Prime Minister Mercelina pushes World Bank on long-standing delays in Trust Fund projects

WASHINGTON--Prime Minister of St. Maarten Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina is in Washington, D.C., this week to press the World Bank for urgent action to resolve prolonged delays in the execution of projects financed through the Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund. He is joined by Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs and Minister of ECYS Melissa Gumbs for critical Steering Committee meetings.

The visit follows a formal letter sent on September 4, 2025, to World Bank Managing Director of Operations Ms. Anna Bjerde, in which the Prime Minister expressed “deep concern and dissatisfaction” with the extended timelines and administrative hurdles that continue to stall recovery efforts nearly eight years after Hurricane Irma.

“While we recognize and value the World Bank’s role in managing these essential resources, the extended timelines and continued administrative hurdles have significantly hindered the delivery of much-needed results to our people,” Dr. Mercelina stated.

The Prime Minister stressed that his personal presence in Washington is intended to escalate Sint Maarten’s concerns, demand firm commitments, and secure concrete delivery timelines.

“The letter I sent earlier this month was to place our concerns formally on record. My presence here is to follow up directly, to ensure these matters receive the urgency they deserve,” he emphasized.

Among the most pressing priorities is the long-delayed Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which Dr. Mercelina described as vital for disaster preparedness and national resilience. He also underscored the importance of advancing the mental health project, noting its role in addressing an urgent and growing need for adequate care and support.

“The inability to move forward with these projects undermines public confidence in the recovery process and hampers Sint Maarten’s overall progress,” the Prime Minister declared. “Our people have waited patiently for far too long, and the continued postponement of such urgent priorities is no longer acceptable.”

Dr. Mercelina further highlighted that delays are also stalling progress on the rehabilitation of schools, school gyms, sporting facilities, and the St. Maarten Library—initiatives he stressed are crucial for both education and social development.

The Government of Sint Maarten continues to call on the World Bank, in close coordination with the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and all stakeholders, to deliver timely, tangible, and visible results for the people of Sint Maarten.

“The people of Sint Maarten deserve more than promises; they deserve results,” Prime Minister Mercelina urged.

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