The six Caribbean islands are facing a number of urgent challenges when it comes to securing economic growth and widespread prosperity for the future. The government is therefore going to focus on three priorities to improve people’s livelihoods, boost economic growth and strengthen the islands’ position in the region. This was the message communicated by the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Effective Government, Eric van der Burg, in the Kingdom Relations policy letter, part of which reads as follows:
“Residents and business owners must be able to rely on a government that delivers results and takes concrete steps that make a tangible difference to their daily lives. This is the starting point that sets the direction for the implementation of the coalition agreement for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The Ministry in The Hague is collaborating with the various countries and islands to achieve tangible results for residents. New policy in the European Netherlands is generally implemented on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba as well, unless there are compelling reasons for not doing so. By adopting this approach, we can jointly ensure that we progress within the Kingdom.”
Priority 1: Build an effective administration that delivers results
Together with Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, this government is committed to strengthening public administration and to creating a decisive and ethical government and clear legal frameworks. We are continuing to build on the initiatives launched under the Good Governance Agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands (Agenda Goed Bestuur Caribisch Nederland), the revision of the Public Entities (Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba) Act (Wet Openbare Lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba, WolBES) and the Public Bodies (Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba) Finances Act (Wet financiën openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba, FinBes), and the Act Increasing the number of Island Council Members and Island Commissioners (Wet verhoging aantal eilandsraadsleden en eilandgedeputeerden). To help avoid worrying situations such as the one at the Selibon waste centre, the government is strengthening its enforcement and administrative capacity and is going to continue to tackle integrity violations because ethical and robust governance is the foundation for public trust. That is why, starting this year, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be participating in the Integrity and Safety Monitor (Monitor Integriteit en Veiligheid). Public services in the Caribbean Netherlands are being further improved, with the aim being to bring these services up to the same standard as those in the European Netherlands – online, by telephone and in person.
Priority 2: Strengthen social and economic resilience and sustainable development
The government supports the islands’ economic development and self-reliance. That is why the Caribbean Economic Growth Platform (Economisch Groeiplatform Carib) is being established to create better links between innovation, business owners and capital across the six islands and throughout the region. The new National Investment Agency (Nationale Investeringsinstelling) is also to be opened up to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, in collaboration with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs and Finance. A fund is also going to be established to give farming and fishing businesses access to finance which can, for example, be used to expand operations. The government is going to make €30 million available on a structural basis from 2027 onwards, so that poverty on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba can be tackled more effectively. This money is intended for measures that will help to ensure a decent standard of living for people and reduce the cost of living.
Priority 3: Effective cooperation within the Kingdom
The government also intends to launch a Kingdom Conference to make the most of opportunities for cooperation with Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten on a structural basis. The idea is for the dialogue to take place regularly between the Kingdom’s four governments in order to discuss relevant developments, issues and opportunities for cooperation. Geopolitical developments may, for example, present new opportunities for regional cooperation, particularly in areas such as energy, trade and logistics.
The government will be collaborating with the countries and the islands on the continued development of these priorities in the coming weeks and months.
