The gasoline price rising by 18.5 guilder-cents per litre is an unpleasant surprise on the 35th anniversary of St. Maarten’s Flag Day. Hopefully, this development will not stop GEBE from providing the promised fuel clause relief in its electricity tariff.
That would come on top of what to many seemed like astronomical water-bills over the period mid-March to mid-May during which no meters were read due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The latter led to a combined bill and in the eyes of clients it appeared that monthly progressive water usage rates to discourage excessive use were applied to a two-month total, putting them in a much higher bracket.
Despite numerous enquiries and several attempts to explain by management and at least two cabinet members, the public is yet to learn just how that calculation was made. According to Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, the government-owned company convinced them that it actually lost money by pooling the bills.
Speaking of the cost of living, the Consumers Coalition had a point in Friday’s paper. Apart from setting maximum prices on coronavirus-related protective items, more could be done to prevent price hikes in these times of crisis particularly for food products.
One thing to consider may be expanding the basket of basic goods under price control without going overboard and undermining free trade. Curaçao and Aruba both already did that years ago, so it is not like one needs to reinvent the proverbial wheel.
Perhaps the biggest factor in making the islands expensive is lack of affordable accommodations. A well-functioning Rental Tribune is important, but ultimately providing low- and middle-income public housing should become a major priority in the continued post-Hurricane Irma recovery effort with still-available means of the Dutch-sponsored Trust Fund.
While fixing hurricane-damaged homes obviously remains urgent, building new ones is what can really make a social difference in the long run.
