PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Omar Ottley is calling on the government to stop delaying meaningful relief for the people of Sint Maarten and immediately utilize the legal mechanisms already available to regulate electricity tariffs and fuel costs, as done in Curacao.
Recent announcements by Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten concerning the signing of a Ministerial Decree to appoint BTP under the Electricity Ordinance and the announcement that a national ordinance containing general measures will be used to regulate the new tariff have been presented as progress toward electricity reform. However, MP Ottley warns that this approach may take another year or more before consumers already struggling with high electricity bills feel any real impact.
“The people cannot afford to wait another year while the government slowly moves through administrative procedures,” Ottley stated. “Families and businesses need relief today.”
According to MP Ottley, the current legal framework already provides the government with the authority to intervene immediately under the Price Ordinance, which allows regulation of electricity tariffs and fuel generation costs within a significantly shorter timeframe than the lengthy process tied to Article 12, paragraph 4 of the Electricity Ordinance.
Ottley also questioned why the Minister of TEATT has not yet fully exercised the authority already granted under the Price Ordinance to request the necessary operational and financial data from NV GEBE to finalize the previously submitted draft Ministerial Regulation.
“The authority to request this information has existed all along. The question the public deserves answered is: why was the data not demanded sooner so relief measures could already be in place?” Ottley asked.
MP Ottley acknowledged that many people question why these measures were not implemented during his tenure in government. However, he emphasized that relief efforts were made at the time and that his current position in Parliament allowed him to analyze the legal framework more deeply and identify practical solutions already embedded in existing law. As Minister of VSA, I requested a reduction in the reconnection for outstanding payments from 50% to 25%, allowing many persons to get reconnected. As Minister of TEATT, I reduced import duty tax to bring relief to the people at the gas pumps.
“Some people ask why this was not done years ago. My response is simple: if someone found the cure for cancer today, would people be angry at the person who did not discover it years earlier?” Ottley said. “What matters is that the solution is here now, and we should use it.”
Ottley further revealed that, as a Member of Parliament in opposition, he formally presented these solutions to the Minister in November 2025, including the legal pathways under the Price Ordinance for obtaining the necessary data from GEBE and implementing relief measures.
“The law is clear. The Minister may require the financial and operational information required under the Price Ordinance. If necessary, the Public Prosecutor can even accompany the Minister to inspect the books of GEBE to ensure full transparency and compliance,” Ottley stated.
While acknowledging that appointing BTP may contribute to long-term regulation of the electricity sector, Ottley emphasized that long-term reform should not come at the expense of immediate action.
“We can pursue structural reforms while simultaneously implementing emergency measures to regulate electricity costs. These are not mutually exclusive actions,” he said.
MP Ottley stressed that the government must move beyond announcements and begin delivering measurable relief to the people of Sint Maarten.
“The legal instruments are already there. What has been missing is urgency and decisive leadership,” Ottley concluded.
