From Opportunities to Choices—and from Choices to Action
WILLEMSTAD - During the second Curaçao Chamber Business Mixer 2025 at Brakkeput Mei Mei, Chamber of Commerce President Raoul Behr issued a strong appeal for a shared, future-oriented strategy for the island. Despite economic growth, Curaçao still lacks a clear direction to ensure that this progress becomes sustainable and inclusive, Behr said.
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He emphasized that economic expansion only becomes genuine progress when it improves people’s lives. To support that vision, the Chamber has developed a strategic framework built around eight interconnected pillars: entrepreneurship, education, labor market and migration, social security, innovation, mobility, agriculture, and spatial planning. Together, these themes form the foundation for a resilient and competitive economy.
Although sectors such as tourism and real estate continue to expand, Behr stressed that Curaçao must make more deliberate choices. “Opportunities do not create the future. Choices do,” he said, adding that economic diversification requires more than good intentions. Strategic investment is essential to retain talent, strengthen confidence, and secure long-term progress.
Behr referenced Curaçao’s recent World Cup qualification as a metaphor for unity and momentum. “The Blue Wave shows what is possible when an entire island moves in the same direction. That is exactly the kind of energy we need for our economy.”
He also highlighted structural challenges, including low productivity, informal labor, and rising healthcare and pension costs. Growth will only become sustainable, he noted, when productivity increases and the social safety system strengthens accordingly.
Ultimately, Behr underscored that the future begins with people. Investing in skills, character, and modern education is, in his view, the most transformative innovation Curaçao can achieve. He called on government, the private sector, and educational institutions to take shared responsibility.
“Let us not be carried by growth; let us shape it ourselves,” Behr concluded. “It is time to jointly determine the direction of our island.”