Dutch Lawmakers Press State Secretary on Caribbean Debt and Development Delays
THE HAGUE – The Dutch House of Representatives is demanding answers from
State Secretary Zsolt Szabó regarding unpaid debts by Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Members of the Committee for Kingdom Relations submitted formal questions
following the release of the Annual Report on Kingdom Relations and the BES Fund.
They want to know why these countries have not repaid loans due this year.
One major concern centers on a 140 million-guilder loan to Curaçao.
Lawmakers suspect that Curaçao had sufficient funds for repayment but failed to budget for it.
They question whether this omission was intentional and,
if so, why it was permitted to go unchallenged.
Furthermore, they want clarity on whether the Board for Financial Supervision (Cft) factored
in the Pisas Cabinet’s decision to cancel 3 billion guilders in tax assessments before recommending a loan refinancing.
The questions also extend to Sint Maarten. Representatives are pressing for an https://sxmnews.ai/latest-sxm-news-ricardo-york-st-maarten/
explanation of that country’s financial position and its efforts—or lack thereof—to meet its loan obligations.
These inquiries reflect growing frustration over what lawmakers view as weak fiscal responsibility and oversight.
Meanwhile, attention is also turning toward infrastructure planning in Bonaire.
Lawmakers are concerned that public transport improvements,
which appear ready for implementation, are being unnecessarily delayed.
They suspect that the Executive Council’s
push for a broad master plan may be holding up more straightforward solutions.
The Committee is demanding concrete answers.
They expect Szabó to explain both the financial governance of the Caribbean
countries and the planning processes for infrastructure in the special municipalities.
The pressure is on to ensure transparency, accountability,
and timely progress in both debt management and development.
By pushing for accountability,
Parliament aims to uphold trust in Kingdom governance and prevent further erosion of
financial discipline in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.