The Governor spoke, but much of government's agenda still unfulfilled

GREAT BAY--As the new parliamentary year approaches in September 2025, it is time to assess how far the governing coalition has come since Governor Ajamu Baly laid out the government's agenda (as presented to him) at the start of the 2024–2025 session.

Each year, the Governor opens the parliamentary calendar with a formal address on behalf of the government, outlining the administration’s legislative priorities, strategic goals, and development plans. This constitutional tradition reinforces democratic accountability and provides Parliament and the public with a roadmap for the year ahead. The parliamentary year in Sint Maarten traditionally begins on the second Tuesday of September each year, in accordance with Article 46 of the Constitution of Sint Maarten .

Now, nearly one year later, how much of that vision has materialized? The following are focus points specifically mentioned by the Governor in his address to Parliament at the opening of Parliament in September 2024.

𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲

Governor Baly described strong post-pandemic economic momentum. Since then, Sint Maarten’s real GDP growth has slowed modestly to 3.5% in 2024 from 3.8% in 2023, reflecting the wind-down of major public infrastructure projects. Inflation rose from 2.1% to 3.6%, mainly due to import growth outpacing exports despite strong tourism activity.

The Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) projects 2.6% economic growth in 2025, supported by investments in utilities, port infrastructure, a new prison, and mental health facilities. However, net foreign demand is expected to shrink further due to high import dependency.

The fiscal picture is mixed. After achieving a 0.6% budget surplus in 2023, the government posted a 0.2% deficit in 2024, mainly due to rising public sector wages and service expenditures. A return to surplus is forecast for 2025, fueled by improved tax collection. Public debt rose to 44.2% of GDP following a NAf 132 million bond issuance but is projected to ease slightly in 2025.

Meanwhile, air and sea arrivals continue to rebound. Princess Juliana International Airport recorded a 10.8% increase in arriving passengers in Q1 2025, totaling 256,923. For the full year, 1.8 million passenger movements are expected. Port St. Maarten reported an 11.2% increase in cruise arrivals for the first five months of the year, a strong showing during the traditional high season.

At this stage, there is no recent official data on employment or unemployment rates, consumer spending or retail sales, or new business registrations, making it difficult to use these as indicators of economic recovery.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴.

𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 & 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦

The Governor called for reforms to streamline business licensing and overhaul the tax system. Since then, the government has taken steps to digitize licensing and centralize permitting through the Ministry of TEATT. While progress has been made on incubator planning and digital transformation, a comprehensive tax revision/reform has yet to be realised. The Ministry of Finance has multiple initiatives underway, but tangible outcomes are still in the early stages.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The long-delayed Philipsburg Marketplace reconstruction is finally moving. Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger-Marten announced that construction is now scheduled to begin, following preparatory work and the selection of Designer’s Choice through a public tender. This firm will also execute the Philipsburg Beautification Masterplan and Soualiga Routes initiative. The beautification effort, which includes public art and urban design upgrades, is progressing with stakeholder involvement.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺; 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺.

𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 & 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲

Minister Heyliger-Marten also launched foundational reforms under the Agricultural, Livestock and Fisheries (ALF) framework. Initiatives include a Food Data Quantification Project, poultry and fisheries assessments, a low-interest agri-loan program via Qredits, and hydroponics training in several schools. A research initiative is also in the selection phase.

However, the Ministry is constrained by limited budgetary allocations for 2025. While existing hydroponics schools will receive seedlings, expansion is stalled. External funding from Dutch and EU sources is being pursued.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 & 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭

While Governor Baly had called for a review of public transport systems, the year brought far more: the Integrity Chamber and SOAB released explosive reports detailing administrative misconduct and systemic failures in the issuance of bus and taxi licenses.

Minister Heyliger-Marten acknowledged the findings and said the reports are now guiding an overhaul of the licensing framework. Draft policy amendments are in development.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱.

𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

The Governor had announced plans to update the National Energy Policy with improved data coordination. No such updated policy has been released, and no major renewable energy initiatives have been announced. GEBE is once again in leadership transition, with the Supervisory Board asked to resign and another study commissioned.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘕𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥.

𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

While the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) remains in the planning stages, the Minister has identified a prospective director. The National Development Vision (NDV), although referenced last September, shows no operational traction. Legislative anchors for both efforts are still missing.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲

The Governor emphasized a coordinated “whole-of-government” approach. Although inter-ministerial cooperation exists in some areas, fragmentation remains a challenge. The Prime Minister announced plans to hire 30 new civil servants following a recruitment mission in the Netherlands, aiming to boost government capacity. But consistency and strategic alignment are still lacking.

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵.

Summary

Governor Baly’s 2024 address, based on the coalition’s vision, laid out an ambitious roadmap. On tourism, infrastructure, and marketplace development, there has been movement, albeit slow and uneven. Agriculture and transport reforms show promise but remain constrained by funding and internal dysfunction. Energy policy, institutional modernization, and long-term development planning remain stalled.

The review underscores just how complex and demanding governance in St. Maarten really is. Even well-intentioned plans backed by ministerial enthusiasm often stall when confronted with budget constraints, bureaucracy, institutional fragmentation, and plain pettiness. It reveals that governing here is not just about announcing initiatives but about navigating a fragile administrative system, inconsistent follow-through, and limited capacity, all while public expectations keep rising.

St. Maarten has regained economic footing, but policy execution continues to lag. The foundation is there, the vision is still valid, but full realization requires sharper coordination.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫

In the Dutch Caribbean, including Sint Maarten, the Governor formally addresses Parliament each September to open the new parliamentary year. This tradition is modeled after the Dutch "Prinsjesdag" and serves several constitutional and democratic functions:

Representative Role: As the King's representative, the Governor links the monarchy to the local executive and legislative branches.

Agenda Presentation: The speech, content presented by the Council of Ministers, outlines government priorities, economic goals, and policy plans.

Democratic Accountability: It informs Parliament and the public of the government's intended direction.

Continuity: In territories prone to political instability, the address symbolizes institutional stability and commitment to governance.

It is both ceremonial and substantive, marking the beginning of the legislative year and holding the sitting government publicly accountable for its plans and promises.

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