PHILIPSBURG--Democratic Party (DP) Member of Parliament (MP) Viren Kotai called on the minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) to take action to correct St. Maarten’s exclusion from international digital platforms.
He made the call during the first day of the public plenary session of Parliament on the draft 2025 budget Thursday.
The MP said this is a persistent issue that continues to affect St. Maarten’s digital visibility and international accessibility. He said many global websites still fail to include St. Maarten in country drop-down menus, a digital oversight which he said places the country at a disadvantage compared to regional counterparts.
“Many international websites still do not list St. Maarten in their country drop-down menus. While countries such as Aruba, Curaçao and other [Caribbean Community – Ed.] CARICOM members are properly included, St. Maarten is either omitted entirely or incorrectly listed as ‘Netherlands Antilles’, an entity that ceased to exist in 2010,” Kotai noted. “Some websites may reflect ‘Dutch Caribbean’, but this too is inconsistent and far from standardised.”
Kotai said also that St. Maarten’s country code, +1-721, is still not recognised on several international platforms. “Our country code, +1-721, is still not recognised or accepted on numerous global platforms, whereas +599 (Curaçao) appears frequently without issue,” he said.
“These discrepancies weaken our digital presence and hinder our access to international online services, from basic registration forms to payment systems and communication platforms.”
The MP stressed that nearly 15 years have passed since St. Maarten attained its new constitutional status on October 10, 2010, and he believes the time has long passed for these issues to have been rectified.
The DP MP requested that the TEATT Ministry work with local regulator Bureau Telecommunications and Post (BTP) and any relevant regional or international authorities to address the issue. “Ensuring that our country is accurately and consistently represented online is essential to economic development, international engagement and our national identity,” Kotai said.
The MP also raised a separate matter for consideration: the possible implementation of a driver’s licence fee for foreigners, similar to a policy enacted in Anguilla. “To add, this has been a topic of discussion for a while. What is the realistic approach if initiating a driver’s licence fee to all foreigners as done in Anguilla?” he asked.
