ACP-SXM says legal petition to GEBE will be first step before possible court action

GREAT BAY--The Association for Consumer Protection St. Maarten, ACP-SXM, said its formal petition to NV GEBE will be submitted by the organization’s legal representatives following the peaceful consumer rights march scheduled for Monday, June 15.

ACP-SXM President Peggy-Ann Richardson said the organization has met with its legal counsel and that legal steps are being prepared. She said an injunction is ready, but that the legal team has advised that the petition should first be submitted formally to GEBE, with a clear timeframe for response.

According to Richardson, the first step is to request a meeting with GEBE to seek mediation and determine whether there can be agreement on what the company must do to address consumer concerns.

“We will not operate on the closed-door sessions story,” Richardson said. “This impacts the consumer. You have the right to know.”

ACP-SXM said one of its immediate concerns is the treatment of disputed bills, especially those connected to the period following the 2022 cyberattack and extending into 2024. Richardson stressed that the association is not encouraging people to avoid paying their bills. Rather, she said consumers should make efforts to pay current consumption while disputed balances are addressed.

“We are not saying not to pay a bill,” Richardson said. “If you have a disputed bill, we are saying pause on that. Your current consumption, make efforts to pay that. GEBE employees need to be paid and nobody wants that company to go belly up.”

Richardson and ACP-SXM Treasurer Solange Apon appeared on radio Monday morning, where they outlined the organization’s purpose, the legal steps being prepared, and the importance of public participation in the June 15 march.

The peaceful march is scheduled to begin with a gathering at 1:00pm at the APS parking lot near the Government Administration Building. Participants will then walk to NV GEBE, where the petition will be submitted.

ACP-SXM said the march is part of a broader consumer rights movement and not an anti-GEBE campaign. Richardson explained that the association was formed to advocate for consumer rights across St. Maarten, with GEBE currently being the focus because of widespread concerns involving billing, disconnections and transparency.

“We are a consumer rights advocacy group,” Richardson said. “We are not an anti-NV GEBE group. This is for consumer rights across the board. Today the focus is NV GEBE, tomorrow it can be the gas station down the road.”

Apon said the association’s objective is to represent consumers in a structured and lawful way. She said ACP-SXM was formally established so it can act collectively, including through litigation if necessary.

“We formed the association because as an association we can further go into litigation, whereas in the past it was just people on their own,” Apon said.

Both Richardson and Apon stressed that the June 15 march must remain peaceful and respectful. They said ACP-SXM will not tolerate violence, aggression, bullying, harassment, intimidation or threats against GEBE employees.

Apon said the association’s concerns are directed at decision-makers and policymakers within the company, not the employees who serve the public daily.

“We are focusing more toward the policymakers within the company, not the employees,” Apon said. “This is strictly against the policymakers, top management and those who decide up there.”

Richardson also expressed appreciation for GEBE workers, saying many continue to do their jobs under difficult circumstances. She urged residents not to threaten or abuse employees at GEBE offices, and said frustration must be channeled into organized, disciplined and lawful action.

“We are not going to tolerate violent acts of aggression, bullying, harassment, intimidation and all of these things,” Richardson said. “That will undermine what this association is about.”

ACP-SXM is asking participants to wear white if possible, but said no one should stay away if they do not have a white shirt. The organization is also encouraging residents to make signs and bring Unity Flags as a show of solidarity.

“If you don’t have a white shirt, come as you are,” Richardson said.

Richardson also called on businesses, unions, civil society organizations and public officials to support the march. She said utility costs affect the entire community, including workers, households, businesses and institutions.

ACP-SXM also invited residents from the northern side of the island to participate, saying the issue affects the island economy as a whole.

“This is not about me. It’s not about Solange. This is not even about the association. This is about you,” Richardson said.

During the radio appearance, Richardson criticized what she described as slow movement on GEBE-related matters at the parliamentary level. She referred to the BTP report submitted to Parliament in August 2025, a parliamentary meeting adjourned in September 2025 to allow the Prime Minister to answer questions, the establishment of an ad hoc committee on GEBE in January 2026, and closed-door sessions held in February and April.

She questioned whether enough had been done to obtain answers for the public, saying the issue has serious consequences for households throughout St. Maarten.

ACP-SXM also encouraged residents to become members of the association. Membership is free, and residents can register through the organization’s online platforms. The organization said residents can also submit consumer complaints through its website, helping ACP-SXM build a database of issues affecting the public.

The board of ACP-SXM consists of Peggy-Ann Richardson as President, Solange Apon as Treasurer and original founder, Lloyd Beaton as Vice Chair and paralegal, Maritza James as Secretary, and Kevin Petrona as board member.

The association said its public outreach will continue ahead of Monday’s march.

The June 15 peaceful consumer rights march will gather at 1:00pm at the APS parking lot before proceeding to NV GEBE for the submission of the petition.

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