Persons who spoke with SMN News say a local contractor (Fleming Waste Solutions) was removed from the landfill schedule without a written explanation, workers lost their jobs, and a relatively modest repair was left unresolved while another contractor took over.
PHILIPSBURG:--- SMN News went to the landfill and spoke to several persons who explained the situation, describing concerns over the removal of a local contractor, outstanding payments, idle government equipment and unanswered requests for dialogue.
Their accounts raise questions about how government is managing landfill operations, maintaining its machinery and treating local businesses whose workers depend on public contracts.
According to those interviewed, the contractor had provided services at the landfill for approximately five years before being taken off the work schedule on July 10. They said they received no written explanation for why the arrangement ended.
Whether the decision involved spending cuts, performance concerns or a change in operational policy, they maintained that government should have communicated its reasons.
Requests for answers Go Unanswered
People familiar with the dispute said emails and telephone calls seeking clarification went unanswered. They described attempts to obtain responses from the Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr., and the ministry’s secretary-general and departmental leadership. They also said a request for a meeting with the Council of Ministers was denied.
The concern, they explained, goes beyond losing an assignment. A company that had supplied services for years was left without a clear explanation of the decision or a meaningful opportunity to discuss its consequences.
Those consequences reportedly included downsizing and dismissing workers who had operated government equipment at the landfill.
For the affected workers, the dispute has meant lost employment. For the contractor, it has meant reduced operations while payment claims remain unresolved.
A Sensor Repair Versus Replacement Services
One of the central issues raised during the visit concerned a government-owned loader (compactor) that reportedly needed a replacement sensor.
According to the account provided to SMN News, the sensor itself would cost approximately Cg. 1,000, while the complete repair—including programming, removal and installation—was estimated at approximately Cg. 3,000.
Those interviewed alleged that a purchase order associated with the repair was withdrawn and that the machine remained out of service while government engaged another contractor to undertake work previously performed under the earlier arrangement.
The estimate has not been independently verified. Nevertheless, the account raises a straightforward question: what assessment did government make of the cost of repairing its own equipment compared with the cost of obtaining replacement services?
Without the repair records, purchase-order documentation and the terms of the new arrangement, the financial implications cannot be established.
Outstanding Payments Remain Disputed
Persons familiar with the contractor’s accounts also challenged a statement reportedly made by the minister in Parliament that all outstanding payments had been settled.
They maintained that a substantial portion of payments for services provided between January and July remained outstanding, including work carried out before the contractor was removed from the schedule.
No exact unpaid balance was provided in the material supplied to SMN News.
The payment dispute is reportedly the subject of court proceedings. The existence of that dispute does not establish what amount government owes, but it makes clarity over invoices, payments and the periods covered essential.
If the parliamentary statement referred only to particular invoices or an earlier period, that distinction needs to be explained.
Concerns Over Conditions at the Landfill
During the visit, persons who spoke with SMN News expressed concern about garbage accumulation and the effectiveness of the current working arrangement.
They questioned why government machinery was reportedly being left idle while another contractor was brought in to perform the work.
These concerns require an operational explanation: which machines are available, which require repairs, what work is being performed, and how the government measures whether the landfill is managed effectively.
New Garbage Scale Reportedly Not Operational
Persons who spoke with SMN News also reported that the new scale installed to weigh garbage brought to the landfill is not being maintained and is currently non-operational.
The reported failure raises further questions about equipment upkeep and how the landfill records incoming waste. Without a functioning scale, the landfill cannot accurately measure the weight of garbage received.
Government needs to explain how long the scale has been out of service, who is responsible for its maintenance, what arrangements are being used to record incoming waste, and when it will be restored to operation.
Government Must Explain Its Decisions
The accounts provided to SMN News reflect serious dissatisfaction with how the dispute has been handled. They do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing or prove that the minister acted out of personal hostility.
They do, however, identify matters that warrant a clear government response.
Why was the contractor removed from the schedule? Was a written explanation issued? What payments remain disputed? Why was the loader repair reportedly halted? What does the replacement arrangement cost?
The material available for this article included no government response to these specific allegations.
Public funds, local employment, and the management of an essential public facility are at stake. Clear records and direct answers are needed to establish what happened—and whether the decisions taken served Sint Maarten’s interests.