guidance, while management turned a blind eye to mounting concerns. With no written procedures to guide the issuance of licenses and no oversight to ensure basic standards were met, chaos became the Ministry's default state.
The revelations have ignited widespread anger among the people of Sint Maarten, who were demanding justice and reform. Key figures, including Francisco Lacroes—now inexplicably serving as a Member of Parliament—have been singled out for their roles in this catastrophic failure of governance. Calls for accountability are growing louder and more urgent, as the scandal lays bare how unchecked power and backroom dealings have undermined the very institutions meant to serve the public.
The investigations have put forth a series of recommendations to rescue the Ministry from itself:
- Legislative Overhaul: Modernize and strengthen the legal framework to prevent future misconduct.
- Process Standardization: Implement and enforce clear guidelines for processing and approving licenses.
- Integrity Training: Foster a culture of ethics through mandatory training programs at all levels of the Ministry.
- Enhanced Oversight: Re-establish the Public Transportation Committee and create a centralized database for all licenses.
- Accountability Measures: Introduce rigorous internal audits and create whistleblower mechanisms to flag misconduct.
The Ministry of TEATT faces a crossroads. The time for excuses and half-measures is over. Sint Maarten deserves leadership that prioritizes transparency, integrity, and the public good over personal gain and political gamesmanship. The systemic failures exposed in these investigations are not minor mistakes; they are a betrayal of the public trust. Without urgent action, the Ministry will remain a symbol of everything wrong in governance today.
The people of Sint Maarten are watching, and they will not forgive continued incompetence. Now is the moment for TEATT to confront its failures head-on, hold culpable parties to account, and rebuild itself into the functional institution it claims to be. Anything less would be an insult to the public, which deserves far better than the circus of corruption and mismanagement it has endured.