Monday was another day characterised by power cuts and fire on the dump. One would almost think St. Maarten is a poor, underdeveloped country struggling to deal with such essential matters.
But the reality is that this relatively small destination receives a million cruise passengers and well over half that number of stay-over visitors annually. With the income they create, there’s really no excuse for the apparent continued incapacity to effective tackle these two major problems regularly impacting society in a negative manner.
Of course, nobody is demanding fool-proof solutions from one day to the next, but talk about a waste-to-energy plant has been ongoing for several decades now. Moreover, numerous delegations visited many similar facilities in various locations, usually at the expense of taxpayers, so far without any tangible result.
Utilities provider GEBE has been investing in its generating capacity, but somehow it never seems enough to guarantee a structurally stable supply of electricity that is vital to the tourism economy. Along with exploring and promoting alternative energy, participation in a waste-to-energy plant at the landfill would obviously secure an important new production source, which can offset increased demand expected from large projects like the Pearl of China at Belair Beach and Royal Caribbean’s venture next to the harbour as well.
Perhaps some might consider this beating a proverbial dead horse, but it’s high time the Government-owned company becomes actively involved in plans for a better garbage processing system that also helps address the frequent power shortages. The clock is truly ticking.
