SINT MAARTEN/THE HAGUE - Prime Minister Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina has formally submitted a request to the Government of the Netherlands seeking support to address longstanding challenges within Sint Maarten’s police facilities.

The request directed to the State Secretary of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Mr. Eddie van Marum, emphasizes the importance of improving the infrastructure to ensure public safety, effective policing, and adherence to human rights standards across the Kingdom.

In his correspondence, the Prime Minister noted that Sint Maarten’s police facilities have faced systemic issues for many years, with deficiencies that pre-date both Hurricane Irma and the country’s constitutional transition in 2010.

“Sint Maarten’s police facilities are not designed or equipped in a manner that allows KPSM to fully meet its responsibilities under national and International law,” Prime Minister Dr. Mercelina stated, “Addressing these long-standing infrastructural shortcomings is essential to strengthening public safety and ensuring compliance with applicable human rights standards.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged the significant support previously provided by the Netherlands, particularly following Hurricane Irma, when repairs and improvements were financed through the Trust Fund and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations.

Despite these efforts, the progress reports associated with the Plan of Approach for the police and detention sectors continue to highlight substantial challenges.

“Fifteen years of monitoring through the Plan of approach process shows that although steps have been taken, key issues persist,” PM Dr. Mercelina noted.

“The most recent progress report again highlights concerns about KPSM’s ability to attract and retain personnel and to operate sustainably under the current conditions.”

A critical part of the Government’s request concerns the condition of the main police station, which is significantly affected by leaks, mold, and structural deterioration. These issues have also raised compliance concerns under national labor law and European human rights standards.

The temporary holding cells at the station—linked directly to requirements under the Plan of Approach—have been the subject of repeated concerns by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Ongoing repairs funded by the Netherlands are progressing, but independent engineering assessments have indicated that much larger investments will be required to bring the entire police station to an acceptable standard.

“Recent engineering assessments estimate that roughly USD 6.5 million would be needed to address the holding cells and the full building,” the Prime Minister explained.

“Given these figures, it is reasonable to assess whether constructing a new police station may be a more effective long-term solution.”

The Government of Sint Maarten expressed appreciation for the strong cooperation with the Netherlands, particularly the positive developments in the detention sector where construction of a new prison is expected to begin soon.

“Our joint work in the detention sector demonstrates that sustained collaboration yields tangible results,” PM Dr. Mercelina noted.

“We look forward to continuing this constructive approach as we consider solutions for the police facilities.”

“This is a Kingdom matter, and with shared responsibility comes shared action. Sint Maarten stands ready to work closely with the Netherlands on a sustainable and meaningful solution,” he concluded.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah A. Wescot-Williams has submitted new correspondence to government regarding the legal basis and current method of tariff setting for utilities provider NV GEBE.

Her latest questions were directed to either the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) or the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure (VROMI), given the overlapping references in legislation concerning price-setting authority and the Electricity Ordinance.  

MP Wescot-Williams explained that her inquiries focus on identifying which minister is legally responsible for establishing electricity tariffs under the law, and whether the required national decree (LBHAM) governing those tariffs exists.

She emphasized that the concession law for GEBE explicitly refers to tariffs, and does not exclude the fuel clause, meaning that the fuel clause charged to consumers may also need to be set by government decree.

“I want to ensure that I get a solid grasp of this matter in terms of the existence of the decree establishing all tariffs for GEBE, including the fuel clause. If no such decree exists, then I want to know how these tariffs are currently charged,” she stated.  

The MP has requested that her questions be answered in a public Question Hour of Parliament, underscoring the importance of transparency in utility pricing.

In earlier correspondence, MP Wescot-Williams sought clarification from the Prime Minister on the concept of a social tariff for GEBE customers. She referenced the concession law, which allows government to deviate from established tariffs on social grounds to be established by law. 

However, she noted that if government sets tariffs below GEBE’s production cost, the law requires that government compensate the company for the difference.

In connection to this, she reiterated a previous suggestion that such compensation could be funded through the concession fee paid by GEBE, which is itself part of the company’s operational expenses.

Once government provides full clarity on:

• the most recent decrees establishing tariffs,
• the legal basis for the fuel clause, and
• the position on social tariffs,

MP Wescot-Williams intends to table a draft amendment to the electricity concession law.

 This amendment would establish a structural, legal basis for social tariffs, including:

• lower tariffs for vulnerable households,
• special categories for social institutions such as schools, and
• guidelines for how government compensation to GEBE should be structured.  

She reiterated the urgency of addressing the matter:

“I hope that the Question Hour can be scheduled before year’s end so we can move toward a structural basis for government-set tariff categories, including social institutions and residents who are most in need.”  

MP Wescot-Williams awaits:

• the Prime Minister’s response regarding social tariffs, and
• the responsible minister’s explanation of the legal establishment of current tariffs, including the fuel clause.

Following these responses, she is prepared to proceed with the draft amendment.   

“Concluding her statement, the MP reaffirmed that lasting, structural amendments to existing laws can only be achieved through close cooperation with the government—hence her ongoing engagement with the responsible ministries.”

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of Justice is currently holding an emergency crisis meeting with the leadership of the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) in direct response to the critical situation at the Pointe Blanche Prison, where a fire broke out earlier today, Wednesday, May 14 within the facility.

Emergency units from the Fire Department, Ambulance Services, KPSM, VKS (Voluntary Corps), and the Koninklijke Marechaussee were deployed and successfully restored order and ensured the safety of all involved by 6:00 pm.

Initial reports indicate that there were three minor non-threatening injuries, which were treated on site. All prisoners are safe and accounted for.

The Minister of Justice Nathalie TackIing visited the prison and has officially requested military support to further secure the prison and maintain order.

“This is a serious threat, and we are acting with full force and urgency to secure the safety of the public at large. The safety of the public, prison staff, and detainees remains our top priority.

“We will not tolerate lawlessness, and we are taking all necessary measures to maintain control and uphold the rule of law. I commend all emergency units for their swift response and diligence, and for ensuring that all prison staff and prisoners were safe,” the Minister of Justice Tackling said on Wednesday evening.

The Ministry of Justice will provide further updates as verified information becomes available.

SINT MAARTEN (POND ISLAND) - TelEm Group technicians are actively working to restore the company’s mobile voice and data networks following a system crash early Thursday afternoon.

At approximately 12:45 p.m on Thursday, March 27, 2025, an alarm was raised when a node located in the Smitcoms building, Harbour View, stopped operating. The issue was traced to a faulty card, causing service interruptions for business customers and mobile radio users.

To restore services as quickly as possible, TelEm Group engineers and technicians to an alternative network path.

As of 7:00 PM, LTE voice and data services have been restored, and technicians are diligently working to fully restore all remaining networks. Full service is expected to be restored by midnight, March 27, 2025.

TelEm Group sincerely apologizes to our business and residential customers for any inconvenience caused by today’s outage and service interruption.

We are actively working on both short-term and long-term solutions to address these issues and improve overall service reliability.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to enhance our network infrastructure.

For further updates, please stay tuned to our official communication channels.