Ortega delves into Kadaster, Govt, path toward historic commitment

GREAT BAY--A quiet but significant shift is taking place in how St. Maarten will manage its land, infrastructure, and spatial data. Kadaster St. Maarten, the Ministry of VROMI, and the Ministry of Finance are moving toward the country’s first-ever strategic commitment to formalize cooperation in an area that touches nearly every sector of national life.

The agreement, which could take the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a national decree, or a working arrangement, is expected to create a clear framework for how Government and Kadaster work together. It is more than administrative tidying. Officials say it will bring long-needed efficiency, transparency, and accountability to land allocation, infrastructure projects, and spatial planning.

Benjamin Ortega, Managing Director of Kadaster, explained that the urgency for such a framework is already evident in projects that have been hampered by the absence of a formal structure. The Address Management Solution Project, involving VROMI, ICT, GIS4C, and Kadaster, has struggled to integrate parcel and registry data. Infrastructure projects, too, have suffered from gaps in data sharing. The Cables and Lines Information Center (CLIC), which reduces risks during excavation by providing real-time underground utility information, is one of the systems that stands to benefit immediately.

At the heart of the reform is a long-standing problem: multiple versions of base maps in circulation, with no single authority. In the past, Kadaster sold base maps, sometimes including parcel boundaries, but once those left its office they became outdated. “With the new GIS platform, that practice will be a thing of the past,” Ortega said. “Everyone connected will receive the same updated information Kadaster has stored. It becomes the single source of truth.”

Transparency in domain affairs is another promised benefit. Ortega acknowledged public frustration with fairness in land allocation. The new framework, he said, will provide clear processes that can be monitored and verified. “Without agreements in place, it is at the discretion of entities to handle matters as they see fit. With agreements, the bigger picture of fairness and accountability becomes the focus.”

The agreement will include mechanisms to ensure that the improvements promised are actually delivered. Clear processes and monitoring tools will track turnaround times, reduce complaints, and allow client satisfaction to become a measure of success.

For Ortega, the greatest risk lies not in moving forward but in standing still. “Without the framework, delays, errors, and unclear responsibilities continue, eroding public trust. That is far more detrimental to the economy than the challenges of building the system.” If integration fails, he said, the fallback is fragmented systems and a slide back into inefficiency, an outcome neither Kadaster nor Government is willing to accept.

The framework is also designed to secure St. Maarten’s long-term resilience. By combining data from multiple sources in the GIS platform, Government will be able to make better evidence-based decisions about hillside development, disaster readiness, climate change adaptation, and sustainable growth. Citizens, Ortega added, will benefit directly through more transparent processes, easier access to information, and confidence that their voices can shape land and infrastructure decisions.

Both Kadaster and Government recognize that capacity building is central. Staff exchanges, internships, and joint training will deepen institutional knowledge. Kadaster has benchmarked job descriptions, functions, and benefits to remain competitive, while also focusing on succession planning. “As our work environment grows, so will our services, and so will our staff,” Ortega said. The aim is to prevent brain drain by offering real career growth.

For the Ministry of VROMI, the agreement marks a step toward better service and stronger planning. Minister Patrice Gumbs called it “a move toward a single source of quality information and an enhancement of public service,” adding that integrated systems will not only improve permitting and project management but also enable rapid government response to critical infrastructure and enforcement needs.

Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs emphasized the investment aspect. “By aligning Government and Kadaster under one clear framework, we create stronger financial oversight, greater transparency, and a foundation that supports innovation, resilience, and long-term prosperity,” she said.

Kadaster itself has recently reached an important milestone: becoming officially “GIS Ready” with the deployment of its in-house Geographic Information System. The platform provides a secure environment to share and protect spatial data across Government, strengthening accuracy, accountability, and innovation.

With the signing of the agreement expected soon, Ortega, the ministers, and their teams say the move is about laying a foundation not just for current projects but for decades to come. For the first time, St. Maarten will have a strategic framework to ensure efficiency, transparency, and continuity in the stewardship of its most vital assets: land, infrastructure, and spatial data.