Recent Headlines

Gumbs confirms Setai permits dating back to 2023 remain unresolved

Infrastructure

GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs has confirmed that permit applications connected to The Setai development, formerly Villa Levant, dating from 2023, 2024 and 2025 remain under evaluation, while acknowledging that delays in government permitting processes can create potential legal and financial liabilities.

Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Infrastructure

Garbage tender remains under evaluation, Gumbs explains two-parcel change

GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs has confirmed that no contracts have yet been awarded under the controversial 2026–2029 garbage collection tender, despite evaluation results identifying the highest-ranked bidders for St. Maarten's six collection parcels.
Government

Gumbs: GEBE base rate no longer covers operating costs, Ottley says fuel clause applied to fill the hole

GREAT BAY--NV GEBE's base electricity rate has not increased since 2011 and is no longer sufficient to cover the utility's operating expenses, Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs disclosed during Friday's continuation of the 2027 national budget debate.
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Government
Gumbs: GEBE base rate no longer covers operating costs, Ottley says fuel clause applied to fill the hole
GREAT BAY--NV GEBE's base electricity rate has not increased since 2011 and is no longer sufficient to cover the utility's operating expenses, Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs disclosed during Friday's continuation of the 2027 national budget debate.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Government
Minister Gumbs: Sun Resorts appeals Mullet Bay Beach ruling that the beach is public
GREAT BAY--Sun Resorts Limited N.V. has appealed the July 7, 2026 court ruling that declared Mullet Bay Beach public property and rejected the company's claim of ownership over the popular shoreline, Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Patrice Gumbs confirmed during Friday's continuation of the 2027 national budget debate.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Government
Connor assures families financial aid will not be cut despite Cg 2 million budget short
GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) Claret Connor has assured Parliament that families who qualify for government financial assistance will not lose their benefits because of an approximately Cg 1.8 million difference between projected assistance expenditures and the amount allocated in the draft 2027 national budget.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Government
Gumbs: Cutting Parliament's travel budget could fix schools, but cannot feed children year after Year
GREAT BAY--Establishing a permanent school breakfast program for approximately 400 vulnerable children in St. Maarten would require an estimated Cg 576,000 every year, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs told Parliament on Friday, warning that while reallocating money from Parliament's travel budget could help finance school repairs, it would not provide a sustainable solution for feeding children year after year.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Education
Gumbs: Educational Care Center will provide full-day behavioral support
GREAT BAY--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs has outlined how the new Educational Care Center (ECC) will operate, explaining that students experiencing serious and persistent behavioral challenges will receive full-day educational and therapeutic interventions while remaining officially enrolled at their regular schools.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
Government
GEBE operating under temporary disconnection policy, permanent rules expected in 2027, PM Mercelina says
GREAT BAY--NV GEBE maintains that it has the legal authority to disconnect electricity customers under Articles 5, 9, 10 and 11 of its existing Terms and Conditions of Connection and Rates, which were ratified during the former Netherlands Antilles period, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina informed Parliament on Friday.
Tribune Editorial Staff
November 6, 2026
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