Lack of qualified personnel in government is nothing new. However, two new members of the recently installed Mercelina II Cabinet have already indicated urgent shortages.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (EYCS) Melissa Gumbs, when asked about preventing dropouts (see related story), reported that only two of the four truancy officer positions are currently filled. One of these is on maternity leave and the other working at 50% due to Social and Health Insurances SZV controls.
With the existing number of schools in the country, this is clearly not sufficient. It makes effectively enforcing compulsory education difficult at best.
The minister said there was no budget to hire replacements. This makes one wonder why organisational structures are not based on available means.
Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling voiced similar concerns in Monday’s newspaper. She said only 3 of the 45 critical vacancies in the judicial system were accounted for in the draft 2025 budget.
This leaves 42: 15 at the St. Maarten Police Force KPSM, 10 at the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and six at the Point Blanche Prison. She spoke of a “woefully inadequate” allocation of funds.
The ministry’s function book lists 986 full time equivalents (FTEs) plus 22 at the Court of Guardianship. Only 494 or 49.8% are presently filled.
Moreover, of the 333 FTEs listed at KPSM, just 203 or 61% are in place. Of these, some 40 carry out executive tasks, leaving about 80 officers to patrol the streets. The plan is to bring this occupation to at least 75%.
At the National Detectives only 13 of the 40 FTEs or 32.5% are filled, including 11 detectives. Tackling plans talks with Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs and on Dutch Kingdom level regarding a future budget amendment to address the matter.
To be sure, these issues have repeatedly been pointed out by both the Law Enforcement Council and the Progress Committee for the Plans of Approach in the justice sector. In addition to funding, finding suitable candidates is part of the problem.
Nevertheless, it regards socio-economically essentials for which the necessary money must in principle be found. Balancing a budget is one thing, ensuring it meets all requirements, commitments and obligations quite another.
