GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina has raised concern over what he described as a visible increase in littering across St. Maarten, warning that the country is becoming progressively dirtier and urging residents to take greater personal responsibility for the waste they generate.
His remarks came as Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, VROMI, Patrice Gumbs announced that the tender for the country’s new solid-waste collection contracts will go out on Monday, August 17.
Speaking during the Council of Ministers briefing on Wednesday, August 12, Mercelina said the deterioration in the country’s cleanliness is something he is witnessing personally as he travels around St. Maarten.
“It worries me when I drive around in the car and I see actually an increase in the littering,” the Prime Minister said. He added that the problem is becoming increasingly noticeable, saying, “The littering is increasing, it’s getting more and more.”
Mercelina linked the physical condition of St. Maarten to the pride residents have in their country, making clear that the growing litter problem should not be viewed only as an issue for government agencies to solve.
He welcomed the measures announced by Gumbs to address cleanliness, but used the opportunity to deliver a direct message to residents: government can organize collection systems, clean public areas and strengthen enforcement, but citizens must also take responsibility for how they dispose of their garbage.
The Prime Minister stressed that keeping St. Maarten clean is not solely the responsibility of government and that residents have an obligation to properly manage the waste they produce. His appeal placed part of the responsibility for improving the country’s appearance directly on individuals, households and the wider community.
Mercelina said he was pleased that VROMI is moving to address the situation, noting that the Ministry’s upcoming initiatives are intended to help bring the growing problem under control. However, he emphasized that those efforts will have limited effect without cooperation from the public.
The Prime Minister’s comments come as government prepares for a new phase in the management of solid waste.
Gumbs announced that the new tender for garbage collection contracts will go out on August 17, beginning the process toward new arrangements for solid-waste collection across the country’s collection districts.
The VROMI Minister also announced a broader clean-up initiative that will include roads and greenery. These activities will be carried out alongside the removal of abandoned and wrecked vehicles from public areas.
Gumbs asked the public to cooperate with and facilitate the ministries involved as the work is carried out over the coming weeks.
The issue of enforcement also surfaced during the briefing, with attention drawn to the fact that St. Maarten already has legal provisions to penalize littering, while actual enforcement has remained a challenge.
Gumbs said VROMI has reinstated enforcement personnel within its Inspection Department, providing the Ministry with greater capacity to act against violations. He explained that inspectors had previously been more limited in the actions they could take, including relying on stop orders in enforcement matters.
The developments place renewed attention on both sides of St. Maarten’s long-standing waste problem: government’s responsibility to provide reliable collection, clean public spaces and enforce the law, and the responsibility of residents and businesses not to contribute to the deterioration of the country.
Mercelina’s message was that improvements cannot come from government action alone. While VROMI moves ahead with new garbage contracts, clean-up operations, removal of derelict vehicles and stronger enforcement, the Prime Minister called on residents to recognize their own role in maintaining the country and to treat the cleanliness of St. Maarten as a reflection of national pride.
