ERP-I enters final phase ahead of December closure

The Emergency Recovery Project I, financed with about US$119.7 million, is scheduled to close in December 2026 after eight years of recovery work following Hurricane Irma, according to the National Recovery Program Bureau. The project supported repairs to more than 500 homes, restoration work at 19 schools and the underground placement of 21 kilometres of electricity distribution infrastructure.

Government, Netherlands, World Bank and NRPB representatives marked the project’s final phase at an event on Wednesday 28 October at the Aleeze Convention Center. NRPB said nearly 12,000 residents have benefited directly from ERP-I investments.

According to NRPB, the project also provided emergency-response vehicles, increased water-storage capacity and supported weather-monitoring and public-warning systems. The bureau said ministries and public institutions that manage the facilities, infrastructure, equipment and systems will be responsible for maintaining them after the project closes.

ERP-I is implemented by NRPB on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. It is funded through the Sint Maarten Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund, financed by the Government of the Netherlands and administered by the World Bank, NRPB said.