Dear Editor,
Goods and life in general are getting increasingly expensive by the day everywhere, and especially in Sint Maarten; our country that already is well-known internationally to be awfully expensive to live in. Nowadays each and every local business is using the war in Ukraine as an excuse to raise their sales prices even more than during the recent pandemic, as there are no price controls.
It is worrisome how we, the people of this already expensive country, have to face the future financially, and how this government expects us to be able to survive without any salary/pension raises or government measures to alleviate this unbearable financial burden on its citizens. This island is becoming priceless for the ordinary man, as well as for tourists. If this government does not step up its act, this country will become abandoned for greener pastures with at least more financial security.
Today, the price of gasoline was raised again with Ang. 0,08 per litre, from Ang. 2,74 to Ang. 2,82. Everywhere around us the price of gasoline is being adjusted (read: lowered) by other governments in order to lend a helping hand to the already stretched wallet and budget of their citizens, but this is not the case in Sint Maarten.
On the contrary. Last week, the government of Curaçao lowered their price for gasoline with Ang. 0,25 per litre, from Ang. 2,63 to Ang. 2,38. Yesterday, it was also publicized through international media that the oil price has decreased from US $128. to US $99. per barrel, which is the same price a barrel has cost before the Ukrainian war started on February 24.
So, how can the government of this country justify just now to raise the price of gasoline even more since the last raise of 2-3 weeks ago? How does government explain this 14% raise for gas to the citizens now that the oil price per barrel has decreased with 22,6%? Is no one going to react or say anything about this mismanagement by government, whose only goal seems to be to milk the citizens without any scruples?
A concerned citizen
Name withheld at author’s request
