PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Egbert J. Doran has called on Government to urgently restore a functioning Board of the Social Economic Council (SER), warning that the prolonged situation is obstructing Parliament’s legislative work.
Speaking during the notification round of Parliament’s meeting on Thursday, October 22, Doran said the Board had been non-functional for about six to seven months, creating a bottleneck for legislative proposals that require the Council’s advice.
He urged fellow MPs, particularly coalition members and Parliament Chair Sarah Wescot-Williams, to seek a clear update from Government on the Board’s status and the steps being taken to resolve the situation.
“This is a serious bottleneck in our process,” Doran told Parliament, expressing frustration with what he characterized as an overly relaxed response to the problem.
The SER provides advice on social and economic matters, including legislative proposals submitted for its consideration. Doran argued that leaving its Board unable to function has consequences beyond the institution itself: MPs seeking to advance legislation can find their initiatives stalled by circumstances outside their control.
Doran said concerns about the SER Board had been raised in November 2024. He questioned the lack of urgency in addressing a situation that continues to affect important legislative work.
His intervention came during the continuation of the Central Committee meeting on MP Omar Ottley’s amended initiative draft law concerning residency for children born in Sint Maarten to foreign parents.
Doran pointed to the advisory process followed by that initiative as an example of the SER’s importance. He warned that other MPs bringing forward proposals could encounter obstacles while the Board remains non-functional.
MP Ardwell Irion echoed the concern, saying the public expects Parliament to produce legislative results without necessarily knowing which institutional problems are delaying that work. He called for the Government to be held accountable and to answer for the situation.
MP Darryl York also questioned the failure to resolve the Board issue and challenged Parliament to exercise stronger oversight. He argued that submitting proposals achieves little if the institutions needed to process them cannot function.
MP Sjamira Roseburg raised a further concern about how Parliament should proceed when the advisory route is obstructed. She questioned whether a timeframe should be established and warned that leaving the matter unresolved hampers MPs’ ability to perform their duties.
For Doran, the continued absence of a functioning Board demands direct intervention rather than further delay.
He called for Government to explain the current position and demonstrate the urgency needed to restore the Council’s functioning, stressing that Parliament must be able to advance legislation in the interests of the people of Sint Maarten.