PHILIPSBURG– Member of Parliament Omar E.C. Ottley is calling on Prime Minister Luc Mercelina to “stop playing semantics” and address the real financial strain on the people of St. Maarten after the Prime Minister’s recent statements regarding double taxation on fuel.
In a statement released today, MP Ottley said, “The Prime Minister’s own words prove my point – by admitting that the fuel is taxed once at wholesale and again at the pump. He is confirming what every driver in St. Maarten already knows: the government is double-dipping on fuel.” In his recent comments to the press, Prime Minister Luc Mercelina attempted to dismiss claims of double taxation on fuel, arguing that there is no such burden on N.V. GEBE’s energy production. But in trying to deflect, he inadvertently confirmed the very point MP Ottley has been making for months.
The Prime Minister, in his release, admitted, “Fuel sold to gas stations is taxed at the point of sale and again at the consumer level.” MP Ottley said the Government should call that explanation attempt by Mercelina what it is – “double taxation”. He said, “Whether government lawyers prefer to label these as 'separate taxable events' does not change the fact that ordinary citizens are paying Turnover Tax (TOT) twice before the fuel even powers their vehicles or homes.”
The Prime Minister’s repeated references to GEBE’s exemption are a poor attempt to distract from the actual problem. He said, “My statements were never about GEBE. They were about SOL and other suppliers, who pass TOT to the government when selling fuel to gas stations, only for the government to apply TOT again when consumers fill their tanks.”
This duplication inflates fuel costs across the board. Families are struggling, small businesses are cutting back, and workers are watching more of their paychecks disappear at the pump. Meanwhile, government revenue swells from this double-dip.
“Instead of explaining why households are still waiting for the relief the government promised by July 2025, the Prime Minister is hiding behind wordplay. People do not care about “taxable events.” They care that their energy bills and fuel costs keep climbing while the government does nothing to ease the strain.”
According to MP Ottley, if the government genuinely believes there is no double taxation, then it should have an independent audit of the entire fuel supply chain – from importer to gas station to consumer. If it proves what every driver on this island already knows, then the government must immediately correct this injustice and provide retroactive relief.
“The people of St. Maarten deserve more than political distractions and legal gymnastics. They deserve leaders who will confront the truth and deliver the relief you promised,” said MP Ottley.
Proof of Double taxation
