Minister: Billions Flow Through Economy, Budget Gap Shows Value Is Slipping Away

GREAT BAY--Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten opened her Ministry’s Strategic Economic Stakeholder Consultation by challenging the country to confront what she described as a major disconnect between economic activity and public revenue, warning that the gap signals value leakage rather than a lack of commerce.

“So let me ask a simple, and uncomfortable, question: Are we truly capturing the value of the economy we already have? Because based on data from the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten, we know this much: billions of guilders flow through Sint Maarten’s economy every year. Billions move through tourism, trade, services, imports, logistics, construction, and consumption. Yet our national budget is just over 500 million guilders. That gap tells a story. Not about a lack of economic activity, but about how much value is leaking, bypassed, or unevenly captured by the system. As we like to say: the math isn’t mathing.”

The Minister said the consultation, held under the theme “Forward by Design,” is intended to move beyond discussion and into coordination and implementation, bringing stakeholders together to identify where the economic system is underperforming, where policy gaps are compounding pressure, and what reforms are required to convert activity into broader prosperity and stronger public outcomes. She thanked stakeholders for showing up despite busy schedules and fatigue with processes that do not produce results, and acknowledged the TEATT team for organizing the sessions. She also thanked partners RVO and TWO for supporting St. Maarten’s capacity to plan, reform, and execute.

Heyliger-Marten described St. Maarten as being “at a crossroads,” arguing that resilience through hurricanes, global shocks, and uncertainty has not been enough to guarantee sustainable progress. She said the country now needs growth that is intentional, inclusive, and measurable, including growth that improves quality of life, strengthens confidence, supports responsible investment, and reduces vulnerability. She emphasized that this consultation is not symbolic and should not produce “another report that sits on a shelf,” but should lead to a practical pathway for reform and delivery.

Framing the economy as an interconnected system, the Minister said failures in one area quickly spread into others, citing linkages between housing, labor, tourism performance, public revenue, public services, and trust. She urged stakeholders to engage honestly about what is working, what is not, and what must change, and warned against siloed decision-making that undermines national progress.

During the sessions, the Minister said participants will examine St. Maarten’s positioning in a changing global economy as a Small Island Developing State, while addressing modernization and diversification priorities across several “economic lanes.” These include the Blue Economy, linked to maritime strengths such as yachting, cruise, port-related services, marine development, and enabling policy; the Green Economy, focused on sustainability and reducing dependence by strengthening local capacity; the Orange Economy, described as creativity as industry, including culture, music, film, events, craft, and culinary arts supported by structures that turn talent into income; and innovation and technology, referenced as the Purple Economy, including cybersecurity, AI, and digital development to support modernization and competitiveness.

The Minister placed fiscal reform at the center of the national agenda, arguing that the scale of economic activity compared to the size of the national budget requires a clear focus on leakage and uneven value capture. She said a stronger, fairer, modern revenue system is essential to fund services, strengthen resilience, and support residents and businesses. Beyond revenue, she said St. Maarten must align policy and execution across labor, education, health, housing, competition, fair trade, and transportation, stressing that stable foundations are needed for investment to stick and for development to last.

Closing her opening address, Heyliger-Marten called for a higher standard of participation, urging stakeholders to speak from experience, listen to understand, and contribute with the wider national picture in mind. She said the consultation will feed into a Strategic Economic Development Plan intended to be actionable and implementation-focused, with outcomes that remain useful as a roadmap for the country, regardless of who holds office.

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