Digital Government Transformation Project marks 2025 milestones, sets stage for service delivery 2026

GREAT BAY--The Digital Government Transformation Project (DGTP), led by the Digital Leadership Team (DLT) under Interim Head of Information and Communication Technology Fehmi Badejo, closed 2025 with a full year of coordinated milestones that moved the country’s digital agenda from planning into implementation, while laying the groundwork for major public-facing improvements in 2026.

Prime Minister Dr. Luc F. E. Mercelina said the past year reflected a shift in the pace and seriousness of government modernization. “Over the past year, digital transformation has moved from aspiration to action within this government,” the Prime Minister stated. He explained that, although he does not come from a technical background, his training in medicine reinforces why digital systems matter in practice. “But medicine teaches one essential lesson: systems matter,” he said, adding that government outcomes, like health outcomes, depend on how well institutions connect, how information flows, and how services are delivered when people need them.

The DLT’s 2025 year in review reflects a year that began with ministerial commitment and intensified stakeholder engagement. In January, the project was positioned as a national priority, followed by February stakeholder sessions that reinforced the importance of digital literacy alongside continued cybersecurity training for civil servants. By March, the push toward paperless government advanced through ongoing archival work at Government’s Records and Information Management Department (DIV), while April marked the completion of firewall upgrades aimed at strengthening cybersecurity readiness.

Momentum continued in May with full support reaffirmed through the NRPB and the St. Maarten Trust Fund, reinforcing the institutional backing for the DGTP’s execution. In June, the project broadened its public engagement through the launch of street interview recordings designed to highlight citizen experiences at public services. July brought a strategic governance milestone as the Digital Leadership Team presented project milestones and target goals to the Council of Ministers and Secretary Generals, anchoring the transformation program within the highest levels of government coordination.

In August, the launch of the e-VROMI Geographic Information System was highlighted as a step that will strengthen National Address Management and improve service delivery. September marked the completion of the design of a digital ID system, with the Prime Minister reaffirming his commitment to advancing St. Maarten through digital transformation. October featured workshops for civil servants that generated critical insights and feedback to guide implementation, while November emphasized the importance of strategic media campaigns to keep the public informed through regular project updates. The year concluded in December with the completion of the legislation drafting process for the digital ID ecosystem, including e-signature, Single Sign-On (SSO), interoperability, and enterprise architecture frameworks.

In his year-end message, the Prime Minister emphasized that the work underway is meant to strengthen how government functions as a whole, with services that are secure, coordinated, and designed around the public. He noted that real progress is already visible through the implementation of a government-wide address system and the ongoing work to unify address data across institutions, replacing fragmented records with a single reliable reference that supports coordination, service delivery, and emergency response. He also pointed to the replacement of outdated cybersecurity infrastructure with next-generation systems, continued cybersecurity training for civil servants, and the conversion of critical paper archives into secure digital records to reduce dependence on fragile physical files and improve access to information.

The Prime Minister further indicated that government connectivity has been upgraded, moving away from an outdated microwave-based system to faster, more secure, and more stable fiber-optic connectivity. He said 2026 will shift further into delivery, with initiatives expected to directly improve how citizens interact with government, including an online feedback and complaints mechanism through the Public Service Center, the rollout of a digital identification ecosystem with secure sign-on and e-signature capabilities, and continued upgrades to the look and feel of public service centers.

Looking ahead, government also plans to strengthen the laws and policies that support digital identification, secure information sharing, and interoperability across institutions, while maintaining a focus on cybersecurity, data protection, privacy, and open data as pillars for transparency and public trust. The Prime Minister stressed that the year’s progress was built through sustained coordination and careful sequencing across institutions, and he expressed appreciation to the public servants and partners contributing to the work.

The Digital Government Transformation Project is funded by the St. Maarten Trust Fund, financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB.

Photo caption: DGTP team leader and Interim Head of Information and Communication Technology Fehmi Badejo (right) with SGTP team meber Fabiana Arnell.

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