MP Doran questions why civil servants are leaving as govt struggles to fill vacancies

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Egbert Doran has raised concerns about the increasing number of St. Maarten civil servants leaving the island, questioning what is driving experienced government employees away and whether sufficient action is being taken to address the situation. He warned that the continued loss of personnel, combined with staffing shortages and longstanding salary disparities, threatens the government's ability to function effectively and implement the reforms being financed through its cooperation agreement with the Netherlands.

Speaking during Friday's parliamentary debate on the extension of the Country Reform Package through April 2029, Doran said he could not share the optimism expressed by another Member of Parliament about the country's prospects, pointing to what he described as a deterioration in civil service capacity over the past two years.

He said he has increasingly observed reports of civil servants leaving St. Maarten and questioned whether employment conditions, salaries, the cost of living and other problems within government are contributing to their departure.

The MP called on government to examine what is happening within the public administration that could be discouraging employees from remaining in their positions or on the island.

Doran questioned how the government intends to strengthen the civil service through an extended reform program when it continues to lose existing employees and struggles to recruit replacements.

His concerns came as Parliament considered extending the Mutual Arrangement for Cooperation on Reforms between St. Maarten and the Netherlands, which provides financial and technical support for strengthening government institutions and public services.

Salary policies may be discouraging experienced civil servants

Doran identified what he described as unfair salary policies as one of the longstanding problems affecting employee morale and retention within government.

Drawing on his experience as a former minister, he described situations in which civil servants pursue additional education, obtain advanced qualifications and qualify for higher positions but face restrictions on the salary increases they can receive when promoted.

As an example, he referred to a government employee earning a salary at scale eight who obtains additional qualifications, including a master's degree, and successfully applies for a department head position classified at scale 12 or 13.

According to Doran, existing salary advancement rules can limit how far that employee moves within the higher salary scale, while an externally recruited candidate may enter the same scale at a substantially higher salary step.

He characterized the practice as discriminatory toward existing civil servants who have invested in their education and professional development.

Doran recalled having to submit extensive justifications to the government's personnel authorities during his time as minister to obtain more appropriate salary placements for employees.

He argued that promoting qualified employees while restricting their compensation can create dissatisfaction from the beginning of their appointment, even when they accept the position.

The MP asked Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina for an update on efforts to amend the applicable personnel regulations to address the salary advancement issue.

He noted that the problem had already been recurring during his time in government in 2020 and questioned why it had not been sufficiently resolved.

Doran questions urgency of government's recruitment efforts

Beyond salary policies, Doran questioned whether the government is moving aggressively enough to address vacancies across the civil service.

"I don't feel the sense of urgency or the aggressive movement from the government when it comes to hiring," he stated.

He pointed to what he described as a severely understaffed recruitment operation, arguing that the personnel responsible for filling government vacancies are themselves operating with limited capacity.

According to Doran, this creates an ongoing problem in which government departments cannot recruit the employees needed to perform their responsibilities because the recruitment process lacks sufficient personnel to function efficiently.

He suggested that government consider engaging an external consultancy firm or other recruitment support to accelerate hiring and address the backlog of vacancies.

The MP argued that moving limited personnel between departments does not solve the underlying problem because filling one vacancy can create another elsewhere.

He questioned how government expects to execute additional reform projects while existing departments remain understaffed and struggle to carry out routine responsibilities.

Road infrastructure funding cited as example of execution problems

Doran also connected the capacity problem to delays in infrastructure projects, referring to approximately eight to nine million guilders that he said had been available for road infrastructure works when he left office.

According to the MP, the funding was intended for road construction and rehabilitation projects rather than routine maintenance.

He said discussions had already taken place with a contractor about expediting the work, but claimed that no tender had subsequently been issued to advance the project.

Doran argued that money initially intended for more substantial road improvements was effectively being treated as maintenance funding because the planned infrastructure works had not materialized.

He questioned why government had not moved forward with the larger investment, which he argued could have improved road conditions and allowed subsequent maintenance to be financed through regular annual allocations.

The MP suggested that approximately three million guilders remained available, although that figure was presented as his understanding rather than a confirmed government balance.

He used the example to question whether the government's administrative and implementation capacity is sufficient to convert available financing into completed projects.

Doran demands evidence of what reforms have accomplished

Turning directly to the Country Reform Package, Doran questioned what the existing cooperation arrangement has achieved for St. Maarten since implementation began in 2021.

He requested a detailed assessment of each major reform, identifying its original objectives, the work completed, what remains outstanding and the practical changes achieved.

The MP also questioned whether the technical assistance and supervision provided under the cooperation arrangement have produced measurable improvements in government performance and public services.

He emphasized the need to evaluate actual results for residents rather than relying solely on completed studies, plans and administrative activities.

Doran also requested clarification about the approximately €30 million frequently referenced in discussions concerning the extension. He asked whether the amount represents a confirmed allocation specifically for St. Maarten, an estimate or part of a larger regional budget.

He further requested information about the financial conditions attached to the assistance, including whether any portion must be repaid or requires financial contributions from St. Maarten.

The MP asked government to clearly identify what portion of the support consists of grants, technical assistance, loans or co-financing arrangements.

Prime Minister acknowledges capacity problems, promises clearer reporting

In his response to Parliament, Prime Minister Mercelina acknowledged that staffing shortages and limited implementation capacity have been major obstacles to advancing the reform program.

He explained that government has had to pursue an ambitious reform agenda while simultaneously managing daily operations and addressing longstanding personnel shortages.

Mercelina said the next phase of cooperation must place greater emphasis on capacity building, project execution and retaining institutional knowledge within government.

He also committed to promoting opportunities for local professionals and ensuring that external consultants contribute to the development of local expertise through mentoring, training and knowledge transfer.

However, the Prime Minister's remarks did not provide specific figures on the number of civil servants who have left government or detailed answers concerning the salary advancement rules and recruitment problems raised by Doran.

Regarding the approximately €30 million, Mercelina clarified that St. Maarten has never had one fixed overall budget under the Country Reform Package. Instead, funding has been made available on a project-by-project basis in support of agreed reforms.

He explained that this arrangement makes it difficult to determine the total amount of unused funding simply by comparing an overall allocation with expenditures.

The Prime Minister also agreed that Parliament requires more detailed information about the progress of individual reforms, particularly the projects that have experienced delays.

Doran had called for the return of a project monitoring dashboard using green, orange and red indicators to show whether reforms are progressing as planned, encountering problems or falling behind schedule.

Mercelina agreed that such a system, combined with specific project milestones, responsible ministries and completion deadlines, could improve Parliament's ability to monitor implementation.

He committed to pursuing stronger reporting arrangements covering project expenditures, results achieved, delays and corrective measures.

The government is expected to continue discussions with the Netherlands and the Temporary Work Organization (TWO) concerning implementation priorities through April 2029.