Heyliger-Marten to Lacroes: "Good, because I have alot to say too"

GREAT BAY--Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger-Marten on Tuesday said she is ready to discuss the broader questions of St. Maarten public transportation in public with MP Francisco Lacroes and that she remains committed to modernizing the sector through transparent reform anchored in fairness, and proper oversight.

The Minister directed her comments to Lacroes after he made comments in Parliament on Tuesday. He said: "Please note that Between this week and next week, a letter will go out Inviting the Minister to finally, let's finalize this talk about a taxi in the bus permits, because I have a lot to say."

The comments were made during the Parliamentary Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication meeting on Tuesday, representatives of SXM Taxi App. In response, Minister Heyliger-Marten said "Good, because I have allot to say as well."

Lacroes for his part on Tuesday described himself as the MP with whom taxis are linked the most on St. Maarten, a quip that indirectly refer to public speculation following the publication of the report from SOAB and the Integrity Chamber about public transportation.

An investigation by the Integrity Chamber of St. Maarten has uncovered evidence of administrative misconduct, interference, and systemic integrity failures inside the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) surrounding the issuance of public transportation (PT- bus and taxi) licenses in 2023.

The report paints a picture of a licensing process corrupted by arbitrary decision-making, circumvention of laws, and direct interference by former Minister Arthur Lambriex and his cabinet, all occurring just months before Parliamentary elections in January 2024. The Chamber reports that the aforementioned “circumvented the standard process” and “directly involved themselves” in issuing licenses.

While the investigation stops short of confirming criminal acts such as bribery or vote-buying, the Chamber explicitly warns that “the lack of checks-and-balances and administrative controls makes it likely that these misconducts, and others, occurred.” Heyliger-Marten received the report to review earlier this year.

On February 26, 2025 in her reply to the Chamber after reviewing the report, she noted that the report, from the Ministry's perspective, "puts insufficient emphasis on the fact that the Minister (Lambriex) blatantly ignored/bypassed management on all levels."“The Ministry of TEATT acknowledges the findings presented in both the Integrity Chamber and SOAB reports regarding the issuance of bus and taxi licenses,” said Minister Heyliger-Marten. “These reports have been taken seriously and are actively guiding our internal deliberations as we work toward a comprehensive, multi-level reform of the public transportation licensing framework.”

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