Tough Love

"Unpopular decisions". Here in St. Maarten, the phrase is often used during elections to show courage and seriousness. Candidates speak about “tough love,” about short term discomfort for long term benefit. It prepares the public for the idea that some difficult measures may come. Then governing begins, and the tone softens.

If you look at the first year reviews from ministers, it is hard to find clear examples where government truly leaned on those tough choices. Most have focused on planning, assessments, consultations and cleaning up inherited messes. To be fair, let us accept that 2025 has largely been a year to get a better view of the land.

That is exactly why 2026 matters so much.

St. Maarten is facing serious pressures in justice, energy, education, healthcare and social affairs. At the same time, the public sector still carries commitments that cost money without always giving the country enough return. If we want real improvements in key services, we have to be honest: the same old income will not be enough. Tough love, in practical terms, means new revenue and smarter spending.

Some of the tools are already on the table. Successive governments have mentioned a garbage fee, a foreign exchange fee, adjustments to tourist taxes or implementation of new ones, a dividend withholding tax and other measures. On the expense side, the Prime Minister has spoken openly about advisory bodies that have grown very large, including at least one that St. Maarten did not ask for but must still fund. Trimming such costs and cutting duplication in government services would free up space in the budget.

If those choices are made carefully, they can create room where it is urgently needed. The challenges in Justice are a clear example. When you listen closely to the Justice Minister, many of the obstacles lead back to limited funding, whether it concerns staffing, prison infrastructure, equipment, technology or training. People ask for more visible policing and a safer society. That requires consistent investment. The same is true in other areas and none of these priorities can move without money.

This is where the idea of “unpopular decisions” can regain honest meaning. If government decides to introduce new fees or taxes in 2026, or to scale back expensive structures, it should be clear and transparent about why. The public will feel some of these measures in their pockets, so they should also see the connection to better services and a more secure future.

Public consultation will remain important. No one is asking to be shocked to death by decisions. But it is reasonable for citizens to expect that the language of “tough love” will not stay only on the campaign trail. Starting in 2026, it will have to show itself in measured, well explained decisions that bring in new funds and direct those funds to justice, education, social affairs, healthcare and tourism in a visible way.

Handled that way, difficult choices can be more than pain. They can be part of a serious plan to put St. Maarten on firmer financial and social ground, step by step.

‍