PHILIPSBURG: Following a recent interview with Chair of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams, Member of Parliament Omar E.C. Ottley said it was disheartening to hear concerns he has raised repeatedly over the past two years only now receiving renewed attention.
Ottley remains deeply concerned about what he described as the slow pace at which the government and governing coalition are taking action.
“The people cannot afford to keep waiting when decisions need to be made,” Ottley stated.
With Parliament having received the draft 2027 budget, Ottley said he hopes it includes some form of relief for consumers burdened by high GEBE bills. However, he questioned how such relief could be included when the government continues to say it is awaiting another report from the Bureau of Telecommunications and Post (BTP), even though the first BTP report was issued in April 2025.
More than 18 months after the initial RAC-BTP report, the people of Sint Maarten are still waiting for action.
Ottley questioned what the government intends to do if the new information BTP received confirms concerns about GEBE’s electricity tariffs and costs. He again called on the government to regulate through a ministerial regulation using the Price Ordinance, particularly in the absence of an LBHAM.
“If the new information confirms what has been argued all along, the government can no longer hide behind the excuse that the matter is still being studied,” Ottley said.
For the past two years, Ottley has warned that electricity costs are placing an unacceptable burden on households and businesses. He noted that, at one point, GEBE’s fuel clause increased while the price of oil per barrel was decreasing.
Ottley has repeatedly called on the government to use the regulatory tools already available. He said that if the government remains hesitant to adjust the electricity tariff through a ministerial regulation, it should use its authority to regulate the maximum prices charged for fuel imported for electricity production.
According to Ottley, the government appears proud of submitting the 2027 budget on time. However, he stressed that submitting a budget on time is not the same as submitting one that addresses the problems confronting the people of Sint Maarten.
“An on-time budget means very little if it contains no revenue-generating measures and does nothing to ease the burden on the people,” Ottley stated.
The MP said he has presented several motions, hosted town hall meetings, submitted a petition signed by members of the public and presented a draft ministerial regulation aimed at assisting the people of Sint Maarten. Despite those efforts, he said the government has taken no action, and the country is no closer to obtaining relief.
“The people have waited through reports. They have waited through consultations. They have waited for regulatory changes and promises of relief. Now they are being presented with the 2027 budget,” Ottley said. “If there is no meaningful allocation or concrete mechanism for GEBE relief in that budget, the government must explain why.”
Ottley said the irony is hard to ignore: the government appears eager to meet the budget submission deadline, while people continue waiting for it to meet its responsibility to provide effective regulation.
The MP is scheduled to meet with the government for a second time on September 15 to discuss the persistently high cost of living and the urgent need for meaningful relief for households and businesses.
Ottley’s previous meeting was held in November 2025 with the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication. During that meeting, he presented a draft ministerial regulation based on the Price Ordinance that sought to establish maximum prices for water, electricity, heavy fuel oil, light fuel oil and lubricants.
This time, Ottley is expected to meet with Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina. He intends to remind the government of the tools currently available and press for transparency on electricity and fuel prices within months—not another year and a half, as the government’s proposal to regulate through an LBHAM suggests.
During the upcoming meeting, Ottley said he will again highlight the Price Ordinance and the government’s authority to regulate maximum prices and profit margins where necessary.
“The people of Sint Maarten have heard enough about studies, frameworks and future intentions,” Ottley concluded. “They need to see and feel the difference in their monthly bills and daily cost of living.”