Wescot-Williams seeks government update on Country Package reforms

Member of Parliament and Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams has asked Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Dr. Luc Mercelina for an update on Sint Maarten’s Country Package reforms. Her letter seeks the government’s assessment of an independent evaluation, the status of reforms and its position on extending cooperation with the Netherlands beyond April 2027.

The Evaluation Committee said reforms had been started, but many had not moved fully from planning and preparation into implementation and permanent integration in government institutions. It recommended extending the cooperation beyond April 2027 and said clarity on its future should be provided during 2026.

Wescot-Williams also asked whether discussions with the Netherlands on an extension have started, what reforms the government considers essential before the arrangement ends, and how Country Package work is being aligned with projects run through the National Recovery Program Bureau.

The Country Packages were established in late 2020 between the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The Mutual Arrangement for Cooperation on Reforms, which formalised the cooperation in April 2023, has an initial four-year term and allows extensions.