PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina says Sint Maarten must redefine its relationship with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, calling for a new model based on mutual respect, equality, and co-ownership rather than dependency or token participation.

“We have to base our Kingdom relationship not on similarities, but on differences,” Mercelina said. “If we acknowledge that we are different people, living in different conditions, that will make a totally different dynamic.”

Speaking passionately during the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing, the Prime Minister outlined his vision for a “second chance” for Sint Maarten within the Kingdom, where collaboration would be built on shared responsibility.

“I don’t want Sint Maarten to remain just a stakeholder with a passport,” he said. “I want to feel that we are co-owners of the Kingdom.”

Examples of Co-Ownership

Mercelina illustrated the idea with practical examples.

“Why can’t we have university faculties from Dutch universities located in Sint Maarten, Curaçao, or Aruba?” he asked. “That wouldn’t be to help my people—it would be to strengthen the Kingdom. A student from Groningen could start a year in Sint Maarten, and my John could start a year in Groningen. Both would wake up feeling proud to belong to one Kingdom.”

He also proposed that the Dutch Navy base in Sint Maarten be transformed into a Kingdom-wide educational and training center, providing discipline and employment for young people.

“Let our young people wear two flags on their sleeves—one for Sint Maarten and one for the Kingdom,” he said. “That is what co-ownership looks like.”

Equality Across the Kingdom

Mercelina urged that education, healthcare, and justice across the Kingdom be raised to equal standards.

“The King should be able to look at his Kingdom and say: my people, wherever they live, have access to the same quality of healthcare, education, and justice,” he said. “That is equality.”

While emphasizing that Sint Maarten remains autonomous, he insisted that partnership—not isolation—is key to progress.

“Even the biggest nations seek alliances,” he said. “It’s logical that a small country like ours should stop pretending we can do it alone.”

Mercelina said he is willing to initiate dialogue on redefining the Kingdom relationship but stressed it would be a long-term process requiring parliamentary and public support.

“A mindset change takes time,” he said. “But I am ready to start this evolution in our relationship within the Kingdom.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina says the government of Sint Maarten remains “fully engaged” with NV GEBE to ensure accurate billing, fair pricing, and tangible relief for residents still struggling with high electricity costs.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Dr. Mercelina acknowledged ongoing public frustration over billing inaccuracies that date back to the 2022 cyberattack on GEBE’s systems.

“I hear the same complaints that the people do,” he said. “There is still some unhappiness concerning the inaccuracy of bills, and constantly I am attending the Supervisory Board about the information that I’m receiving.”

The Prime Minister said GEBE has assured government it is “working constantly” to improve its billing accuracy. While not directly involved in company management, Mercelina reminded the public of his role as shareholder representative.

“I am not GEBE management,” he explained. “But as a shareholder, I communicate my concerns and vision through the Supervisory Board, which is responsible for ensuring that the company executes corrective action.”

New Generators and Dutch Loan

Mercelina also confirmed that GEBE is negotiating directly with Wärtsilä, the Finnish energy manufacturer, to purchase new megawatt generators, financed through a €42 million loan from the Netherlands.

“We are now negotiating on the purchase of the generators,” he said. “Given GEBE’s long history with Wartsila, and its technical expertise with that brand, it was decided to go directly to the manufacturer.”

The loan carries a 2.43% interest rate, repayable over 25 years, and includes an additional €1 million for technical assistance and project oversight.

“That money will guide the entire technical process until the generators are installed,” Mercelina said.

He added that GEBE continues to absorb fuel-cost differences to shield consumers from rising diesel prices.

Relief for Vulnerable Households

Turning to relief efforts, Mercelina confirmed that GEBE’s NAf 600,000 assistance program—developed with the Department of Social Affairs—is already providing financial help to the island’s most vulnerable.

“That initiative came from GEBE itself,” he said. “It’s meant to help those most challenged with paying their electricity bills, in cooperation with Social Affairs, who know who the most vulnerable are.”

Beyond that, government is designing a second-tier relief program for low- and middle-income earners.

“We are now working on criteria to help the group just above the most vulnerable,” the Prime Minister explained. “It’s complex, but we’re determined to make it happen.”

Mercelina emphasized that while short-term relief is underway, structural reform is essential.

“Until we have a regulator, GEBE has the freedom to set tariffs,” he said, confirming that BTP will become the official regulator for electricity tariffs to ensure “transparent and reliable pricing” in the future.

~Receiver says leaked audit violated confidentiality and misrepresented Curaçao’s tax authority.~

WILLEMSTAD:-- The Receiver of Curaçao (Ontvanger di Kòrsou) has issued a firm public statement rejecting claims and allegations circulating in the media based on a leaked report by the Government Accountants Bureau (SOAB). The Receiver described the leak as a “serious breach of confidentiality” that unfairly tarnishes the reputation of the Curaçao Tax Service and the country as a whole.

“It is extremely easy to attack someone who cannot fully defend themselves due to legal confidentiality,” the Receiver said. “The saddest part is that not only the Tax Department but also Curaçao itself is dragged through the mud with all the consequences that follow.”

Leak Names Private Taxpayer

The controversy erupted after parts of an SOAB audit were published in local media, allegedly including the full name of a private taxpayer involved in a dispute over customs and excise duties.
The Receiver called this a “grave error” and a “serious violation” of secrecy laws meant to protect private financial data.

According to the statement, the case referenced in the report dates back to 2016, when Customs issued an assessment of roughly 1.15 million guilders, which was later increased by a 300% penalty. The taxpayer filed objections in mid-2016, with hearings held in early 2017.

A final decision in the case was issued only on May 25, 2021—nearly four years later—after which a six-week appeal period began. In the meantime, standard procedure required the Receiver to suspend collection until the ruling became irrevocable.

Proactive Recovery Efforts

Despite the suspension, the Receiver said it worked “proactively” to secure partial payment through a temporary payment plan initiated in 2018, requiring a NAf 30,000 down payment and monthly installments of NAf 5,000 and NAf 3,000.

Later, Customs reduced the original assessment from NAf 4.6 million to about NAf 2.3 million. By 2021, the Receiver had collected NAf 180,000—before the Minister of Finance’s January 31, 2023, decision halted collection of all tax assessments dated 2017 and earlier.

The Receiver stressed that the decision to stop collections was not made by its office, but by the Ministry itself, emphasizing:

“It was not the Receiver who caused this loss of revenue. This should be clearly understood.”

Dispute Over Ministry Decision

The Receiver’s statement questions the Finance Ministry’s authority and reasoning in implementing the controversial policy, which effectively wrote off over 3.1 million guilders in potential tax revenue.

Of that total, around 2 million guilders relates directly to the same customs case referenced in the SOAB report.

“The question arises: on what basis and under what authority did the Minister make this decision and publish it on social media?” the Receiver asked. “The consequences are significant.”

According to the statement, the Finance Minister’s decision contradicted advice from several oversight institutions, including the CFT (Financial Supervision Board), SOAB, SVB, and the Directorate of Fiscal Affairs, as well as international recommendations by the OECD regarding tax enforcement practices.

Call for Responsible Oversight

The Receiver reaffirmed support for continued modernization and improvement of Curaçao’s Tax Service, but condemned the way the leaked SOAB audit was portrayed.

“Improving the Tax Service is certainly necessary, and nobody denies that,” the Receiver said. “But presenting the matter out of context, based on a leaked and incomplete report, damages public confidence and international credibility.”

The Receiver added that due to confidentiality obligations and an ongoing investigation, no further details could be disclosed at this time.

Context: Broader Transparency Debate

The dispute highlights a broader tension between calls for transparency and the legal duty of tax officials to maintain confidentiality.
Public trust in Curaçao’s fiscal institutions has been under scrutiny in recent years amid reforms to strengthen compliance, reduce deficits, and modernize the island’s revenue collection systems.

Observers say the leak, while exposing alleged inefficiencies, also risks undermining trust in the independence and professionalism of Curaçao’s tax authority.

Conclusion

In closing, the Receiver urged both government officials and the media to handle financial oversight information with care.

“Curaçao’s institutions can and must improve,” the statement read, “but improvement should come through lawful, transparent processes — not through leaks that violate confidentiality and harm the country’s image.”

Source: Official press release from Ontvanger di Kòrsou dated October 21, 2025, translated from Papiamentu.

~As France jails ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, Sint Maarten shows that in small democracies too, political power no longer guarantees immunity.~

When Nicolas Sarkozy walked through the gates of La Santé Prison in Paris this week, he became the first French president in the modern era to serve a custodial sentence. Convicted of criminal conspiracy for seeking illegal campaign funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Sarkozy began a five-year term that he has called a “judicial scandal.”

For France, the image of a former head of state behind bars was shocking — a vivid reminder that no officeholder, however exalted, is beyond the reach of the courts.

But 7,000 kilometres away, on the island of Sint Maarten, scenes like this have become almost routine. There, former ministers and members of parliament have faced prosecution and imprisonment for corruption and campaign-finance crimes in recent years.

France: A President Behind Bars

Sarkozy, 70, was sentenced in September 2025 after a Paris criminal court found him guilty of organizing a secret funding network for his 2007 presidential campaign. The judge, Nathalie Gavarino, said the offences were of “exceptional gravity.”

He was acquitted of separate charges of misuse of Libyan public funds and illegal campaign financing, but the conspiracy conviction alone carried a five-year term.

Rather than appeal from home, Sarkozy was ordered to begin serving his sentence immediately — an extraordinary step under French law.

Inside La Santé, he occupies a small single cell with a shower, toilet, and television. His legal team has lodged an appeal and requested house arrest.

Public opinion is divided: a recent Elabe poll found 60 percent of French citizens believe the sentence is justified, while his supporters denounce what they call “judicial politics.”

Sint Maarten: When the Powerful Fall

If Sarkozy’s jailing rocked Paris, the people of Sint Maarten could be forgiven for greeting it with a shrug. In this Caribbean territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, high-level corruption trials have become a regular feature of political life.

Theo Heyliger — Former Minister and MP

Once regarded as the island’s most influential politician, Theodore (Theo) Heyliger was sentenced in May 2020 to five years in prison for bribery and money laundering in the Larimar case.
Prosecutors said Heyliger accepted millions in kickbacks tied to public-works contracts. He later agreed to a US$5 million settlement in asset-recovery proceedings and, after his appeals were exhausted, was ordered to report to Pointe Blanche Prison in January 2024 to begin his term.
The Office of the Public Prosecutor declared the case “closed and irrevocable.”

Frans Richardson — Former Member of Parliament

Another high-profile conviction came when Frans Richardson, leader of the United St. Maarten Party, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment for bribery and money laundering in the Emerald Case..  While the outcome /Aquamarine II/Port case is still pending.
He began serving his sentence in March 2025 after the Dutch Supreme Court confirmed his conviction in the Emerald Case, while the Acquamarine case is finalized.

O’Neal Arrindell — Businessman and Political Financier

Businessman O’Neal Arrindell, a close associate of local politicians, was convicted in the Emerald Harbour fraud case for bribing a public official and tax offences.
Arrindell’s sentence — reported between three and five years — underlined how deeply campaign financing and public-contract fraud have intertwined on the island.

Different Scales, Similar Lessons

The contrast between Sarkozy’s cell in Paris and Heyliger’s in Philipsburg may seem vast, but the underlying principle is the same: the era of untouchable politicians is ending.

Legal scholar Dr. Lucinda James of the University of the Dutch Caribbean notes,

“France shows that even a president can go to prison. Sint Maarten shows that small democracies, once seen as lenient, can enforce accountability too.”

Both nations are part of complex political unions — France within the European Union and Sint Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands — where judicial independence is enshrined in law. Yet in both, the public has often doubted whether powerful elites would ever truly face consequences.

Public Trust on the Line

For ordinary citizens, these convictions offer both vindication and discomfort.
In Paris, they confirm the resilience of institutions; in Philipsburg, they expose just how deep corruption had sunk into governance.

Local editorials have described a “culture shift” as Sint Maarten’s courts, backed by Dutch oversight, pursue high-level corruption cases once considered taboo.

A Pattern, Not an Exception

From Brazil’s Lula da Silva (who later returned to power) to South Korea’s Park Geun-hye and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu (still on trial), the list of global leaders entangled in corruption cases keeps growing.
France has now decisively joined that list; Sint Maarten has been there for some time.

As one Philipsburg lawyer observed,

“On this island, seeing a politician go to prison isn’t shocking anymore. In Paris, it still is.”

Timeline: Justice Without Borders

Justice on Two Shores

The symbolism is powerful: in one week, two very different societies — one a global power, the other a Caribbean micro-state — both demonstrate that the rule of law can reach the highest offices.

For France, Sarkozy’s imprisonment redefines presidential accountability.
For Sint Maarten, Heyliger’s and Richardson’s convictions prove that even in a small island democracy, the cell door can close behind those who abuse public trust.

In both places, the message is the same: democracy only survives when its leaders can be judged — and jailed — like anyone else.

Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, AP News, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, The Daily Herald, SMN News, Office of the Public Prosecutor (OM Sint Maarten).