GREAT BAY--Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announced Wednesday that utility assistance through NV GEBE will increase to XCG 1.5 million in 2027, including an additional XCG 400,000 intended, funded by GEBE, to extend support to senior citizens and a broader group of vulnerable households struggling with electricity and water expenses.
The announcement came as Mercelina launched RUA SXM, Restoring Utility Affordability for the People of St. Maarten, an initiative he said reflects Government’s effort to reduce the pressure of utility costs on households while addressing longer-term challenges within the energy sector.
Mercelina said that, following Government’s insistence, NV GEBE will provide an additional XCG 400,000 in direct relief and community support. That allocation will bring the overall level of assistance planned for 2027 to XCG 1.5 million, which the Prime Minister said is three times the support level provided in 2024.
“This increase is not simply about numbers. It is about providing meaningful assistance to people who need it most,” Mercelina said.
The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, VSA, and NV GEBE are now discussing how the additional support will be distributed.
According to the Prime Minister, VSA will assist in identifying eligible senior citizens as well as a wider group of vulnerable families who could benefit from the expanded allocation. He stressed that the process must be properly coordinated and transparent, with assistance directed toward households experiencing genuine financial difficulty.
Mercelina said Government wanted the support expanded because financial pressure from utility bills is not limited to one segment of the population.
“Our senior citizens have contributed throughout their lives to the development of St. Maarten. They deserve our support,” the Prime Minister said, while also acknowledging that other vulnerable families continue to struggle with the cost of living and monthly utility expenses.
The latest initiative builds on an existing partnership between Government, through VSA, and NV GEBE to assist residents experiencing financial hardship.
The current NV GEBE and Social Services Utility Relief Pilot Program began on December 1, 2025 and runs through November 30, 2026. Under that program, eligible residents can receive vouchers valued at XCG 50 each, with assistance of up to XCG 250 per month applied toward electricity and water bills.
Eligibility under the existing pilot includes persons with an active GEBE account in their name who are legal residents of St. Maarten and either receive financial aid through Social Services or can demonstrate financial hardship or vulnerability.
Early results showed considerable use of the program. During its first three months, from December 2025 through February 2026, an average of 238 households per month received assistance, with XCG 70,650 applied directly to utility accounts during that period, according to VSA.
The Government has repeatedly identified utility affordability as a concern as households face higher living costs and fluctuations in electricity charges linked in part to international fuel prices. In May, Mercelina publicly called for additional consumer relief after NV GEBE increased its fuel clause, saying vulnerable families, seniors and working households were already carrying significant financial pressure.
Wednesday’s announcement signals that the assistance effort will continue into 2027 at a higher overall level, although the specific mechanism for distributing the additional XCG 400,000 is still being worked out between VSA and NV GEBE.
Mercelina said the expanded support represents an immediate response to households currently facing difficulty, separate from Government’s longer-term work on energy costs and electricity generation.
“The additional XCG 400,000 in community support, bringing the overall assistance to XCG 1.5 million, demonstrates that this Government is listening and acting,” Mercelina said.
The Prime Minister made the announcement as NV GEBE marked its 66th anniversary, congratulating the utility’s Supervisory Board, management, employees and retirees while calling for continued cooperation between Government and the company on affordability and reliability.
