Minister Patrice Gumbs Announces Road Fund to take effect January 1, 2027

GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Patrice Gumbs, has announced that the long-awaited Road Fund is set to officially take effect on January 1, 2027, marking a major step toward improving the management and financing of road infrastructure in St. Maarten.

Minister Gumbs said the implementation of the Road Fund represents an important development for the country, particularly as it relates to ensuring that road tax revenues are used for their intended purpose.

According to the Minister, on January 23, 2026, the General Audit Chamber responded positively to the Ministry’s proposal for the implementation of the Road Fund. The Road Fund law stipulates that all road tax revenues must be directed to the fund, but this provision has never been put into effect.

Minister Gumbs pointed out that in the last year alone, more than NAf. 9 million was collected in road taxes, while only a little over Xcg 600,000 was allocated to road infrastructure. He noted that this figure does not include any capital expenditure funding.

Minister Gumbs made it clear that the Road Fund will be used strictly for road-related infrastructure. This includes roads, sidewalks, street lighting, speed bumps, and all other elements directly connected to the road network.

“With the Road Fund finally being implemented, road tax will at last go directly toward the roads,” the Minister said. “This will allow us to have funds readily available to make necessary investments far more quickly than before.”

In addition to the activation of the Road Fund, the Ministry of VROMI will also be establishing road quality standards and is examining the introduction of regular road maintenance contracts. These measures are intended to strengthen the country’s approach to road management and improve long-term infrastructure planning.

Minister Gumbs said the changes will support a more efficient and forward-looking system, allowing the Ministry to move away from reactive responses and toward a more proactive approach in addressing road infrastructure needs.

As the implementation process moves forward, the Minister said additional information will be shared with the public.

He explained that, once the Road Fund is in effect, these expenses will no longer have to be covered through the regular national budget. Instead, the Ministry of VROMI will retain the full NAf. 9 million to Xcg. 10 million collected annually in road taxes as part of its dedicated infrastructure budget.

Minister Gumbs noted that this shift would also create room within the regular budget, allowing the approximately Xcg. 600,000 previously allocated to road infrastructure from that budget line to be redirected to other ministries that also operate under tight financial constraints and have pressing needs of their own.

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