MP Roseburg highlights St. Maarten’s priorities during first day of IPKO

THE HAGUE--Chairlady of the Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations, CKAIR, MP Sjamira Roseburg, delivered St. Maarten’s country update on the first day of the Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultation, IPKO, in the Netherlands, outlining key developments in Parliament, ongoing national reforms, and the country’s position on Kingdom cooperation.

Speaking on behalf of the St. Maarten delegation, Roseburg addressed colleague parliamentarians from Aruba, Curaçao and the Netherlands, as well as members of the public following online. She said St. Maarten’s Parliament has remained active since the last IPKO in February 2026, deliberating on several major issues affecting the country, including energy and electricity, public education, educational results, the wider implications of the ongoing trade war, first responder personnel matters, cannabis legislation, national housing, and urgent matters related to several ministries.

The St. Maarten delegation includes President of Parliament MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, MP Egbert Doran, MP Viren Kotai, MP Omar Ottley, MP Lyndon Lewis and MP Roseburg, along with the Secretary General of Parliament Garrick Richardson.

Roseburg also highlighted the work of the Women in Parliament caucus, which has held meetings and work visits focused on health, care, gender-based violence, and mentorship. She further informed IPKO that the Presidium of Parliament recently established a Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Workgroup, consisting of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff. The workgroup is tasked with assessing Parliament’s digital environment, supporting the development of a digital transformation program, advising on AI governance and ethics, and strengthening digital capacity within the institution.

Another important parliamentary development, Roseburg noted, is Parliament’s unanimous approval of St. Maarten’s accession as an Associate Member of ParlAmericas. She said this step further strengthens Parliament’s role in regional parliamentary cooperation, democratic governance, and inter-parliamentary dialogue throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.

On the national level, Roseburg informed IPKO that Government is focused on completing the 2026 country budget while preparing the 2027 country budget. She also stated that Government is looking into possible extensions of both the Country Package and the World Bank Trust Fund. Trust Fund projects currently in execution include the Sr. Marie Laurence School and the library.

Tourism, Roseburg said, continues to show positive movement, with Government working to expand airlift and airline partnerships. She noted that first quarter numbers indicate that tourism is on the upswing.

Roseburg also pointed to ongoing work to modernize gaming legislation and advance cannabis legislation through the established working group, which has already met with Parliament. She said the development and regulation of the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries framework remains a priority, together with efforts to strengthen food security through local agricultural development.

A substantial part of the presentation focused on justice reform. Roseburg said the Ministry of Justice is pursuing a broad agenda aimed at strengthening public safety, improving detention conditions, reinforcing law enforcement capacity, strengthening border control and immigration management, and advancing youth justice.

On the prison project, Roseburg noted that the official groundbreaking took place earlier this year and construction is now underway. She said the goal is to build a modern, UN-certified facility focused on rehabilitation, resocialization, human dignity and international standards, in compliance with the Nelson Mandela Rules. The cooperation agreement with the Netherlands has been extended to October 2028, allowing time for staff training and prison operational reform while the current prison remains in use during phased construction.

Roseburg also informed IPKO that St. Maarten remains engaged in international, regional and Kingdom cooperation, including with the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Suriname, UNODC, UNOPS and the Council of Europe.

In the area of finance, Roseburg cited the ongoing Transformation of the Tax Administration program, which is aimed at improving the department’s ability to levy and collect taxes in an effective, efficient and customer-oriented manner. The goal, she said, is to improve tax compliance and strengthen Government’s financial sustainability.

Roseburg also pointed to five pieces of legislation currently being debated in Parliament to strengthen St. Maarten’s compliance with the FATF 40 recommendations. These draft laws address the supervision of securities intermediaries and asset managers, payment service providers, virtual asset service providers, payment and securities transaction systems, and FMI system administrators.

On public health, Roseburg highlighted the work being done on General Health Insurance, GHI, which is intended to ensure universal access to affordable, quality healthcare for all residents of St. Maarten, reduce inequities in access to care, and lessen out-of-pocket cost burdens. She also mentioned the Healthcare Professional Registry, BIG, which is being developed as a centralized online registry for healthcare professionals practicing in St. Maarten.

Mental health reform was also listed as a key area of attention. Roseburg said mental health legislation and reform of mental health care are being prepared, especially in light of the noticeable rise in mental health cases. She further stated that the new St. Maarten General Hospital is moving forward and is expected to be fully executed in the fourth quarter of 2027.

Roseburg also addressed the Country Package, stating that Government has informed Parliament of discussions concerning a possible extension of the mutual arrangement and the Country Package. However, she noted that the evaluation report itself has not yet been discussed in Parliament.

She stressed that St. Maarten is still a relatively young country and that several core government functions and systems were still being developed while reforms were introduced. Delays in reforms, she explained, are not necessarily due to disagreement with the direction, but to the fact that underlying government systems are not yet strong enough to fully support them. Parliament, she said, will discuss the evaluation with Government and ensure that any extension is based on realities that allow for ownership and actual achievement.

Roseburg concluded by reiterating the need for a Kingdom Conference, a point that has been emphasized during previous IPKO meetings. She said St. Maarten is pleased to see movement toward such a conference and looks forward to the possible role of the Parliaments in that process.

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