WILLEMSTAD - The government of Curaçao does not agree with the conditions imposed by the Netherlands on new corona loans. On Friday, Curaçao, and also Aruba and Sint Maarten, must let the Kingdom Council of Ministers know if they agree. Prime Minister Rhuggenaath of Curaçao announced at a press conference that he will not do that.
The islands have been hard hit by the corona crisis. Tourism, the main source of income, is completely at a loss. € 350 million has been earmarked for a new aid package, and another billion euros can be added, said Undersecretary Raymond Knops Friday.
The terms are unreasonable, unacceptable, and go against Curaçao's rule of law within the kingdom, Rhuggenaath says. He also believes that the time he gets to get something on track is just too short, only four days.
One of the conditions imposed by the Netherlands is the establishment of an institute for the financial management of the island. The Netherlands does not want to transfer the millions it has promised to the government of Curaçao, they do not trust them. Curaçao has nothing to say about the institute. So the Netherlands will distribute the money through that newly established entity.
In recent years, according to the Netherlands, Curaçao has shown little decisiveness. Prime Minister Rutte believes that reforms in the pension system and in labor market systems are taking too long. That is an abomination in the eyes of Knops and Prime Minister Rutte and they think that this can only be achieved by stepping into it themselves. If Curaçao does not want that, the Netherlands must also consider what it will do.
If Curaçao agrees to the conditions for the loan, the island will surrender its autonomy, according to Prime Minister Rhuggenaath. Another option is to present your own rescue plan and ensure that everyone puts their shoulders to the wheel. It did not get more concrete than that. That will lead to a lot of criticism here in community, because here too they are not convinced that Curaçao can do it by itself.