ACP-SXM representatives Peggy-Ann Richardson and Solange Apon.
~‘GEBE must be brought to reckoning’~
PHILIPSBURG--The newly formed Association for Consumer Protection Sint Maarten (ACP-SXM) plans to submit a petition to NV GEBE at the end of its peaceful march on Monday, June 15, calling for greater transparency, an immediate halt to utility disconnections, the reconnection of affected cus-tomers and answers to a number of long-standing concerns surrounding billing and tariffs.
ACP-SXM President Peggy Ann Richardson and founder Solange Apon outlined the association's objectives during The Breakfast Lounge with Lady Grace earlier this week. The petition will be formal-ly presented to GEBE at the conclusion of the peaceful march being held under the banner “We Have the Power to Demand Better – Peaceful March for Fairness.”
The assembly point for the march will be the APS parking lot near the Government Administration Building at 1:00pm. Participants are encouraged to wear white, although organisers say this is not mandatory, and individuals may carry their own signs. Richardson said community leaders, repre-sentatives of various organisations and members of the Seniors Association will be invited to speak before marchers proceed to GEBE. A final address will be delivered by Richardson before ACP-SXM representatives enter the utility company to submit the petition. Organisers said the march was de-liberately scheduled for early afternoon to ensure participants arrive while GEBE remains open and able to receive the petition. Richardson made it clear that she expects the petition to be accepted. “They better be there to receive the petition.”
Richardson said ACP-SXM intends to give GEBE a limited amount of time to respond to the petition after it is submitted. “We will allow GEBE some time based on our legal counsel to respond to our pe-tition. That time will not be a long time because this is now an urgent situation.”
Richardson said organisers have coordinated with the police to ensure the event proceeds safely and peacefully. She noted that the Red Cross and ambulance services are also involved in prepara-tions.
She described the association's efforts as the beginning of a broader campaign for accountability. “Right now, what we are doing is playing the game of bowling. When this association rolls that ball and strikes that first pin, it is going to be game over because at the end of the day NV GEBE must be brought to reckoning.”
Richardson said the association's first priority is securing transparency and tangible action for con-sumers. “The first thing we are demanding from GEBE in this first instance is the transparency, not only the transparency but the tangible action of stopping the disconnections and reconnecting peo-ple.”
She stressed that ACP-SXM is not encouraging residents to stop paying their utility bills. “We are not telling people to stop paying their bills. We will be demanding reconnections and a stopping of dis-connections, but we are not telling people to stop paying their bills.”
According to Richardson, consumers continue to face uncertainty regarding bills, payment plans and outstanding balances dating back several years. She questioned GEBE's requirement that customers pay between 10 and 25 percent upfront when entering payment plans.
“GEBE must be brought to reckoning. How and where are they demanding that you have to pay 10, 20, 25 per cent on a payment plan? Are you Island Finance? You are running a bank.”
Richardson also questioned the status of an independent tariff study that GEBE announced last year. “It is NV GEBE that came out last year and said they will commission an independent study on the tar-iff structure. GEBE said that, where is that tariff study?”
She further criticized the utility company for announcing a nine-cent increase on Mother’s Day while, according to her, consumers were still awaiting information on the tariff structure. Richardson also referenced a report prepared by BTP-RAC and submitted to Parliament in August 2025, which she said found consumers had been overcharged between 2022 and 2024. “That report says that we as con-sumers were overcharged between 2022 and 2024 to the tune of 12.6 million guilders.”
A major concern for ACP-SXM is the handling of customer information and billing records following the March 2022 cyberattack. Richardson said many residents were unable to obtain accurate bills for extended periods and are now receiving large balances that have accumulated over several years.
She recounted the case of an elderly woman who reportedly owed more than Cg. 8,000 and was presented with charges dating back to 2022. “When the hack occurred, how did GEBE build back their database? I want an explanation of that,” she said. “GEBE needs to be transparent. They need to issue a detailed statement independent from them as to how this backup occurred.”
Richardson also raised concerns about investigations launched following the cyberattack. She noted that the Public Prosecutor's Office and police had previously indicated that GEBE's lack of cooperation affected those investigations. She also referenced a company that had reportedly been hired to inves-tigate the cyberattack tat also encountered issues getting GEBE’s cooperation.
Apon explained that ACP-SXM was formed after she approached Richardson about concerns facing consumers. “She is 100 per cent brainchild behind this,” Richardson said of Apon.
Apon said she believed consumers needed a united voice. “You are not going up against Goliath by yourself. The association is there to back you up and that is why we will form an association to do class-action suit.”
She said many people had attempted to challenge institutions on their own but struggled to achieve results. “But today it's us. It's us as a group, not you alone, and we are here to back you up.”
Apon stressed that the Association is focused on protecting consumers rather than attacking GEBE. “We are not anti-GEBE, we are pro-consumers.”
ACP-SXM is also calling on younger residents to support senior citizens who may be unable to attend because of the afternoon heat. The association has encouraged members of the public to help seniors file complaints and seek assistance where necessary.
The Association is seeking a turnout of 5,000 participants and is encouraging residents to remain ac-tively engaged after the petition is submitted. “This is not a me show. This is not an association show. You have to also participate.”
ACP-SXM said residents can learn more about the organisation and submit information through its website, acpsxm.com, and its Facebook page, Association for Consumer Protection St. Maarten.
