URSM faction leader says plans must move from paper to implementation as residents await relief on electricity, food prices, healthcare and public services
PHILIPSBURG — Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement faction leader MP Sjamira Roseburg has called on the Government to make the new parliamentary year one of tangible results, warning that residents can no longer be expected to survive on policies, plans and promises that remain on paper.
Roseburg delivered the message during the closing meeting of the 2025-2026 parliamentary year on Monday, September 7.
The URSM faction leader said the Government has spent the past two years reviewing systems, developing policies, preparing plans and establishing important processes. She argued that the country must now move beyond planning and begin delivering improvements that residents can see and feel in their daily lives.
“No more temporary fixes,” Roseburg declared.
“Let this coming parliamentary year be the year of tangible results for the people of Sint Maarten. They need to see the plans move from paper to implementation. They need to see projects moving, services improving and commitments becoming results.”
“Give the people the relief they were promised”
Roseburg said the Government must deliver the relief repeatedly promised to residents struggling with high electricity bills and the rising cost of basic necessities.
“Let’s give the people the relief they were promised,” she said.
The MP described access to water and electricity as basic rights and said meaningful relief will require bringing the fuel cost under control, regardless of how difficult that process may be.
Her statement puts direct pressure on the coalition government to demonstrate how its policies will reduce expenses for households facing rising food, utility, housing and healthcare costs.
Roseburg said the URSM faction intends to continue demanding results that are not merely announced but implemented and experienced by the population.
URSM MPs Supported Disapproval of Coalition Minister
Roseburg also addressed the decision by some URSM parliamentarians to support a motion of disapproval concerning the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI).
She acknowledged that supporting such a motion was uncomfortable because the VROMI minister is part of the governing coalition.
However, Roseburg defended the decision as an example of Parliament fulfilling its oversight responsibility.
“Real partnership means holding every ministry accountable, even in uncomfortable situations,” she stated.
Despite that vote, Roseburg said URSM remains prepared to support the VROMI minister in strengthening the ministry’s delivery during the new parliamentary year.
The faction leader described the past year as one in which voting according to conscience was repeatedly tested.
Abortion Legislation Submitted
Roseburg reported that proposed abortion legislation has been completed and submitted, with the objective of bringing Sint Maarten’s legal framework in line with international human-rights standards and the situation on the French side of the island.
According to Roseburg, the proposal is now moving through the legislative process.
The legislation represents one of the most significant and potentially controversial initiatives advanced by the URSM faction during the parliamentary year.
Roseburg also reported progress on legislation addressing custom license plates, basic necessities, rental protections, immigration rules, cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and the creation of a multi-judge chamber for complex court cases.
Tax Relief Must Reach Consumers
The URSM faction also submitted proposed legislation to expand the list of essential products exempted from Turnover Tax, or BBO.
Roseburg said the proposal covers vegetables, fish, meat, pasta, hygiene products, cooking gas and menstrual products, among other necessities.
However, she emphasized that removing taxes from essential goods will accomplish little if businesses fail to pass the savings on to consumers.
The proposed legislation therefore includes mandatory price controls and monitoring intended to ensure that lower taxes produce lower prices.
Roseburg also said a motion on consumer-price monitoring was adopted during the parliamentary year.
The faction leader’s remarks signal that URSM intends to make cost-of-living relief one of its central priorities in the year ahead.
Foster Children and Vulnerable Families
Roseburg highlighted the work of URSM MP Veronica Jansen-Webster, saying she successfully lobbied the Minister of Justice for an increase in the foster-parent stipend and additional support for foster children transitioning out of care.
She described the development as a meaningful victory for some of the country’s most vulnerable children.
Jansen-Webster also worked with Parliament’s Women’s Caucus after a conference on technology-facilitated gender-based violence, focusing on strengthening victim support in Sint Maarten.
Roseburg said the MP launched a survey to gather information needed for animal-welfare legislation and raised concerns about free-roaming animals.
Jansen-Webster also questioned the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor about the lack of adequate services for amputees and the increasing financial and emotional burden placed on families by the unregulated care industry.
As Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee for Public Health, Social Development and Labor, Jansen-Webster also led a parliamentary visit to the construction site of the Sint Maarten General Hospital.
Budget Amendments Passed Unanimously
During the 2026 budget debate, Jansen-Webster presented two amendments that were unanimously approved.
The first addressed staffing shortages within the Ministry of General Affairs, including the Personnel and Organization and Facility Services departments.
Roseburg said those government functions were understaffed to the point of risking delays and employee burnout. The amendment made financing available for temporary external assistance while recruitment continues.
The second amendment addressed the growing number of residents seeking financial assistance because they cannot cover basic living expenses.
Roseburg said Jansen-Webster will also continue advocating for general health insurance and plans to submit her first legislative amendment during the first half of 2027.
The URSM faction leader cited a 5.45 per cent inflation rate as evidence of the severe financial pressure facing households.
Wever Pushes Special Education and Sex-Offender Registry
Roseburg also highlighted the work of URSM MP Chris Wever, Vice Chairperson of Parliament.
She said Wever carried a heavy institutional responsibility during the year, chairing several parliamentary meetings and presiding over much of the 2026 budget debate.
Beyond those duties, Wever continued advocating for special-needs education, inclusion and greater opportunities for students requiring additional educational support.
According to Roseburg, Wever is also examining possible legislation and administrative measures for establishing a sex-offender registry to strengthen public safety and protect vulnerable members of the community.
Roseburg said she and Wever will continue pressing the Government for legislation against hair discrimination and are demanding a clear timeline for its development.
Laws Targeting Cyberbullying and Intimate Images
Roseburg said legislation targeting non-consensual image sharing and technology-facilitated gender-based violence has been carried over from the previous parliamentary year.
The proposal is intended to address the sharing of intimate images without consent and harassment involving AI-generated content.
The Police Force of Sint Maarten has provided data, which is being reviewed, with the legislation targeted for submission in the new parliamentary year.
Proposed cyberbullying legislation is following a similar process.
Roseburg also reported that proposed legislation for a small-claims court and a multi-judge chamber is being reviewed following feedback from the Joint Court of Justice. The initiative is intended to allow a panel of judges to consider more complex cases.
GEBE and Justice Workers Remain Under Scrutiny
Roseburg said URSM repeatedly demanded accountability from utilities company GEBE and called for the publication of a lawful disconnection policy.
The faction also continued to press the Ministry of Justice over outstanding payments owed to justice-sector employees.
“These are the people who show up for our island every day,” Roseburg said, noting that workers are awaiting fulfilment of a promised November deadline.
She also pointed to the faction’s illegal-dumping enforcement motion and its budget amendment securing funding for external legislative lawyers. The latter was intended to address shortages that have delayed Parliament’s legislative agenda.
More Than 60 Children Receiving Breakfast
Roseburg reported that more than 60 additional children in need are now receiving breakfast at school following a motion introduced in 2025.
She also highlighted the continuation of a community legal help desk offering free consultations to vulnerable residents and the launch of the Drive Smart SXM road-safety campaign with government support.
Roseburg said these initiatives demonstrate that URSM did not spend the parliamentary year sitting still.
“We have spent it making progress: legislation submitted, motions passed, budget amendments secured, government held accountable and, most importantly, real matters affecting the people addressed,” she said.
Parliament Developing Its First Code of Conduct
As Chairperson of Parliament’s Integrity Committee, Roseburg said she and other committee members are working to finalize Parliament’s first code of conduct of its kind.
She also reflected on her work as Chairperson of the Committee for Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations.
During consultations in Aruba and The Hague, Roseburg said she carried a message that Kingdom partners must stop talking at one another and begin speaking with one another.
She said she also worked to move discussions about slavery reparations beyond political statements and toward meaningful dialogue.
URSM Promises Continued Pressure
Roseburg said the URSM board has made additional funding available specifically to support the faction’s legislative work.
She noted that drafting legislation is expensive and said faction members had also used personal funds while awaiting budgetary support approved by Parliament.
Closing her address, Roseburg said the URSM faction knows its work is unfinished and intends to keep earning the public’s trust.
The faction’s message to the Government was unmistakable: the time devoted to reviews, consultations, policies and temporary measures must now produce measurable results.
Residents, Roseburg said, must finally feel the difference in their electricity bills, food prices, healthcare, public services and overall quality of life.
