Sarah Request for Ministerial Response on Building Permit Audit

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot-Williams has formally written to the Minister of VROMI requesting a response to the Performance Audit on the Building Permit Process (November 2025).

The audit identifies significant concerns, including outdated legislation, inconsistent application of policies, lack of transparency, integrity risks, and operational bottlenecks within the permitting system.

Given these findings -and the fact that the Minister did not respond during the audit process- the Member of Parliament has requested:

1. A formal reaction from the Minister to the audit’s conclusions.
2. A clear implementation plan covering all recommendations issued by the General Audit Chamber.
3. A detailed timeline for actions such as automation of the permitting process, legislative modernization, zoning implementation, and improvements to transparency and integrity safeguards.

According to the Member of Parliament, these reforms are essential to restoring public trust, ensuring a fair and accountable permitting system, and supporting sustainable development for Sint Maarten. A response from the Minister is requested within three weeks.