PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr. has outlined a proposed road and infrastructure programme approaching nine million guilders for 2027, while confirming that the full implementation of the road fund has been delayed again because of competing financial demands.
Speaking at the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, October 21, Gumbs said the upcoming budget provides approximately five million guilders for infrastructure works. An additional four million guilders in anticipated capital expenditure would bring the proposed programme to approximately nine million, subject to budget approval.
Gumbs described the five-million-guilder allocation as the largest for roads since Sint Maarten attained country status on October 10, 2010. The minister made that comparison but did not provide a historical breakdown during the briefing.
“This year, I had 650,000 guilders. Next year, I have 5 million,” he said, referring to the infrastructure allocation in the national budget.
However, the minister acknowledged that the government has not yet delivered the full road fund arrangement previously envisaged.
He said a significant portion of road tax revenue goes to the fund, but the Ministry of Finance requested another delay in fully implementing it because of pressing financial issues. Gumbs indicated that a possible amendment to the 2027 budget could help secure the fund’s full implementation or legal establishment.
The proposed spending will target road resurfacing, hard surfacing, erosion, collapsed road sections and supporting structures. Road signs, barricades and road markings are also priorities.
Gumbs said limited funding and longstanding unpaid bills had constrained the ministry’s ability to address even relatively straightforward improvements.
He also acknowledged another obstacle: limited asphalt capacity.
According to the minister, the government competes with airport works for access to the island’s main asphalt supplier. Planned road repairs in the coming weeks overlap with airport asphalt work, requiring coordination of schedules.
VROMI intends to carry out maintenance ahead of the busiest tourism period where possible. Gumbs said cruise projections and police communications point to a busy season, making disruptive roadworks particularly difficult.
For motorists accustomed to watching painted circles around potholes disappear before repairs arrive, the proposed funding offers the prospect of a larger intervention. Its practical impact will depend on approval, procurement, contractor availability and the ministry’s ability to execute the programme.