About the MP
Viren V. Kotai
Member of Parliament for the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten. His work focuses on public finance, infrastructure and parliamentary accountability.
At a glance
- Role
- Member of Parliament, Democratic Party (DP)
- Sworn in
- 21 May 2024, by Governor Ajamu G. Baly
- Committees
- Chair, Finance · Chair, TEATT · Vice-Chair, Agriculture · Member, Kingdom Affairs (CKAIR)
- Coalition
- URSM–DP–PFP–SAM · nine-seat accord, Sept 2024
- DP faction
- With Sarah A. Wescot-Williams & Dimar C. Labega
- 2024 candidacy
- No. 5 on the Democratic Party list
- Kingdom & regional
- IPKO (Aruba & The Hague, 2026) · ParlAmericas (Ottawa, 2026)
A record of public service
Kotai was sworn in as a Democratic Party Member of Parliament on 21 May 2024 by Governor Ajamu G. Baly, taking a DP seat vacated when Grisha Heyliger-Marten moved to the Council of Ministers. He first stood for office in the 2020 election with the St. Maarten Christian Party, then ran on the DP list in the 2024 elections. Sint Maarten went to the polls twice that year, a January general election and an August snap election, so he was sworn in twice; at the August vote the DP grew from two seats to three, returning him for the new parliamentary term.
Read the full biography
He is one of the DP's three MPs, alongside party leader and Parliament President Sarah A. Wescot-Williams and Dimar C. Labega, and sits with the four-party coalition, URSM, DP, PFP and SAM, that signed a nine-seat governing accord in September 2024 under Prime Minister Luc Mercelina. Within Parliament he chairs both the Committee of Finance and the Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication, is Vice-Chair of Agriculture, Fisheries & Animal Husbandry, and sits on the Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations.
His work is unmistakably finance-first. He put infrastructure bonds and pension-fund energy financing on the table in his first months, drove Parliament's 2026 scrutiny of the CBCS and the monetary union, secured unanimous support for a project cost-review motion in January 2025, and pressed hard for accountability inside the governing ranks. He also carries that public-finance focus into the Kingdom, through the IPKO consultations in Aruba and The Hague and Sint Maarten's delegation to ParlAmericas in Ottawa.
“Real nation-building means engaging all citizens, not just a select few. Infrastructure bonds empower St. Maarteners to invest in their future, keeping money within our economy and benefiting everyone.”
Infrastructure bonds · SMN-News, 25 Jul 2024
Parliamentary record
From proposal to progress
What was proposed, what Parliament approved and what delivery evidence shows. Reviewed 3 October 2026.
“Not yet verified” means the sources reviewed do not establish that stage. It does not mean no action has been taken.
Amendments approvedTourism fundingParliament approved changes to existing tourism allocations in August 2026.View stages & evidence
- ProposedDocumented
Kotai submitted amendments to redirect unused allocations toward tourism development and Tourist Bureau initiatives.
The Peoples Tribune · 26 Aug 2026- ApprovedDocumented
Reporting on the 27 August vote confirms that both amendments passed.
The Peoples Tribune · 28 Aug 2026- ImplementedNot yet verified
Adoption changes the budget. It does not establish that projects were contracted, paid for or completed.
Next evidence to check: A ministry execution report or project completion record identifying work funded by these amendments.
Motion approvedMet & Civil Aviation cost reviewHis request for an independent project cost review received unanimous support.View stages & evidence
- ProposedDocumented
Kotai requested a local engineering review of the building costs and a proposal to use any surplus for sports tourism.
Daily Herald · 20 Jan 2025- ApprovedDocumented
The January 2025 budget debate report records unanimous approval of his motion.
Daily Herald · 20 Jan 2025- ImplementedNot yet verified
No completed independent review or resulting reallocation was located. A later building budget is not proof that the review happened.
Next evidence to check: The commissioned engineering report and the minister’s response to the motion.
Proposal documentedInfrastructure bondsA proposal for citizens and other investors to help finance infrastructure.View stages & evidence
- ProposedDocumented
Published in July 2024. An August statement announced a planned CBCS meeting; it does not establish the meeting’s outcome or bank approval.
SMN-News · 25 Jul 2024Soualiga Newsday · 14 Aug 2024- ApprovedNot yet verified
No formal approval verified in the sources reviewed.
- ImplementedNot yet verified
Implementation has not yet been verified in the sources reviewed.
Next evidence to check: A formal financing decision and bond prospectus or issuance notice tied to this proposal.
Proposal documentedAPS financing for GEBEKotai proposed pension-fund financing for new generators in June 2024.View stages & evidence
- ProposedDocumented
His statement proposed APS financing backed by a government guarantee or pledged shares.
721news · 17 Jun 2024- ApprovedNot yet verified
APS was reported as part of financing discussions in June 2024. Discussions are not a signed APS facility.
Daily Herald · 18 Jun 2024- ImplementedNot yet verified
June 2026 reporting described generator delays and Dutch funding. It does not confirm delivery through Kotai’s proposed APS arrangement.
SMN-News · 19 Jun 2026
Next evidence to check: An executed APS financing agreement and generator delivery records connected to that agreement.
Proposal documentedVisitor driving feeA proposed visitor fee to support traffic enforcement and road safety.View stages & evidence
- ProposedDocumented
July 2026 reporting describes his proposal during the urgent road-safety debate, not an adopted fee.
The Peoples Tribune · Jul 2026Daily Herald editorial · 9 Jul 2026- ApprovedNot yet verified
No formal approval verified in the sources reviewed.
- ImplementedNot yet verified
Implementation has not yet been verified in the sources reviewed.
Next evidence to check: An enacted fee instrument, commencement date and evidence that collection has begun.
Track record
Key moments in Parliament
- May 2026
Voted for the motion of no confidence in Minister Brug, which passed 8–7.
Source · The Daily Herald - Jun 2026
Delegate to the IPKO in The Hague, Governance & Finance working group.
Source · 721news - Jul 2026
Proposed a US$20 visitor driver's-licence fee to fund road safety; pressed on enforcement.
Source · SMN-News - 27 Aug 2026
Parliament approved his two tourism amendments, redirecting existing allocations toward tourism development and Tourist Bureau initiatives.
Source · The Peoples Tribune via SXM-Talks
Earlier milestones
- 21 May 2024
Sworn in as MP for the Democratic Party.
Source · Governor’s statement via Soualiga Newsday - Jun 2024
Proposed the APS pension fund finance US$30M of new GEBE generators.
Source · 721news - 25 Jul 2024
Launched the infrastructure-bonds proposal after Moody's Ba2 downgrade.
Source · SMN-News - Sep 2024
DP joins the four-party, nine-seat coalition accord.
Source · SMN-News - Oct 2024
Voted for the ENNIA Outline Agreement (passed 8–5).
Source · The Daily Herald - Jan 2025
Parliament unanimously approved his motion requesting an independent cost review of the Met & Civil Aviation building.
Source · The Daily Herald - Mar 2025
Joined MP Lyndon Lewis's call to safeguard the harbour and airport.
Source · The Daily Herald - Mar–Apr 2026
Questioned the CBCS, monetary-union restructuring and ENNIA obligations in Parliament.
Source · StMaartenNews.com - May 2026
Delegate to the 22nd ParlAmericas Plenary in Ottawa; SXM becomes an Associate Member.
Source · 721news
Media & appearances
Hear from Viren
Follow parliamentary proceedings and explore interviews and reporting on his work.
- articleParliament approves Kotai’s tourism amendments
- videoParliament of Sint Maarten, official YouTube (all sessions archived)
- livestreamParliament of Sint Maarten, live meetings
More coverage & official channels
- MPs press the Justice Minister on the road-safety crisis
- Parliament invited to join ParlAmericas as an Associate Member
- All Kingdom delegations back the IPKO-strengthening proposal (The Hague)
- MP Kotai presses for clarity on the monetary union and CBCS
- MPs Kotai & Lewis call for action to safeguard tourism
- Viren V. Kotai, official Facebook page
- August 19, 2024 parliamentary election (Government of Sint Maarten)
- Democratic Party, official Facebook
Democratic Party
Kotai’s party
The Democratic Party is Sint Maarten's oldest political party, founded in 1954 by Claude Wathey and Clem Labega. After Hurricane Irma it merged into the United Democrats in 2017, and was refounded on 22 January 2023. It holds three of Parliament's fifteen seats and is led by Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, Sint Maarten's first Prime Minister and, since February 2024, the President of Parliament for the fifth time.
Party platform & record
2024 platform
- Nation-building as the “red thread” of a 2024 Actionable Political Agenda spanning fourteen focus areas.
- Governance reform: transparent public-contracting rules, English as the First Official Language, financial disclosure before taking office, and electoral reform.
- Energy: 35% renewable by 2025, 80% by 2028, and 100% oil-free by 2032, with solar incentives and recycling.
- Economy under the motto “Getting people back to work”, SME support and tax incentives for job creation.
- People: implement National Health Insurance, invest in the care economy, and prioritise early-childhood education and the University of St. Martin.
In government
- Parliament approved the 2025 national budget in June 2025, with Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs overseeing its passage.Source · Government of Sint Maarten
- The Council of Ministers unanimously approved the draft budget in June 2026. Parliamentary approval and formal enactment remain separate steps.Source · Government of Sint Maarten
- Government arranged Netherlands financing for new GEBE generators. Procurement was still in negotiation in June 2026.Source · The Peoples Tribune via SXM-Talks
In pictures
Beyond the record
A closer look at Viren’s public life.
The record links to supporting publications and parliamentary sources. View sources & image credits.