Minister of VROMI and Deputy Prime Minister Patrice Gumbs issued a
media statement on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, where he provided a comprehensive
update on the state of affairs within the Ministry of VROMI and what his Cabinet has
been and will continue to work on following his swearing in.
“The Ministry of VROMI has faced challenges for many years,” Gumbs stated. “There is
systematic understaffing and many critical projects have not received the attention
needed as a result, across almost every department. For me personally, coming from
the Department of Foreign Relations, I’ve seen first hand how these challenges and
their effect on project execution, impact the international reputation of our country,
especially on cooperation with French Saint-Martin. There is a lot of work that needs to
be done to rebuild trust not only abroad but also with the local population. It’s my
intention, together with my Cabinet, to approach these issues with an ethical and
integrity-driven approach.”
GEBE
The most critical issue facing the country right now is electricity production at NV GEBE.
As it stands, the Prime Minister has explained to Parliament and the public the
approach being taken by GEBE and the Government to solve the crisis. Gumbs said
that his focus as Minister of VROMI is how the ministry itself plays a large role in how
GEBE’s production capacity is impacted.
“What is most concerning to me is that I have been informed about possible email
correspondence where NV GEBE has been asking for more dialogue with the Ministry
of VROMI regarding big developments, but none granted,” Gumbs stated. “The
existence of this correspondence will be verified and I will be assessing it and amending
development policies and application forms in collaboration with my policy department.”
Legal Issues
Currently there are more than 20 court cases pending against the Ministry of VROMI. In
the coming weeks, Minister Gumbs will be working to resolve what can be resolved in
collaboration with the Ministry’s legal team. From an initial glance, several of these
cases could have been avoided with just a simple response from the Ministry on a
variety of matters. Gumbs said it is his intention to update the public as these items are
resolved.
Housing Project
“During my time as Minister Plenipotentiary, I was fortunate enough to accompany the
Prime Minister to Washington, D.C. for update meetings on the Trust Fund,” Gumbs
said. “It would appear that, due to delayed communication and decision-making by the
previous Minister, the much-talked about housing project will not be executed.”
Gumbs expressed his frustration with this reality, noting that it further outlines the need
for competent capacity building across ministries, and stated that he was already in
discussions with the Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs to see what, if anything, could be
salvaged of the approximate $20 million in funding.
Domain Affairs
Gumbs noted that, leading up to his swearing in, he received updates from his Cabinet
that several long-lease renewal cases had been handled, leading to increased revenue
for the country. Most notable is the resolution to the Maho long-lease case.
“Working with our larger long-lease land holders to bring their canon payments up to
date has been something my Chief of Staff Raeyhon Peterson has championed since
he was a member of Parliament and since he was Acting Head of Domain Affairs,”
Minister Gumbs said. “This allows the Government to earn more revenue with fair and
equitable long-lease fees and we will continue these negotiations on a case-by-case
basis.”
Permits
Several of the court cases currently facing the Ministry of VROMI relate to building
permits that were allegedly issued in an incorrect manner. The Minister shared that he
has received an update from his Chief of Staff Raeyhon Peterson on two permits issued
by the previous administration that are cause for concern, as well as permits that have
been denied or gone unanswered with no appropriate reasoning given. Minister Gumbs
explained that more information will be shared in the coming days regarding this matter.
Infrastructure: Road Works
In the coming weeks, VROMI will be launching its road resurfacing program. With this
program, VROMI aims to repair vital roadways. Past administrations tended to focus
more on the number of roads resurfaced, over the quality of the surfacing done. , As a
result, many of our roads lack proper drainage, and this is key for road longevity. The
lack of proper drainage leads to roads having a very short lifespan after resurfacing,
which in turn means more money wasted. Therefore, after careful consultation with the
Department of Infrastructure and the company executing the works, it was decided to
focus on main roads, most of which already have the necessary drainage.
Drainage:
Sint Maarten’s infrastructure has always lagged behind population growth, and one area
where this is evident is drainage. Many of the roads that have poor surfaces can be
attributed to a lack of drainage, and thus, water tends to settle on the road, leading to
premature destruction.
The Department of Infrastructure will be looking to correct these matters in certain
areas, but problems must involve creative and innovative solutions.
VROM:
The policy side of the Ministry has long been neglected. The lack of policies and legal
frameworks, leaves, gray, much of the Ministry’s work, and while this is necessary in
some regard, it in turn gives far too much power to the individual Minister to decide on
matters. My administration will support the creation of these policies, especially those
that relate to environmental issues and sustainability of our country. I plan to use my
experience in Foreign Affairs to support the initiatives of the policy department to align
with the UN’s sustainable development goals, ushering in a new way in which this
country handles public domain, urban planning, and along with Ministry TEATT, its
position on renewable energy.
Overall Engagement:
In 2023, the Government undertook an Employee Satisfaction Survey; the results of
which indicated that the employees of VROMI are the least engaged. They are the least
satisfied across the board with a score of 4.7/10, far below the overall average of
5.8/10. The Ministry has the largest number of vacancies and is also negatively
impacted by a high perception of politicization and victimization, neither of which I have
time or energy for; there is a substantial amount of work that has to be done. I plan to
implement initiatives that empower the civil servants, strengthen the relationship
between civil service and ministry and increase overall capacity in the Ministry. I want
the civil servants to know that their advice and contribution is valued regardless of their
political or personal orientations.