WILLEMSTAD – Rising healthcare costs and an aging population pose growing risks to Curaçao’s public finances, according to the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). These issues feature prominently in the bank’s Research Agenda for 2026–2028, reflecting concerns about long-term fiscal sustainability.
The CBCS highlights that increasing pension and healthcare expenditures are placing mounting pressure on government budgets, while fiscal space remains limited. Research conducted in previous years on healthcare sustainability will be expanded to assess demographic trends and reform scenarios extending toward 2050.
In addition, the bank plans to study the effectiveness of tax policies, including tax holidays and incentive schemes, which have long been used to attract investment but remain poorly evaluated in terms of fiscal cost and economic return.
For Curaçao, the agenda underscores the urgency of evidence-based fiscal reforms. The CBCS warns that without structural adjustments, demographic pressures could weaken fiscal resilience and constrain the government’s ability to respond to future economic shocks.
