PHILIPSBURG — The letter sent by Member of Parliament Ludmilla De Weever to the Minister of Finance is more than a request for clarification. It is a public indictment of government inconsistency, and a challenge to political will.
De Weever’s question cuts to the core: if government could bail out a private company like ENNIA under opaque terms that tie the country into decades of obligations, why is TelEm, our own national telecom provider, left to wither?
This is not an abstract debate. TelEm is not just another struggling company. It is part of St. Maarten’s backbone infrastructure. Its collapse would reverberate across homes, businesses, schools, and essential services. In her brandbrief, De Weever has forced the issue: either government intervenes, or it must accept full responsibility for letting a national asset collapse.
A Union Alarm and a Political Challenge
This is not the first alarm bell. Earlier, the SMCU union issued its own brandbrief demanding urgent government action, citing TelEm’s fragile financial state and the added pressure of new competition after the granting of a Starlink license.
Now, De Weever has raised the political stakes, framing TelEm’s survival not only as an economic question but as a test of sovereignty, transparency, and government credibility.
Unjust Disparity and Lack of Transparency
De Weever highlights a glaring disparity: ENNIA received a bailout with long-term obligations, yet TelEm — a critical national utility — faces abandonment. Citizens are still in the dark about the exact terms of the ENNIA deal, and they deserve no less transparency regarding TelEm.
If public money is to be risked, the public deserves clarity: how much, for what purpose, and with what safeguards?
Sovereignty and National Control at Risk
Telecommunications is not a luxury. It is infrastructure that underpins sovereignty, security, and social equity. Allowing TelEm to crumble while foreign operators scale up risks ceding control over St. Maarten’s digital lifelines.
Is Starlink a complement to TelEm, or is it a competitor waiting to take over entirely? This is a question the government has yet to answer — and it must.
What Can a Cash-Strapped Government Do?
Government defenders will argue that the coffers are empty, that with only 530 million XCG in the budget there is little left to save TelEm. But even in lean times, choices must be made. Options exist:
- Emergency bridge financing or guarantees to stabilize cash flow.
- Debt restructuring to buy time.
- Public-private partnerships with safeguards to protect national interests.
- Government anchoring by channeling its own telecom contracts through TelEm.
- Oversight and performance contracts to enforce accountability and reform.
None are easy. All carry risks. But the greater risk is inaction — watching TelEm collapse and then paying an even higher price in unpaid salaries, severance, and emergency rescues.
The Questions Government Must Answer
De Weever’s brandbrief leaves the government with little room to maneuver. Among the pressing questions:
- Will the XCG 5 million guarantee be confirmed or denied?
- Will the “Quick Scan” and audited financials be released?
- Will conditions such as local hiring and accountability be attached to any support?
- Will government finally articulate its long-term vision: preserve TelEm as national champion, or surrender the field to foreign operators?
- And above all, will Minister Gumbs respond swiftly and substantively, or delay until it is too late?
Conclusion: The Real Test
This is not just about TelEm’s balance sheet. It is about government’s ability to govern. It is about political accountability, service continuity, fiscal prudence, and national sovereignty.
MP De Weever has raised the stakes. Either government acts now, with clarity and conditions, or it will go down in history as the administration that let TelEm collapse on its watch.
The test is not whether TelEm is worthy of rescue. The test is whether this government has the courage and vision to act when the stakes are this high.
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Related articles:
De Weever demands answers from Government over TELEM Rescue Plan
SMCU Demands Government Action to Save TELEM Amid Starlink Threat
Opinion – Action or Capitulation
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