Dear Editor,

The America First policy may have a serious impact on the cost of living and the costs of doing business on Sint Maarten and throughout the wider Caribbean region if a proposed U.S. tariff of US $1 million comes into effect within the next 40 days on Chinese-built ships docking in U.S. ports.

Tropical Shipping, which transports food, household items and building materials from the United States of America to Sint Maarten and other Caribbean nations has been threatened with paying US $1 million for every port call to Florida or other U.S. eastern seaboard coastal cities to pick up the aforementioned.

The US $1 million tariff is part of a section 301 proposal expected to be signed via a presidential executive order in the coming weeks that could have devastating consequences for ocean freight rates, supply chains and the costs of living for thousands in the Caribbean.

Tropical Shipping last week sounded the alarm that this could raise shipping costs by thousands per TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), adding that most ships serving the Caribbean region were built in Chinese shipyards.

Caribbean countries are preparing for economic uncertainty due to the volatility in America First policy initiatives.

Sint Maarten food and building wholesalers may already be calculating what this would cost Sint Maarten consumers in the coming months.

The Government will need to meet with wholesalers in a proactive manner to determine the consequences and what strategies can be developed should the U.S. move forward on implementing this America First policy that would have serious consequences for Sint Maarten and other Caribbean nations.

Governments would also need to lodge official complaints.

Tropical Shipping has asked stakeholders, customers and businesses to speak out against the measure before it’s finalized to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The time has come for Sint Maarten wholesalers and building suppliers to look elsewhere for products and building materials within the region and from Colombia, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Guyana just to name a few.

If there is a demand, shipping companies will respond – supply and demand – to open up new shipping links. Sint Maarten Government ministers in the past decade have visited and met with government officials in the Dominican Republic, and the time has come to re-open the files and start to put things in place for the benefit of the country.

The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI) already participated in the “Trade Mission Dutch Caribbean Meets Panama” back in February where the interaction provided valuable insights and opportunities to foster economic partnerships, trade expansion, and investment collaborations.

COCI has planned two additional missions for 2025 to Colombia under the banner “SXM Business Mission to Colombia” in May to Bogota to attend the “Construction Expo: Material Construction Trade Show” and in July to Cali to attend the “A Multisector Business Matchmaking Forum”.

COCI in announcing this new mission said that Colombia, as one of Latin America’s most dynamic economies, presents a wealth of opportunities for Sint Maarten’s entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to expand their reach.

During the Panama trade mission, COCI said back in February that the delegation engaged in productive discussions with key regional stakeholders who expressed strong interest in establishing business ties with St. Maarten and its local business community.

The stakeholders COCI met with included the Panama Chamber of Commerce, ProPanama, Copa Airlines, Panamanian Association of Cargo Agencies and representatives of Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

COCI emphasized in a media statement back in February the importance of active participation in trade missions as a means to expand business networks, enhance market presence, and strengthen regional cooperation, adding that given the evolving global business landscape, COCI encourages the local business community to seize available opportunities for international trade and collaboration.

The new America First proposal for the new “Caribbean Tariff” will impact most industries with price hikes in grocery stores, hardware stores and other businesses that import products from the United States to the country.

The USTR is accepting public comments on the proposed “Caribbean Tariff” until March 24. Those who will be affected are encouraged to submit their concerns by going to the following link:

https://comments.ustr.gov/s/ and then scroll down to the section “Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Action Pursuant to the Section 301 Investigation of China’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance” and select “Submit Comment”.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Following weeks of media spectacle regarding his improperly issued developmental permits, MP Egbert J. Doran broke his silence during Wednesday's VROMI Parliament session in a desperate attempt to regain control over a public narrative quickly spiraling out of his favor.

While facing public scrutiny for multiple high-profile projects he controversially approved during his tenure as Minister of VROMI, Doran aggressively questioned current Minister Patrice T. Gumbs on his handling of Doran’s messy leftovers, conveniently skipping over inconvenient truths, and shifting the blame back onto his unlucky successor. The result was a session that portrayed a world where it was solely newcomer Gumbs’ fault that St. Maarten still finds itself with strained infrastructure, environmental devastation, and community frustration in 2025.

So far, Doran’s attempt appears to be a gross failure, with many residents rejecting what they view as obvious public manipulation by a politician who has been widely criticized as one of the least transparent and most damaging leaders of the long-mismanaged Ministry.

Many observers were shocked to see Doran in a session about “permit transparency,” especially given that his party faction called it into session. The MP’s actions as VROMI Minister before he left office in mid-2024 have been the focus of investigations by the Ombudsman, reports by the General Audit Chamber, and dozens of newspaper articles, opinion pieces, and social media spectacle.

At the moment, Doran is under fire for issuing building permits to pending developments West Vue in Cupecoy (18-story hotel in an area zoned for 3-story high residences), Vie L’Ven in Cay Bay (destruction of coastline, marine infrastructure along a coral reef), and Villa Sasha and the Phoenician in Beacon Hill (both multi-story buildings in an area designated for single-family homes), not to mention Babacool in Simpson Bay (a pool and beach bar built on the shoreline without community consultation), Tepui 104 in Pelican Key (constructed atop an ecologically unique hill plateau), and The Hills in Simpson Bay (another ecologically valuable area).

Countless other developments that have not yet broken ground were also approved during the Doran administration, including Lagune Bay in Little Bay (destruction of wetland Little Bay Pond).

Several of these were absent from the National Gazette or published under misclassifications or incorrect pretenses, depriving residents of their rights to object. The advisory organization Nature Foundation has publicly stated they were not consulted on the environmentally sensitive sites. And almost every single one is a self-described luxury development, catering to wealthy expats and vacationers, while St. Maarten’s infrastructure and affordability continue to crumble under the burden and inaccessibility of these developments.

These decisions were not made for “the local man or woman” in any sense, contrary to Doran’s claims.

Though newcomer Minister Gumbs appears to have made some mistakes of his own and some learning to do, Doran seems to clearly forget the butter smeared on his own head. No one likes a hypocrite. So who would have expected Doran to show up and lecture Gumbs on his lack of transparency when it comes to developmental permits? How could anyone have thought Doran would have the audacity to imply Gumbs was corrupt, and impressionable for providing the public with apologies, clarifications, and solutions while he attempts to transparently clean up the disaster that everyone knows is the Ministry of VROMI? The opportunity for Gumbs and the coalition government to humiliate and dissect Doran seemed too risky.

But Doran took the gamble and seized the chance to scrutinize Gumbs for mistakes and irregularities that he himself created or carried responsibility for during his years as Minister. Perhaps predicting Gumbs’ tendency to list (unfortunately dull) facts and figures in response, Doran armed himself with the only thing he could against the harsh reality: false rhetoric, finger-pointing, theatrical acting, and fact-skipping. He skirted around his culpability in gutting VROMI, dismissing insufficient government capacity as a reason for Gumbs’ permitting oversights despite the fact that Doran had not replaced the technical administration responsible for publishing permits during his tenure, and former deputy Minister Veronica Jansen-Webster observed a “lack of a secretary general and multiple department heads, a virtually empty staff bureau with employee satisfaction being at an all-time low” after Doran’s four years (The Daily Herald, 23 May 2024).

The most laughable moment may have been when Doran proudly asserted that he had never overturned any advice of his policy team to issue a building permit, while in the same few minutes holding a copy of the Herald from that very morning, which asserted he had ignored negative advice against issuing a residential permit for West Vue. Doran confidently revealed he functions on legal technicalities, not any sort of ethics or guidelines.

In yet another moment he outed himself as embarrassingly unaware of public accountability tools when he essentially accused Gumbs of feeding the Herald details about the West Vue, when in reality they were accessed through a court case and could have been achieved through filing a “LOB verzoek,” a transparency tool for residents to access government documents about developments … something Doran appears to know nothing about.

In many ways, Doran’s remarkable performance at Parliament was not surprising, considering his use of it in the past. “Ignore, deny, blame” was a tactic he utilized when it came to publicity surrounding Villa Sasha, first ignoring the claims, then denying his wrongdoing, and finally blaming the involved parties of making up problems (The Daily Herald, 22 January 2025). This contrasted starkly with Gumbs’ approach, which, while painfully dry and hapless, is at least consistently honest and open.

To be sure, mistakes have been made under Gumb’s tenure, and he will likely disappoint again in the future. If St. Maarten politics has promised us anything, it is that. But for now, he has something that Doran proved he lacks during this Parliament meeting: integrity and accountability. Gumbs apologized and took responsibility for the mistakes he has made, while respectfully contextualizing the difficult circumstances his predecessors have put him in. While the opposition clearly saw this as weak, it was honest. Meanwhile, all Doran could do was attack Gumbs with the very same questions the public had for him during his years as minister, which he never bothered to answer.

Based on the overwhelming rejection of his political play on social media, it is clear St. Maarteners were not fooled by MP Doran’s obvious “politricks” any longer. As the Bob Marley quote goes, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” St. Maarteners are seeing through these childish theatrics, and we will not allow them to stand in the way of our rights any longer.

Another resident paying attention

Name withheld at author’s request.

Dear Editor,

A newly issued Terms of Reference (TOR) by the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA for a “Mental Health Coordinator/Advisor” is raising eyebrows and questions. While the TOR to fill this vacancy outlines a broad set of responsibilities, several of its core tasks directly overlap with those already being executed under the ongoing World Bank-funded mental health project led by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB).

The lack of a clear rationale for this vacancy has left some insiders wondering whether the Minister is seeking more direct control over the project’s direction or attempting to install a preferred individual in a key role – a move that echoes patterns seen in previous administrations.

First, a bit of background:

Overlap with NRPB’s role on the mental health project

The NRPB is implementing an $8 million Trust Fund project to improve mental health services. Some project activities include the construction of a new facility, development of a national strategy, stakeholder coordination, and capacity building. A dedicated project team and international experts overseeing design, policy support, and implementation, are already assigned by the NRPB.

In recent months, Minister Brug has been actively involved in several of these mental health initiatives. These include a partnership with the Trimbos Institute to support community-based services, discussions with SZV to reallocate funding toward mental health priorities, and the establishment of the Dutch Caribbean Mental Health Federation. In August 2024, he also met with NRPB to discuss the facility’s construction. By year’s end, procurement for a design firm was underway, with seven firms evaluated by a committee including NRPB, MHF and VSA representatives.

That brings us to what’s currently happening and why it’s raising eyebrows.

Enter the Ministry’s TOR

According to the VSA Ministry-published TOR in January 2025, this consultant would finalize a national mental health strategic plan, coordinate various mental health activities, reinforce community-based approaches, and oversee improvements in the care system. These responsibilities notably include coordinating the very Trust Fund project being run by NRPB.

In a March 7, 2025, article in The People’s Tribune, the Ministry explicitly acknowledged the need for an expert advisor, stating it “lacks specific mental health expertise and capacity.” However, this statement has drawn attention from some, as there are skilled policy advisors within the Ministry who possess specific backgrounds in mental healthcare and have hands-on experience working in the field on St. Maarten.

The Ministry also claimed the consultant is necessary to avoid the kinds of delays experienced in other NRPB projects. Yet, observers point out that many of the TOR tasks mirror the tasks of the NRPB’s project team. Even if there are delays now, they appear to stem more from the recent changes in government than from a lack of oversight or technical expertise. This is supported by World Bank documentation, which notes that delays in the facility design procurement were “related to changes in government.”

It is for that reason that the Ministry’s sudden recruitment of its own project coordinator is prompting speculation. Why introduce a parallel consultant at this stage? If staffing shortages are the issue, as stated by the Minister’s Cabinet, then why not reinforce internal staff capacity instead of duplicating a project management role?

If existing personnel or the NRPB team can fulfill these coordination duties, and the Trust Fund is already financing expert support, taxpayers deserve to know why an additional consultant is warranted.

Whispers of Pre-Selection undermine trust in process

Given St. Maarten’s small community, it didn’t take long for quiet speculation to emerge about candidates with political ties. While no concrete evidence has surfaced linking Minister Brug or associates to any specific applicant or firm, the perception alone has raised concerns. Murmurs have already surfaced suggesting that a particular individual is widely expected to secure the consultancy. In addition, some sources have noted that the individual, who is said to have ties to a member of the Minister’s cabinet, has shown strong confidence in securing the role. True or not, the whispers have already done their damage – because in a context where trust in government is fragile, perception often matters just as much as facts.

Consultant vs. NRPB – Who’s in Charge?

The Minister owes the public an explanation of how the new consultant will complement (and not conflict with) NRPB’s function. If both a “Ministry-hired advisor” and the NRPB implementation unit are working on the same tasks, who ultimately calls the shots? Is the consultant purely focusing on internal Ministry capacity building? Or will he/she have authority that overlaps with the project’s management? These distinctions matter.

Moreover, potential conflicts of interest cannot be ignored. Are any individuals in Minister Brug’s cabinet or inner circle connected to companies that are likely to bid for the TOR contract? It’s a fair question, given St. Maarten’s track record. Well-intentioned projects have too often been tainted by politically-connected individuals slipping in through side contracts, consultancies, or subcontracts.

Now, with a project as critical as the mental health facility, transparency is non-negotiable. Oversight from the World Bank and institutions like the Trimbos Institute offers some reassurance, but real integrity hinges on local political will.

The Public wants answers – and deserves them

The unfolding situation leaves several pressing questions that Minister Brug and his administration should address head-on:

* Why is an additional consultant needed for the mental health project when the NRPB already has a project implementation unit and international experts on board?

* Does this TOR create overlapping duties that could dilute accountability between the Ministry and NRPB?

* Who stands to benefit from this new role – is it purely about bolstering capacity, or could it pave the way for a favored individual’s involvement?

* What are the safeguards in place to ensure transparency during the hiring and contracting related to this TOR?

* What lessons has the government learned from past procurement controversies to ensure this critical health project doesn’t become another case of perceived nepotism or “insider” deals?

St. Maarten’s new mental health facility and improved services are urgently needed and widely supported – but that support must be met with clear and honest communication. The people of St. Maarten, especially those who will depend on this project, deserve transparency at every stage. The VSA Ministry must now step up and provide clear answers to critical questions – questions the public has every right to ask, and the government has a responsibility to answer.

In the coming weeks, it will therefore become clear whether the Minister is prepared to offer that clarity, or whether familiar narratives of favoritism and political maneuvering will take hold under this new administration.

Concerned citizen

Name withheld at author’s request.

In February this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi quoted an ancient Chinese poem at the 61^st Munich Security Conference when talking about China-U.S. relations, “Powerful as they may be, we remain unshaken like a mountain touched by a gentle breeze. Ferocious as they may be, we stay calm like a river beneath a bright moon,” generating a lot of interpretations of China’s policy towards the U.S. In fact, a more comprehensive and objective apprehension of China’s foreign policy in recent years will help us to find that the poem not only explains China-U.S. relations, but also reflects the four distinctive characteristics of China’s diplomacy in the new era.

First, adhering to peaceful development. The thought of peaceful development is an innate gene in the Chinese culture while honoring promises and living in harmony with all others far and near are fundamental connotations of Chinese diplomacy towards neighboring countries. The Chinese people, having suffered so much from foreign aggression and internal turmoil in modern times, cherish peace. We will never waver in our determination to uphold peace, and we will never want to see others suffer what happened to us.

The boom and prosperity of China is an irresistible trend, but the idea that the strong will bully is not in accordance with the law of history. Since the ancient times China has long been advocating the thoughts like “the strong should not tyrannize the weak while the rich should not bully the poor” and known well the ideas such as “however powerful a country is, it is sure to fall for being too bellicose”. China's adherence to the path of peaceful development is not an expediency, nor diplomatic rhetoric, but a strategic choice and solemn promise.

Adhering to the path of peaceful development cannot be fulfilled at the sacrifice of national interests. China is firmly committed to peaceful development and hopes that all countries in the world will do likewise. Only when all countries take peaceful development paths can we develop and live peacefully together.

Chinese people have a mind that is broader than the ocean and sky, but we can’t tolerate any sand in our eyes. All countries must shoulder their common responsibility for peace, and the Chinese people want, more than anything else, to live in peace and harmony with the people of other countries, and work with them to promote, defend and share peace together.

Second, adhering to openness and inclusiveness. We believe that, without peace, China and the world as a whole cannot achieve smooth development whereas failure in development cannot sustain peace in China and in the world. China’s adherence to peaceful development will naturally lead to open and inclusive diplomacy.

Chinese people have kept a broad mind throughout the history and have been maintaining friendly communications with various nations on the basis of mutual respect. China advocates equality among all countries regardless of size, and calls for mutual tolerance of different social systems and development paths.

We have always believed that what kind of path a country takes should only be decided by its own people in accordance with its own history, cultural traditions, and level of economic and social development. There is no such thing as one single path or model that is universally applicable.

The relations between China and the world are in the midst of profound and complex changes. We believe that every country should have their voice heard. Every country should be able to find their place and play their role in a multipolar paradigm.

China is willing to strengthen dialogue and communication with the outside world with an open and inclusive attitude, to enhance the international community’s understanding and recognition of China’s history, culture, development path and governance philosophy, and to carry out more exchanges among civilizations to understand the world.

Third, adhering to mutual benefit. Development holds the key to addressing various problems. The multipolar world should be one where all countries develop together. Protectionism offers no way out, and arbitrary tariffs produce no winners.

Decoupling deprives one of opportunities, and a “small yard with high fences” only ends up constraining oneself. It is important to pursue open cooperation, and support an equal and orderly multipolar world with a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

It is for this goal that China stays committed to sharing development opportunities with all countries. With a 5% GDP growth last year, China contributed to nearly 30% of the world economic growth. It has served as an important engine for global economic growth, and shared with the world the benefit of its supersized market. China is willing to synergize high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with all sides, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind so as to empower each other and empower the entire world.

China attaches great importance to carrying out friendly communication and cooperation with Latin America and Caribbean countries, putting forward the goal of establishing the comprehensive cooperative partnership featuring equality, mutual benefit, and common development. Take Venezuela as an example, since establishing diplomatic ties, China and Venezuela are united by a common desire to promote peace, cooperation and development, engaging actively in multi-level exchanges in politics, economy, trade and culture. Both countries have consistently stood by each other in independently exploring development paths suited to their national conditions, have supported one another on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and have become trusted friends and committed partners in the face of adversity.

Fourth, adhering to fairness and justice. As Chinese president Xi Jinping pointed out, development is the right of all, rather than an exclusive privilege of the few. Prosperity and stability cannot be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer. In the face of emerging global challenges, no country can stay unaffected.

All countries want to prevent the world from returning to the law of the jungle. To this end, China insists on sovereign equality. Those with stronger arms and bigger fists should not be allowed to call the shots.

International affairs must not be monopolized by a small number of countries. The legitimate rights and interests of all countries should be fully protected.

Multilateralism must be observed. Countries should stay committed to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit.

The authority of the international rule of law must be strengthened. Double standard and selective application should be opposed. Still less should any country resort to bullying, monopoly, trickery or extortion.

It is from this understanding that China firmly upholds the authority and stature of the U.N., contributes to more than 20 percent of the U.N. regular budget, and actively fulfills its international responsibilities and obligations. China is a member of almost all universal intergovernmental organizations and a party to over 600 international conventions. We have acted earnestly on the Paris Agreement on climate change, and built the world’s largest clean power generation system.

We have also proposed and delivered on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, providing public goods for improving global governance as well as the greatest certainty in this uncertain world.

Li Yigang, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Willemstad