MP Peterson calls for GEBE Parliamentary Inquiry, warns against misleading motions

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Raeyhon Peterson on Monday urged Parliament to take a more honest and effective approach to addressing the crisis at NV GEBE, warning against the overuse of symbolic motions while calling for a full parliamentary inquiry into the utility company.

Peterson stressed that motions have increasingly become a “new trend” in Parliament, often presented as if they provide direct solutions when, in reality, most are unrealistic or impossible to execute. “We have to stop lying to the people by pretending that a motion is the fix,” Peterson said, underscoring that this practice risks creating false hope among consumers who are struggling with high electricity bills.

Instead of relying on motions for optics, Peterson said the time has come for Parliament to take the stronger step of launching an inquiry into GEBE’s management, governance, and financial operations. Such an inquiry, he explained, would give Parliament the ability to establish facts, hold decision-makers accountable, and recommend concrete legislative or policy actions based on findings.

“This is not the time for political grandstanding,” Peterson emphasized. “We all see the issue, we all know how deeply it is affecting our people, but we cannot keep pretending that paper motions are solutions. Parliament must step up in its oversight role and investigate GEBE properly.”

Peterson also noted that the GEBE crisis is not going away and will require long-term solutions. He said an inquiry is the most effective tool Parliament has to uncover the truth and chart a path forward, rather than relying on “quick fixes” that have no lasting impact.

“The people of Sint Maarten deserve transparency, they deserve honesty, and they deserve a Parliament that is serious about fixing this issue,” Peterson concluded. “Let us stop misleading them with motions we know cannot work and instead use the instruments available to us to truly get to the bottom of GEBE.”

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