PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten (20 May, 2026) – The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) has announced significant progress in the restructuring and modernization of the Department of Economic Licenses (DEL), reducing the department’s backlog from more than 400 pending applications and matters in 2025 to approximately 60 today.
The achievement marks a major milestone in Government’s efforts to improve service delivery and modernize the business licensing process.
“Business owners should be focused on running their businesses, not spending months waiting on approvals,” said Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger-Marten. “We are working to build a licensing system that is faster, more transparent, and more responsive to the needs of the business community.”
During the summer of 2025, the Ministry publicly acknowledged that DEL required urgent intervention due to longstanding operational challenges, outdated manual systems, and growing frustration among entrepreneurs.
At the time, applicants were facing extended delays, staff were overwhelmed, and the department remained heavily dependent on paper-based and in-person processes.
In response, the Ministry undertook a targeted restructuring aimed at reorganizing internal workflows, processing long-outstanding applications, improving efficiency, and laying the foundation for a modern digital system.
As part of this transformation, the Ministry launched the pilot phase of DEL’s online business license submission portal, marking the beginning of the department’s digital transition.
The pilot phase has now been completed, and the current portal closed on May 9, 2026.
To allow staff to focus on processing pending matters and preparing the next phase of modernization, DEL will temporarily limit walk-in services from May 11 through May 22, 2026. During this period, processed licenses may be collected daily between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
DEL is scheduled to fully reopen on May 25, 2026, with updated operational procedures.
For the business community, this means a simpler, faster, and more predictable process for obtaining the licenses needed to operate.
“In less than one year, DEL has reduced its backlog from over 400 applications to approximately 60,” the Minister said. “That is substantial progress, and it reflects the hard work of the DEL team and our commitment to improving service delivery.”
The Ministry of TEATT remains committed to reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and building a licensing system that is streamlined, transparent, digital, and service-oriented.
For more information, members of the public are encouraged to monitor official Government communication channels.
https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/Pages/DEL-cuts-backlog-by-more-than-85-as-digital-transformation-moves-forward.aspx
