The census figures (see related story) paint a picture of a country growing older, more diverse and facing mounting social challenges. But the real question is not what the numbers tell us. It is what Government intends to do about them.
A population increase of 25 per cent, a near tripling of residents aged 65 and older, thousands without health insurance and alarming levels of food insecurity in some districts should be more than statistical talking points. They should be a wake-up call.
How prepared is St. Maarten for an ageing population? Why are people still going hungry while the country continues to promote economic growth? And what does it say about our priorities when 4,600 residents remain without health insurance?
These are not questions that can be answered with another report, another committee or another promise.
The census also exposes the need to invest more seriously in education, vocational training and opportunities for young people. A 97 per cent school attendance rate is encouraging, but what happens after those children leave school? Are they equipped to find meaningful employment and contribute to the country's future?
Statistics are useful only when they lead to action. Government now has the evidence. Parliament has the responsibility to demand answers, and the public has every right to expect results.
The next census should not reveal that we identified these problems years earlier but did too little to address them.
St. Maarten does not need more promises about progress. It needs policies that prove progress is reaching its people.
