Education Minister Melissa Gumbs Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs At Dinner Like They Need More Food St Maarten Sint Maarten
Minister Blames Former Leadership for Delays in School, Library Rebuilding
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs squarely blamed former ministerial leadership for delays in rebuilding schools and the national library.
She stated that she cares less about the origin of contractors and more about whether they complete the work properly and on schedule.
“When I stepped into this ministry, I discovered projects that previous leadership had ignored and left to stall,” Gumbs said during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing.
She immediately clarified her focus. “To be very clear, I don’t refer to my immediate predecessor, former acting minister Lyndon Lewis,” she noted.
“I point directly to the minister before him, who failed to engage or manage these projects responsibly.”
Gumbs took swift action upon entering office. She reviewed each stalled project, met with technical teams, and reassigned oversight responsibilities to speed up the process.
“I refuse to allow another year to pass with no progress,” she stated. “I expect every contractor and official to follow clear deadlines and deliver tangible results.”
She also promised full transparency. Her ministry will publish updates regularly, track timelines publicly, and hold all involved parties accountable without exception.
4o
Minister Finance -Marinka J. Gumbs, Minister ECYS -Melissa Gumbs,
and Minister VSA -Richinel Brug attended the Brunch meeting @Simpson Bay Resort for Learning is for Everyone(LIFE) Hosted by the founder of (LIFE) Ms. Julienne Augusty.
This meeting was held on Friday May 23rd, 2025.
PHILIPSBURG—Minister Blames Former Leadership for Delays in School, Library Rebuilding
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs has held past ministerial leadership responsible for the prolonged delays in rebuilding several schools and the national library. She emphasized that her priority lies in ensuring quality and timely completion, regardless of which companies carry out the work.