Two independent investigations by Foundation Government Accountants Bureau SOAB and St. Maarten’s Integrity Chamber on the granting of bus and taxi licences presented to Parliament (see Friday/Saturday edition) confirm widespread non-compliance, critical procedural failures, missing documentation and high-risk governance weakness. The Integrity Chamber even mentioned decision-making under time pressure close to the election period, raising concerns about political influence and – despite lack of sufficient evidence to that effect – making it likely fraud, favouritism, bribery or vote-buying occurred.
But while the reports cover 2023, giving out these licences for electoral purposes is something many former commissioners, ministers and high-raking officials have been guilty of over the years and decades. Some therefore argue that going after those responsible would amount to a witch hunt.
Perhaps, although people and in particular public administrators at some point must also be held accountable for their actions to effectuate real change. Most important is indeed to make such practices impossible in the future by a robust and transparent transport licensing system with strong oversight to promote fairness and equal treatment.
The same goes for the construction field, where the argument that many were allowed to behave certain ways in the past doesn’t hold water. Strict adherence to civil works as well as building permits and modern environmental considerations are all there to protect the population against consequences of uncontrolled development, including widespread street-flooding issues.
Simply claiming “these things have always happened” is not good enough. As they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
