PHILIPSBURG:--- In a heated parliamentary session, Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes delivered a detailed rebuttal to a presentation by the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication (TEATT) concerning transportation licenses issued in 2023. MP Lacroes expressed personal feelings and targeted the scope and findings of recent investigations, calling for a more comprehensive review of licensing practices.
Feeling that he and his family have been unfairly subjected to threats based on "little shots being fired and little comments being made," Lacroes stated, "Enough is enough." He argued that the official inquiries conducted by the SOAB and the Integrity Chamber were flawed from the start. "The investigation, or the SOAB report, and the Integrity Chamber report focus on the year '23 going forward," he noted. "Which is unfortunate, because if you're going to try to figure out what went wrong, you need to know where it started."
Lacroes questioned the issuance of 201 licenses between 2014 and 2023, a period during which he stated he could find no record of the moratorium being officially lifted. He challenged the ministry to explain how these licenses were granted without a public announcement.
The MP, who previously served as the ministry's Chief of Staff, directly challenged the narrative that the cabinet operated without the knowledge of key department heads. To support his claim, he shared a message exchange with fellow parliamentarians showing the former minister instructing the department head to expedite a new policy. "The information was given in a way to make sure that it looks as if something went wrong," Lacroes asserted, highlighting what he sees as contradictions between the SOAB and Integrity Chamber reports.
Lacroes also took issue with the reports' vague references to a "member of the cabinet," while explicitly naming other officials, such as the Secretary General and department heads. He recounted being approached about taxi licenses while on vacation, long before he had any knowledge of the policy changes, pointing to the head of SOAB's sister as one of the individuals who approached him.
A significant part of Lacroes's address focused on the procedural details of the 2023 policy. He pointed to a specific clause stating that licenses unused for one year would be automatically revoked as of January 1, 2024. Based on this, he questioned the current count of active licenses. "How is it that we have 600 active licenses while only 451 confirmation letters?" he asked, suggesting that, according to the policy, only 451 licenses should be considered valid
He concluded by challenging the current minister on her actions since taking office, asking if any new licenses or help driver permits have been issued, and whether the established procedures were followed. He also highlighted that G-plates (for tour buses) were issued between 2014 and 2023, despite a 2014 policy explicitly stating that they should not be issued. Lacroes called for greater accountability and a full, unbiased review of all licensing activities to ensure transparency and fairness.
