PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Egbert Doran is calling for a more efficient and results-driven Parliament in the 2026–2027 parliamentary year, with greater emphasis on completion, follow-up and improving the way Parliament operates.
He made the remarks as he reflected on the work of the past year during Monday’s closing of the 2025–2026 Parliamentary Year.
Doran said the new parliamentary year should not be defined simply by what is discussed in Parliament, but by whether decisions and commitments ultimately produce tangible results for the people of St Maarten.
He pointed to the late handling of the 2026 national budget as a major concern, noting that Parliament completed the budget when the year was already almost over. In his view, this weakens Parliament’s ability to properly scrutinise government priorities and spending while decisions can still be influenced.
Doran said Parliament’s role is to question government, request information and challenge decisions, even when doing so may be uncomfortable.
He called for Parliament to improve its own follow-up by tracking motions after they are passed, recording ministerial commitments, following up on promised information and checking deadlines. He also pointed to the need for improvements in Parliament’s own working methods and systems in the coming year, alongside efforts to make government services more effective.
For government, Doran identified completion as a central priority. He said issues directly affecting residents should move beyond announcements and ongoing work toward actual results, including securing Mullet Bay for the people, providing relief for GEBE customers, supporting marketplace vendors and seniors, improving government services, creating opportunities for young people, developing athletes and investing in the creative sector.
“Less ‘we are working on it.’ More ‘it is done,’” Doran said.
He also called for greater attention to the cost of living, arguing that residents experience economic pressures through supermarket prices, utility bills and rent rather than through government statistics alone.
Doran highlighted his motion concerning a price-controlled basket of goods, which he said passed unanimously, and called for government to provide concrete alternatives and solutions regarding GEBE rather than repeatedly explaining the problem.
He also urged greater attention to revenue generation through areas including visitor-based revenue, maritime development, the creative economy, improved collection, long-lease revenue, investment and government efficiency.
On infrastructure, Doran raised concerns over the absence of a road tender being published under the current minister’s tenure, while also stressing the economic consequences of delays in building permits.
He said Parliament must also work to reduce political and social divisions, arguing that cooperation does not require political agreement on everything. He called for government and opposition members to be willing to support proposals based on their merits.
Doran urged politicians to measure their work by whether St Maarten and its people benefit, rather than by which political side receives credit. His message for the new parliamentary year was summed up in a call for less announcement and more completion, less division and more connection, and less focus on credit and more focus on results.
