MPs demand clearer strategy from TEATT in St. Maarten’s readiness for global shocks

GREAT BAY--Members of Parliament on Wednesday pressed Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten for a clearer response to global trade tensions and geopolitical instability, warning that St. Maarten cannot afford to wait and see as pressure builds on imports, utilities, and the cost of living. The Minister was in Parliament on Wednesday.

While MPs agreed that the risks outlined by the minister were serious, several said the presentation fell short of what Parliament and the public needed most: a concrete plan. Across the board, members wanted to know how government intends to protect St. Maarten from rising import costs, supply chain disruptions, higher fuel and electricity prices, and growing pressure on household budgets.

MP Egbert Doran said preparation must come before crisis. He noted that the meeting had been requested more than a year ago and argued that Parliament should have been engaged much earlier on what government was doing to prepare. He questioned whether TEATT has carried out any concrete assessment of how global trade tensions could affect import costs, which goods are most vulnerable to price hikes or shipping disruptions, and whether government has engaged wholesalers, retailers, shipping agents, and the Chamber of Commerce to detect early warning signs in the supply chain.

Doran also asked whether government has modeled how international pressures could affect inflation, construction materials, housing, public works, and overall living costs. He suggested creating a small economic monitoring platform with the Chamber, key businesses, and social affairs stakeholders to track developments more systematically. He further questioned whether changes in global markets could affect visitor behavior and whether the current basket of goods still reflects how households actually spend. He closed by asking what government sees as St. Maarten’s biggest economic vulnerability and what is being done now to address it.

MP Darryl York raised the issue of regional cooperation, arguing that if Caribbean islands can think more collectively about tourism, they should also think more collectively about economic resilience. He said islands across the region face many of the same vulnerabilities, including reliance on the same fuel markets and supply chains, yet still try to tackle the problem alone. York asked whether any regional conversations are taking place on how islands can better support one another during global economic shocks and what role St. Maarten could play in that process.

York also criticized the lack of direct action in the minister’s presentation. While acknowledging that the minister explained the risks and spoke about monitoring, he said the presentation never clearly stated what the St. Maarten government itself plans to do. He argued that rising fuel and utility costs are not remote possibilities but foreseeable outcomes, and said government should already be preparing relief and protection measures for the public.

MP Ardwell Irion said he was disappointed that after waiting a year for the meeting, Parliament was still left without a clear set of solutions. He said the public needed to hear what government will do, not what it may do. In his view, a meaningful response would have included practical measures such as encouraging people to buy local, supporting vulnerable sectors, or outlining targeted interventions to soften the blow from global instability.

Irion also questioned the data cited by the minister, saying Parliament and the public needed the actual figures in order to properly assess the claims made about inflation and the economy. He suggested that the inflation figure presented did not fully reflect the financial stress being felt by residents and said the government needed to do more to connect official data with the reality on the ground.

MP Dimar Labega focused on electricity costs and public preparedness. He asked whether government has consulted with NV GEBE on the possible impact of global pressures on electricity prices and warned against a situation where the public is suddenly hit with sharp increases without warning. He said government has a duty to prepare the population in advance and clearly communicate the risks they may soon face.

MP Veronica Jansen-Webster turned attention to fuel security and regional coordination. She said St. Maarten must look more closely at how it secures fuel imports and whether talks are taking place with other countries in the region on how to address these pressures. She also noted that St. Maarten’s inflation figures must be viewed in the context of its open-border economy and cross-border influences.

MP Sjamira Roseburg took a more measured view, saying the steps mentioned so far, especially on food security and collaboration, were at least movement in the right direction. Still, she made clear that more discussion and fuller answers would be needed before judging whether the response is enough.

MP Omar Ottley delivered one of the strongest interventions, linking global risks to local failures. He questioned whether goods from St. Maarten are now affected by the 10 percent U.S. baseline tariff and whether the island is already feeling the impact in construction materials, retail prices, and other imports. He also asked whether the minister would commit to presenting Parliament with a detailed strategy to protect the country from these shocks.

Ottley then turned to GEBE, referencing a February 11 article stating that the minister had ordered the utility company to submit a tariff structure within 30 days. He demanded to know what response had been received, arguing that utility costs, fuel prices, grocery bills, and other living expenses are all likely to increase and that government should already be acting instead of simply monitoring. He also challenged the use of CPI as a policy measure, arguing that wage adjustments mean little if the cost of living rises just as fast. He called for stronger consumer protection, clearer public communication, and immediate disclosure of the GEBE tariff structure to Parliament.

MP Lyndon Lewis reduced the entire debate to one core issue: what is the plan? He said the people of St. Maarten deserve a tangible strategy showing how government intends to protect both the economy and the livelihoods of the population. He also questioned whether the minister believes she has been effective on behalf of the people after nearly two years in office.

MP Francisco Lacroes echoed that sentiment, saying Parliament needed a path forward, not more possibilities. He said the presentation contained statistics and broad concerns, but not the concrete action plan members were seeking. He called for practical measures on food prices, fuel oversight, and other issues that directly affect daily life.

Before the meeting adjourned, Minister Heyliger-Marten said the long-term strategy is food security. She stated that more than a year ago she had already raised alarm over global shocks and had identified food security as the core response, arguing that food is where St. Maarten is likely to feel the greatest pain if instability deepens. She also said her ministry is in close contact with shipping companies and is setting up a communication channel with importers and shipping agents to improve monitoring and mitigation efforts.

Her response prompted MP Irion to acknowledge that this was the kind of direct answer Parliament had wanted from the start. Even so, the debate made one thing clear: MPs are not disputing the risks facing St. Maarten. Their concern is whether government is moving fast enough, clearly enough, and concretely enough to protect the people from what may come next.

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