GREAT BAY--Parliament adopted nine of 10 amendments to the 2026 national budget on Thursday, approving a series of reallocations covering tourism development, agriculture, sports, government staffing, legislative capacity, prison operations, waste management and social assistance.
The amendments formed part of the final stage of the 2026 budget debate and largely shifted funds already contained in the budget toward areas Members of Parliament argued could be executed more effectively during the remaining months of the year. Only an amendment submitted by MP Ardwell Irion failed to secure sufficient support.
MP Viren Kotai secured approval for two amendments related to tourism. The first reallocates Cg 4 million from the capital allocation for the proposed flagpole project to tourism product development, including improvements to public spaces and tourism zones. Government indicated during the debate that the flagpole project would not be realized as originally budgeted and supported redirecting the funds toward projects that can be executed.
Kotai’s second amendment redirects Cg 750,000 that had been budgeted in connection with the St. Maarten Tourism Authority. Government explained that the authority is not expected to be established until 2027, making the funds available for more immediate tourism purposes. The money will instead support executable Tourist Bureau initiatives, including marketing and tourism product development.
MP Veronica Jansen-Webster also secured approval for an amendment within the Ministry of General Affairs aimed at addressing staffing shortages. The measure reallocates Cg 400,000 to provide temporary external support for the Personnel and Organization Department and Facility Affairs, with Cg 200,000 directed to each area.
MP Sjamira Roseburg secured approval for an additional Cg 100,000 for external legislative legal support within the Legal Affairs Department. The funding was shifted from a calamity-related allocation within General Affairs and is intended to help address the shortage of legislative drafting capacity that has repeatedly been raised by government and Parliament.
MP Dimar Labega’s amendment redirects Cg 800,000 originally intended for the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Agency, which is not expected to become operational in 2026. The funds can instead be used for agriculture and fisheries-related work necessary to advance the agency, including the business case, feasibility work and legislative drafting.
MP Francisco Lacroes received approval for an amendment reducing travel allocations by Cg 149,307.70 and redirecting the money toward training, capacity building and support for sports activities through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. Government confirmed that sufficient funds remained in the affected travel budget lines and that the relevant ministers agreed with the reallocation.
Parliament unanimously approved a revised amendment from MP Franklin Meyers reallocating Cg 2 million within the Ministry of Justice toward recruitment, appointments and the operational and security needs of the Point Blanche prison. Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling welcomed the additional resources, noting that a recent local recruitment drive attracted more than 140 applicants for prison guard positions.
MP Raeyhon Peterson also secured approval for a VROMI amendment involving approximately Cg 1.46 million. The funds are being redistributed among budget lines within the ministry to address expenses including garbage disposal, existing security contracts, calamity prevention and consultancy-related costs. Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs supported the amendment, pointing to rising costs and the need to meet existing obligations within the ministry.
The final approved amendment came from Jansen-Webster and strengthens the budget available for financial assistance through the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, VSA. Approximately Cg 750,000 is being redirected within the ministry to address an anticipated shortfall in social assistance as more individuals and households seek support with essential living expenses.
Jansen-Webster pointed to the increased cost of living and an increase in the Consumer Price Index as contributing factors behind growing demand for financial assistance. The amendment was adopted with 12 votes in favor and three against.
Irion amendment rejected
The only amendment that failed was submitted by MP Ardwell Irion. His proposal sought to reduce several government travel allocations by a combined Cg 150,000 and redirect the money through ECYS toward public education, culture, sports and other social priorities.
The proposal included additional support for public schools, the National Sports Institute, NSI, and St. Maarten Day-related activities. Irion argued that the funds could be better used for areas such as schools that continue to struggle with basic needs, rather than remaining in government travel budgets.
The amendment attracted support from several MPs, particularly because of its proposed assistance for public schools and sports. However, concerns were raised about whether all components could legally and practically be executed in the manner written.
President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams explained during her vote that the difficulty was not necessarily with the objectives of the amendment, several of which she supported, but with combining them into one budget amendment.
Wescot-Williams noted that an amendment is different from a motion. Parliament can use a motion to request that a minister pursue a particular policy, but a budget amendment formally moves money from one budget post to another and therefore has to be structured in a way that can actually be implemented.
MP Sjamira Roseburg also noted that the amendment contained several different purposes that could not be voted on separately. She said she supported additional assistance for public schools and agreed that schools should not have to resort to activities such as selling pizza to raise money for basic needs, but other elements created difficulties.
Among those issues was the St. Maarten Day allocation. Minister of ECYS Melissa Gumbs explained that the French side is responsible for hosting the official St. Maarten Day celebrations this year, affecting the need for the proposed expenditure.
Questions were also raised about directing funds specifically to NSI. It was explained during the debate that while Parliament can allocate money to a general subsidy budget, the decision to grant a subsidy to a particular organization remains a ministerial responsibility.
Wescot-Williams said the proposal might have been easier to support had its different components been presented separately, allowing MPs to approve the portions they considered workable. Because Parliament had to vote on the amendment as one package, she said the problematic components could not simply be removed during the vote.
The Irion amendment ultimately received seven votes in favor and eight against and was rejected.
With nine of the 10 proposed amendments adopted, the 2026 budget approved by Parliament now differs in several areas from the document originally submitted by government, with millions of guilders redirected toward projects and expenditures MPs and ministers indicated could be carried out during the remainder of the fiscal year.
