THE HAGUE - Curaçao will again have more time to come to a deal with the Netherlands on how to get the island's budget back in order. Undersecretary Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations) is positive.
Knops has "the hope and expectation" that a cooperation agreement will be ready next week. The Curaçao government can then count on "support from the Netherlands" to improve the "worrying" economic and financial situation.
“We are in good conversation with Curaçao. It took longer than I had hoped. But next week we will have an extra meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers," says Knops.
The intention was that there should be an agreement no later than today. What are the obstacles that have prevented the deal from settling? "I'm not going to say publicly what the problems are," is Knops' response. "But there is not enough right now to sign an agreement."
Whether Curaçao actually escapes a so-called "budgetary instruction" by concluding a cooperation agreement with the Netherlands remains unclear.