~The Price of Silence: SMMC's New Hospital Costs Soar Amidst a Shroud of Secrecy~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Another day, another dollar—or in the case of St. Maarten’s New General Hospital, another tens of millions of dollars. The long-awaited healthcare facility, once a symbol of progress, is now becoming a monument to fiscal irresponsibility and institutional silence. While the cost of this vital project skyrockets, the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and the government have decided the public doesn’t deserve to know the details.
Let’s be clear. The original price tag for this hospital was a staggering $120 million. Now, reports indicate the cost has ballooned by an additional $40 million. How can a project’s budget increase by a third without a single, clear explanation to the taxpayers who will ultimately bear this burden? Instead of answers, we are handed the flimsy excuse of a non-disclosure agreement with the contractor, FINSO. This is not a private business deal; it is public trust, and that trust is being broken.
Earlier this year, the Minister of VSA confirmed the cost increase but claimed that this convenient agreement ties his hands. We are told the redesign, COVID-19, and global conflicts are to blame. While these are real-world pressures, they do not grant a license for complete opacity. Hiding behind legal clauses to avoid public accountability is an insult to every citizen of St. Maarten. It suggests that financial oversight is secondary to contractual secrecy.
To make matters worse, we learn that part of this "negotiation" involves offloading the demolition of the old SMMC building to local contractors. While hiring locally is commendable, this move reeks of a shell game. Was this decision made to artificially lower the contractor's new asking price, simply shifting the cost from one column to another? It’s a clever accounting trick that does nothing to reduce the overall financial strain on the island.
The most glaring question remains unanswered: now, as a second cost increase—reportedly another $20 million on top of previous overruns—is being actively negotiated, where will this extra funding come from? The government’s silence on this critical point is deafening. Will essential services be cut? Will taxes be raised? Will we be plunged further into debt? The public is left to speculate while officials remain tight-lipped, hoping this issue will fade from the headlines.
This is not just about a hospital. It is about a fundamental failure of transparency and accountability. The people of St. Maarten deserve to know how their money is being spent, especially on a project of this magnitude. We demand more than vague excuses and confidential handshakes.
We need immediate, public disclosure of the new budget. We need a clear, honest plan for how these additional costs will be covered. The non-disclosure agreement should not be a shield for the SMMC or the government to hide behind. It is their duty to serve the public interest, and that begins with telling the truth. Anything less is a profound betrayal.
