PHILIPSBURG:--- Operations at the Philipsburg landfill briefly came to a halt earlier today after contractor Derrick Fleming suspended work due to outstanding payments owed by the Government of St. Maarten.
Fleming, who is contracted to operate and maintain government-owned equipment at the landfill, said that his company has been facing irregular payment patterns for months. “We’ve been working continuously with the government, but there are recurring issues with delayed payments due to internal policy or administrative changes,” he explained.
According to Fleming, invoices dating as far back as December 2024 remain partially unpaid. Payments for some months in 2025 — including February, April, and June — were skipped, creating a backlog of outstanding amounts.
The matter, Fleming said, has been brought to the attention of Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs Jr. on two occasions prior to the shutdown. Following a meeting on Thursday morning, both parties reached an understanding that the outstanding payments would be settled “in a short time span.”
“The Minister assured us that policies are being worked on to address the current situation,” Fleming noted. “Given that, I’ve agreed to reopen the landfill later today.”
Normal operations are expected to resume within hours.
