Video 3 Minister of VROMI Provides Status Update on Road Surfacing, Sargassum Cleanup, and Travel Expenditures
During Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Ms. Bibi H. of SMN News directed several pointed questions to the Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning,
Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI). The inquiries focused on the progress of the road hard surfacing project, the cost of the recent sargassum cleanup, and travel expenditures related to NRPB projects.
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The Minister began by addressing the road surfacing initiative. “We are finalizing work in the Cole Bay area, and most of the roads under Phase One will be completed by the end of the summer,” he said.
While Man Jack Drive remains outstanding due to boundary verifications, the Ministry has already contacted the Makou family to finalize participation in the project. “Once property boundary checks are complete, we will proceed with paving,” he added.
Turning to future plans, the Minister explained that Phase Two will address the remaining half of the roads. He emphasized that drainage must accompany the paving effort. “It’s critical that we don’t just shift the flooding problem further along,” he stated. To that end, a complementary drainage project is scheduled for the summer.
Status Update on Road Surfacing, Sargassum Cleanup, and Travel Expenditures
Addressing the cost of the ongoing sargassum cleanup, the Minister admitted he did not have the figure at hand. “I will get back to you with the exact cost,” he assured.
Ms. Hadsha also raised concerns regarding the funding of travel tied to NRPB projects. The Minister clarified that the government fully covers these costs. “NRPB’s operational costs are separate. All government travel, including to Trust Fund project meetings, is funded from the national budget,” he said. He stressed the importance of ownership: “These are not NRPB or World Bank projects. These are government of St. Maarten projects. We own both the successes and the setbacks.”
The Minister further noted that training and seminars are funded separately, and these usually apply to civil servants, not ministers. As for his own travel expenses, he acknowledged the request for transparency. “I don’t have the full total now, but it’s been requested by Members of Parliament as well. I’ll share the figures once available.”
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Ms. Hadsha followed up with concerns about Well Road and the Dutch Quarter sewage project. In response, the Minister explained that Well Road remains unpaved and lacks proper drainage. “It will be included in our next CAPEX request. It may not be a main road, but it functions like one and serves as a vital bypass for Cole Bay and Simpson Bay,” he said.
Regarding Dutch Quarter, the Minister confirmed that Windward Roads remains engaged despite initial handover. “Malfunctions were identified after the pump station was transferred. Windward Roads is working on resolving those,” he explained. Additionally, household sewer connections are still pending. “We’re currently scheduling tenders to finalize these connections and fully operationalize the system,” he concluded.
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