Committee of General Affairs examines Country Package Implementation and Financial Overview

GREAT BAY--The Committee of General Affairs of Parliament met on Friday to receive a update from Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and his team on the Country Reform Package, a sweeping program of structural reforms agreed between the Governments of St. Maarten and the Netherlands. The meeting was requested by Member of Parliament Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, who urged Parliament to look beyond reports and presentations and to evaluate whether the Country Package is delivering tangible, measurable progress that aligns with the Government’s declared priorities.

In her opening statement, MP Wescot-Williams reminded the Committee that her request for this meeting dates back to April 22, 2025, when she asked for a transparent accounting of the country’s reform agenda. “When I wrote the request, I expressed concern that while the reports were visually improved, they lacked the clarity and transparency necessary to understand where projects stand, what challenges exist, and what financial implications each carries,” she said.

She explained that her request was not only for a presentation but for detailed position statements from each responsible ministry on the thematic areas of the Country Package. These include: poverty alleviation, tax reform, labour market and immigration, sustainable economic development, alternative energy, universal healthcare, climate and environment, and inspections and administrative enforcement.

Referencing a recent conversation with the Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, she noted that the Netherlands had urged Sint Maarten to establish “clear priorities” within the framework of the Country Package. “Given where we are today, I would like to know what those priorities are for this government,” she said, adding that the Parliament’s role was not to repeat reports but to evaluate alignment between commitments and execution.

Prime Minister Mercelina: “These are not

administrative projects, but structural reforms”

Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina opened the government’s presentation by providing context and reaffirming the importance of the reform process. Joined by representatives from the Temporary Work Organization (TWO), the Prime Minister underscored that the Country Package is a long-term instrument of national strengthening rather than a short-term relief mechanism.

He began by revisiting the origins of the Country Package, tracing its roots to the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017) and the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which placed St. Maarten under extreme fiscal pressure. “By 2020, our debt ratio was reaching unsustainable levels,” he said. “The country needed support to avoid severe financial and social fallout, and in exchange for financial assistance, we committed to a package of reforms designed to stabilize and modernize our systems.”

Mercelina explained that the reforms are institutional, not political, and aim to “build a transparent, accountable, and service-oriented government.” These include modernizing laws and administrative processes, digitalizing government functions, improving public finance, and strengthening the foundations of economic resilience.

He pointed to concrete results, such as the revamping of the government’s IT department, which now includes permanent technical staff, a service request system, and a structured software licensing policy. “This is a major shift in how we manage internal operations,” he said. “It’s a small step toward a much larger goal; to build a digital government that is efficient and responsive.”

The Prime Minister also distinguished between the World Bank Trust Fund, which deals primarily with reconstruction, and the Country Package, which is focused on structural reform. “One is about rebuilding, the other about redesigning,” he explained.

Mercelina concluded his remarks by highlighting that the Country Package is set to be evaluated in April 2026, with the current framework running until April 2027. “This evaluation will guide our next phase of reform,” he said, “ensuring that Sint Maarten continues on a path of accountability, modernization, and sustainability.”

Angelique Gumbs: A detailed breakdown

of structure, implementation, and spending

Following the Prime Minister’s introduction, Angelique Gumbs, Head of the Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK), delivered an extensive technical presentation on the structure, functioning, and progress of the Country Package.

She began by outlining the legal basis of the Country Package under the Mutual Arrangement for Cooperation on Reforms (the Onderlinge Regeling), which sets out the objectives, governance model, implementation methods, and reporting requirements agreed between Sint Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao, and the Netherlands. “Each country has its own country package,” she explained. “They are similar in structure but tailored to the specific needs of each country.”

The Sint Maarten Country Package is organized into six key themes, each with its own measures, projects, and targets:

1. Financial Management – focusing on budgeting, accounting systems, and expenditure control.

2. Cost and Effectiveness of the Public Sector – addressing the public wage bill and administrative streamlining.

3. Taxation – targeting improved compliance, collection efficiency, and reform of outdated fiscal systems.

4. Economy – enhancing business resilience, promoting entrepreneurship, and reducing bottlenecks to investment.

5. Healthcare and Social Systems – building a sustainable social safety net and improving access to healthcare.

6. Rule of Law – strengthening institutions that underpin governance and justice.

Gumbs emphasized that the Country Package is not a recovery plan, but a structural reform agenda. “Its measures are long-term interventions meant to strengthen institutions and build capacity, not temporary fixes,” she said.

Implementation Structure

She explained that implementation is managed through the Secretaries-General Platform, supported by BAK as secretariat and coordination point. Ministries submit Plans of Approach, which define project objectives, timelines, outcomes, and financial requirements. These plans are developed collaboratively with the Temporary Work Organization (TWO), which provides technical assistance, evaluates proposals, and processes funding requests.

“All plans of approach include a financial paragraph,” Gumbs noted. “These funds are grants, not loans, from the Netherlands.”

Monitoring and Evaluation

Progress is monitored through Implementation Agendas, approved by the Council of Ministers and reviewed semi-annually. Reports are generated every six months and include key milestones, challenges, and budget use. Each ministry remains responsible for execution, with its Secretary-General accountable for management and reporting.

An independent Evaluation Committee has been established to assess the effectiveness of the program. It includes representatives from each country, among them Mr. Franklin Richards for St. Maarten. The committee will contract an independent agency to conduct research and deliver its findings by April 2026, a year before the Country Package concludes.

Key Projects and Financial Overview

Gumbs detailed several ongoing and completed projects, highlighting their scope and impact:

• Future of Finance Project (€2.3 million) – modernizing financial systems through digital integration, policy-based budgeting, e-procurement, and enhanced fiscal transparency.

• MSME Education Program – executed by the St. Maarten Entrepreneurship Development Center to train entrepreneurs and strengthen small business capacity over a three-year period.

• Economic Development Project – legislative reforms and modernization of the business framework, including digitalization of business licensing procedures.

• Healthcare Projects – focused on digital patient records, social security strengthening, and non-communicable disease (NCD) awareness.

• ASYCUDA Customs System – the digital platform for customs management, which has been funded and is pending purchase following the 2025 budget amendment.

• Gambling Regulation Project – completed studies on gambling addiction and online gaming, with a feasibility study for a Gambling Authority now underway.

In 2024 alone, over €5.4 million was spent across Country Package measures, including €700,000 for digitalization of government systems, €447,000 for healthcare and mental health programs, €261,000 for early childhood education curriculum development, and €900,000 for legal support under various reforms.

“These projects represent investments in the country’s institutional capacity,” Gumbs concluded. “They are about building systems that last.”

MPs demand documents,

transparency, and results

MP Wescot-Williams thanked the Prime Minister and BAK for the comprehensive overview but called for stronger parliamentary oversight and accountability. “I am happy that we finally have some financial insight, but we must move from framework to outcome,” she said. She also questioned the country’s pace in certain reform areas, such as tax reform and corporate governance, and asked why Sint Maarten is not further along given the time elapsed since joining the reform process in 2020.

She requested copies of the gambling addiction reports, economic development studies, and a quantitative assessment of St. Maarten’s implementation progress. “If the country package was meant to achieve specific objectives, where are we percentage-wise in meeting them?” she asked.

MP Veronica Jansen-Webster supported the call for documentation, saying, “There were many studies and consultancies funded, we need to see all the documents to ensure they are not just shelf reports. If we have spent this much preparing, we must see an execution path.” She also inquired about agricultural funding opportunities and asked how local farmers and entrepreneurs could access them.

Responding to the MPs, Prime Minister Mercelina agreed that the information requested, particularly the reports and supporting documentation, was extensive and would require time to compile. He committed to providing a comprehensive written report with all answers and attachments by November 21, 2025.

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