An Opportunity
In the decision by the Government of St. Maarten to request the immediate resignation of the Supervisory Board of NV GEBE lies not just conflict, but potential, the kind of potential that rarely announces itself amid institutional shakeups. There will be noise in the days ahead, debates over process, questions of timing, and a flurry of public opinion. But the truth is, much of that will fade. What will matter is what happens next.
For the good of the country, the board should accept this request and tender their resignations forthwith. There is no benefit in delaying the inevitable. The company's future require decisive transition. Dragging this process out serves no one, not the company, not its employees, and certainly not the people who depend on it for something as fundamental as electricity and water.
What lies before us is an opportunity. A critical one. A reset in leadership at the supervisory level is a chance to realign NV GEBE with the urgent needs of the public, the evolving realities of the energy sector, and the responsibility of public service. It is also a chance for the government to demonstrate, through deliberate and merit-based appointments, that it is serious about good governance. This is not a moment to reward party loyalty. It is a moment to appoint qualified, capable, forward-thinking individuals who understand utility management, finance, resilience, and long-term planning.
The current board nominated the current temporary manager, but by all indications, the relationship between board and shareholder has grown increasingly strained, particularly regarding the government's stated vision for public relief, system transparency, and service improvements.
To his credit, the Prime Minister has not acted rashly. On several occasions, he publicly indicated that the government was exercising restraint, offering the board what he termed the space and respect to carry out its duties in partnership with the shareholder. That restraint is now, apparently, exhausted. The government, whose ministers have consistently championed an arms-length approach to managing government companies, appears to have concluded that there is no viable path forward under the current board's stewardship.
But this cannot end in the typical recycling of politically adjacent figures who lack sector expertise. The public cannot afford another supervisory board that is perceived as reactive rather than strategic. The future of NV GEBE depends on leaders who understand the fragility of its infrastructure, the urgency of billing recovery, the necessity of fuel clause reform, and the reality that customer trust has been severely eroded since the 2022 cyberattack.
The board must be able to challenge the shareholder when necessary, but it must also engage constructively with the government’s broader policy direction. Utility governance in this era demands not just technical understanding, but the maturity to navigate difficult trade-offs, between relief and solvency, between investment and affordability.
In short, the board must bring vision, not obstruction.
This is not about any politician. Frankly, nobody cares about who will spin the best now. This is about the people who, every month, open their GEBE bills with growing anxiety. The back and forth, the press statements, the legal posturing, the rhetorical battles, will not matter in the end. What will matter is whether NV GEBE can emerge from this with stronger oversight, greater transparency, and renewed public confidence.
This is an opportunity. Let’s not waste it.