GREAT BAY--President of the Association for Consumer Protection St. Maarten (ACP-SXM), Peggy Ann Richardson, said she remains reserved following Monday’s march to NV GEBE and the subsequent meeting with Temporary Manager Iris Arrindell and members of GEBE’s management team.
Richardson acknowledged that Arrindell and her management team came out to receive the nine-point petition presented by ACP-SXM and later invited the association into the conference room for discussion. However, she said that while there may be a willingness to engage in dialogue, she is not prepared to be overly confident about the outcome until GEBE responds formally.
“I am being very reserved in how I interpret that meeting,” Richardson stated.
She said her caution is based on what she described as a broader understanding of issues surrounding GEBE, including matters she said are taking place behind the scenes. Richardson said she does not want the matter to end up in court and would prefer for GEBE to respond truthfully, responsibly and in the interest of the company, its employees and the consumers it serves.
According to Richardson, GEBE must begin rebuilding trust with the community by acknowledging where wrong steps were taken.
“Admission goes a long way in building trust back with society and with the people of St. Maarten,” Richardson said. She added that GEBE’s continued defensive posture has not served the company well and urged management to step back, assess the situation honestly and identify meaningful steps to rebuild confidence with its consumer base.
Richardson said ACP-SXM will hold firm to the two immediate and non-negotiable demands in its nine-point petition. Those demands are for GEBE to suspend residential disconnections and reconnect all households, and for GEBE to immediately reverse what ACP-SXM describes as the unauthorized and unlawful retroactive application of the fuel clause.
ACP-SXM has given GEBE seven days to respond to the two immediate demands.
Richardson said the association is prepared to pursue further action, including a class-action suit, if GEBE fails to properly address the concerns raised by consumers. She stressed, however, that court action is not ACP-SXM’s preferred route.
Also present during the engagement was attorney Valya Pantophlet of the law firm DEJONG Legal, which represents ACP-SXM on a pro bono basis. Pantophlet said she too got the impression that there was willingness on the part of GEBE’s management team to engage with the issues presented.
Pantophlet said it was also a positive step to meet with an all-local management team, which, in her view, gave the impression that it understood the seriousness of the matter and the concerns raised by consumers. She said ACP-SXM will await GEBE’s formal response within the seven-day period and determine its next course of action based on what the company presents.
ACP-SXM’s full nine-point petition also addresses broader issues such as transparency in tariff methodology, disclosure of how fuel costs are calculated, an independent audit of consumer billing practices, a plain English customer service policy, a restitution mechanism for improperly or excessively charged amounts, special policies for vulnerable customers, full cooperation with oversight authorities and a clear infrastructure and service reliability plan.
The association said Monday’s march and petition were intended to give consumers a clear voice and to place their concerns formally before GEBE management.
ACP-SXM maintained that while dialogue is welcome, dialogue alone will not restore public confidence. The association said meaningful action, clear timelines and visible correction are now necessary, starting with the two immediate demands to stop residential disconnections, reconnect households and address the disputed retroactive fuel clause.
