SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - At its core, digital transformation is about strengthening how government works as a whole: setting the right rules, building shared digital platforms, and delivering public services that are simple to access, secure to use, and designed around the needs of people and businesses.
On Sint Maarten, this vision is becoming reality through the Digital Government Transformation Project, led by the Digital Leadership Team. Real progress is already visible. A government-wide address system has been implemented, and soon address data will be unified across institutions, replacing fragmented records with a single, reliable reference that improves coordination, service delivery, and emergency response.
Public servants continue to receive cybersecurity training, strengthening our ability to protect systems and data in an increasingly digital world. Outdated cybersecurity infrastructure has been replaced with next-generation systems, increasing the security, resilience, and reliability of government operations.
At the same time, critical paper archives are being converted into secure digital records, improving access to information, and reducing reliance on fragile physical files.
Over the past year, digital transformation has moved from aspiration to action within this government. As Prime Minister, I have placed a strong emphasis on this agenda. Not because I come from a technical background, but quite the opposite. My professional training is in medicine.
But medicine teaches one essential lesson: systems matter. In healthcare, outcomes depend not only on expertise and effort, but on whether information flows, services connect, and care is available when it is needed most.
The government works the same way. Results depend not only on policy or intent, but on how well the state functions as a system, how institutions communicate, how information flows, and how decisions and services connect across society. That understanding lies at the heart of digital transformation.
Government connectivity has also been upgraded, moving away from an outdated microwave-based system to faster, more secure, and more stable fiber-optic connectivity.
In 2026, this work will move further into delivery. Through the Digital Leadership Team, government will roll out initiatives that directly improve how citizens interact with public services.
These include an online feedback and complaints mechanism through the Public Service Center, the introduction of a digital identification ecosystem, featuring secure sign on and e-signature capabilities, and continued upgrades to the look and feel of public service centers to better serve the public.
We will also continue strengthening the laws and policies that support digital identification, secure information sharing, and interoperability across government.
Cybersecurity, data protection, privacy, and open data will remain central priorities, supporting transparency, resilience, and public trust.
The progress made this year did not come from a single reform or quick fix. It came from sustained coordination across institutions, careful sequencing of work, and trust among public servants, partners, and leadership.
That approach is laying strong foundations for digital transformation and shaping how the state will serve the people of Sint Maarten in the years ahead. As we close the year,
I extend my sincere thanks to the public servants and partners who contribute to this work, often behind the scenes, and who continue to help move Sint Maarten forward.
The Digital Government Transformation Project is funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB.
By: Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc F. E. Mercelina Honorable Dr. Luc F. E. Mercelina Prime Minister St. Maarten
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