MP Omar Ottley (right) addresses attendees during the town hall in Sucker Garden on Tuesday evening.
~ Goal set at 1,000 signatures ~
SUCKER GARDEN--United People’s party (UP) Member of Parliament (MP) Omar Ottley launched a petition during a well-attended town hall meeting in Sucker Garden on Tuesday evening, calling for immediate relief from GEBE’s failures and for the utility company to be placed under higher supervision, amongst other things.
The petition, which already gathered 193 signatures at the event alone, aims for a minimum of 1,000 signatures, as Ottley plans to bring it to different districts in the coming weeks to give more residents a chance to sign.
The petition, titled “The People Demand Immediate Relief from GEBE’s Failures”, calls on government to act no later than December 1, 2025, on five urgent demands.
First, it calls for relief through a revised tariff structure. It requested that the electricity and water tariffs be revised. The petition points to GEBE’s surplus from 2022 to 2024, even during a period when many customers were not receiving bills due to poor administration following the cyberattack, as proof that financial relief is not only possible, but necessary.
Second, the petition demands that the fuel clause be adjusted to reflect only actual changes in fuel prices, with the costs of fuel lubricants placed back into the base rate instead of the clause.
Third, it calls on GEBE to fix billing errors and establish a transparent credit mechanism so that customers can be refunded for years of overpayments once excess amounts are clearly defined.
Fourth, petitioners want GEBE to be placed under higher supervision, ensuring that the company is managed with strict oversight to protect the public interest over profit.
Finally, the petition demands that all households be reconnected for the Christmas season, similar to measures taken in Curaçao.
Ottley told this newspaper after the town-hall that the goal is to secure a minimum of 1,000 signatures for the petition, with plans to bring the petition to different districts every two weeks. “We will continue. We will have it at different locations where persons can come in and sign,” he said.
Several MPs attended and addressed the gathering alongside Ottley. Representatives of GEBE were also present and engaged in dialogue with residents. At the close of the meeting, Ottley said he would see how, moving forward, to incorporate the personnel of GEBE in the town-hall to get a better understanding with each other. “The idea is not us against GEBE. GEBE is willing to offer relief, but government needs to match it.”
The petition text states that residents have suffered from more than a year of blackouts, spoiled food, lost income, and unsafe conditions, while still being issued inflated and inaccurate bills. “Electricity is not a luxury – it is a basic need. We can’t live in darkness any more, nor can we continue to govern in darkness,” the petition states.
Frustrated attendees voiced their hardships. An audience member compared the call to support GEBE with past discussions about bailing out Ennia insurance company, noting that while Ennia was owned by a billionaire, GEBE is the people’s company. He argued that despite differences, the principle is the same – GEBE should also be saved and bailed out. “Let’s save this company, let’s bail out GEBE.”
Another audience member said the GEBE crisis affects everyone, not just a few, noting that many are afraid to speak up because they owe the company. He explained that one of his two pensions goes entirely to GEBE, stressing that the community must stand together to stop being taken advantage of.
The petition, citing Article 24 of the Constitution of St. Maarten, stresses that electricity is a basic need, not a luxury: “We can’t live in darkness any more, nor can we continue to govern in darkness.”
