It Wasn’t Me, And That’s the Problem - Part 2

Opportunity should have no opposition. Yet in Sint Maarten, progress often feels like a political debate instead of a national priority.

Elections are over. The speeches have faded. The banners are down. Now we see clearly who had plans and who had talking points.

These past months have been eye-opening. During campaign season, we heard grand promises about spending, stimulus, relief, and transformation. Money flowed freely in rhetoric like a broken pipe. Yet now in office, some seem unable to make a dollar out of fifteen cents.

The irony is glaring.

The few candidates who presented realistic, revenue-generating ideas were dismissed as impractical or unpopular. Now the same ideas are quietly resurfacing without acknowledgment.

Here is the truth we keep avoiding: until we stop saying “It wasn’t me” and admit “It was us,” accountability and integrity will remain buzzwords rather than standards.

There has been visible activity within the Ministry of Finance. But activity is not the same as strategy. What remains unclear is the comprehensive plan.

Take the recent move to abolish land tax labeled by some as a colonial relic. The rhetoric sounds bold. But where is the compliance data? Where is the cost-benefit analysis?

Across the Caribbean, similar property-based taxes fund infrastructure, public services, and development projects. Meanwhile, we continue to dodge potholes.

A reported drop of millions in revenue collection, yet we contemplate eliminating an existing revenue stream rather than enforcing compliance. Casinos operate with broad exemptions. Compliance gaps persist. And instead of strengthening collection mechanisms, we debate dismantling them.

If land tax were fully enforced, what would the real numbers show? How much revenue is currently left uncollected? Before abolishing, shouldn’t we first measure?

Can we please see the data?

During Financial Literacy Month, the public learned several important points:

• All owners of Sint Maarten real estate are taxed locally, regardless of residency.

• Income derived from property is subject to Profit Tax or Personal Income Tax.

• Certain structures such as foundations and trusts benefit from exemptions.

• Tax-exempt entities are restricted in direct real estate investment.

• Sixty-five percent of gross rental income is taxable.

One has to ask: if only 65 percent of gross rent is taxable, and compliance remains inconsistent, is it any surprise that rental prices are high and public revenue remains constrained?

What was even more revealing was the level of public interest not in compliance  but in avoidance. That should concern policymakers. It should also serve as a wake-up call to modernize outdated legislation, close loopholes, and simplify enforcement.

But that requires political courage.

We are hesitant to demand compliance. Hesitant to hold colleagues accountable. Hesitant to challenge legacy networks. Then a decade passes and once again we say, “It wasn’t me.”

Yet for decades, leadership has been largely local. The decisions have been local. The votes have been local.

So why has progress felt so incremental?

Is it political loyalty? Is it legacy? Is it family name recognition overshadowing competence?

If we continue electing based on familiarity rather than merit, we should not be surprised by familiar results.

One cannot help but wonder: how different would Sint Maarten look if competence consistently outweighed surname? If policy expertise mattered more than political pedigree? If candidates ran on conviction and capacity rather than convenience and connections?

There are capable professionals  many of whom never get the opportunity to lead because the political ecosystem favors legacy over leadership. Those who are competent but overlooked often carry something powerful: a genuine desire for growth, reform, and structural change.

Perhaps the real reform begins not in Parliament, but at the ballot box.

Because if we keep choosing comfort over competence,

we will keep budgeting on beer while dreaming on champagne.

And that is not a revenue problem.

That is a leadership problem.

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