TEATT minister says investigation must protect consumers, with fuel procurement, tariff transparency and possible renewable-energy reforms under scrutiny
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten intends to ask BTP which verified findings from an earlier electricity tariff evaluation can support corrective action before the regulator completes its wider investigation into GEBE’s costs and charges.
Presenting her ministry’s draft 2027 budget, Heyliger-Marten said further findings and recommendations were anticipated in November 2026, subject to completion of the necessary verification.
Her presentation stopped short of announcing an approved tariff reduction or a date when consumers would receive lower bills. However, she acknowledged that some corrections may be possible without waiting for every aspect of the investigation to conclude.
“We should not delay what can responsibly be corrected today,” she told Parliament, while cautioning that changes must be assessed for their legal, financial and consumer implications.
Consumer protection must guide the investigation
Heyliger-Marten said the examination was initiated with the Minister of VROMI to establish the actual cost of electricity, determine which expenses are justified and assess whether consumers are being charged fairly.
“This process is not about protecting GEBE, SOL, or any particular commercial interest,” she said. “It is about protecting the consumers of St. Maarten.”
The minister acknowledged correspondence from Parliament Chair Sarah Wescot-Williams, acting in her capacity as an MP, concerning issues raised by an earlier tariff evaluation.
Those questions include electricity fuel costs, the allocation of costs to water production, a reported fuel-cost surplus, tariff transparency, access to GEBE’s financial information, fuel procurement costs and the port throughput fee.
Heyliger-Marten described the concerns as legitimate and promised a substantive written response following consultation with BTP and the relevant authorities.
Her reference to a reported surplus was not a final finding that GEBE owes consumers a particular amount.
Which recommendations can be implemented now?
The minister said she would request a clear distinction between findings already verified, measures that could be implemented in the interim, and matters requiring further information or a formal regulatory decision.
That distinction is significant for households and businesses continuing to pay electricity bills while the investigation proceeds.
The presentation did not identify which specific recommendation has already met the threshold for implementation. Nor did it quantify the relief that any correction might produce.
“The objective is not simply to produce another report,” Heyliger-Marten said. “It is to translate verified findings into meaningful and sustainable consumer relief where possible.”
Fuel storage and procurement also under consideration
Beyond tariffs, the minister called for examination of the underlying costs of generation.
She identified more competitive fuel procurement and improved supply security as priorities, including whether greater control over fuel storage and pipeline infrastructure could benefit GEBE and its customers.
Any investment would require a proper feasibility assessment, she stressed.
The presentation did not announce an acquisition, a new fuel-supply contract or an approved infrastructure purchase.
Heyliger-Marten also advocated assessing utility-scale solar generation, battery storage and the grid improvements needed to reduce dependence on imported fuel.
Net metering, prepaid electricity and targeted protection
The minister reiterated support for a fair net-metering framework that would allow households, businesses and eligible institutions to generate renewable electricity and receive appropriate credit for surplus energy supplied to the grid.
She also proposed exploring targeted protection for vulnerable households and seniors, alongside suitable arrangements for schools and farmers.
Optional prepaid electricity deserves consideration with adequate safeguards, she said.
These remain policy directions for assessment rather than benefits the presentation established as immediately available.
Heyliger-Marten clarified that she was speaking from TEATT’s economic affairs, price-regulation and consumer-protection responsibilities, rather than as GEBE’s shareholder representative or company management.
For consumers, the immediate test is whether November’s anticipated findings identify actionable corrections—and whether government then explains what will change, when it will change and how those changes will affect bills.
“We must address not only what our people are paying,” the minister said, “but why they are paying it.”