WILLEMSTAD - "And again plans are being made without involving the private sector", was the response that Billy Jonckheer posted on Facebook following a press conference by Minister of Economic Development Steven Martina. Last Thursday, the minister presented plans for developing the areas of Zakitó and St Martha into marinas.
A strategic plan to promote sustainable development of the Curaçao economy was approved by the Council of Ministers last Wednesday. Part of this is the development of the marinas on our island. Martina paid special attention to this during the press conference.
The Curacao Tourism Board, Curacao Ports Authority, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Department of Public Works and Spatial Planning are involved in the formulation of this plan. "In this series of organizations there is therefore not a single company that deals with shipping on a daily basis," said Jonckheer, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.
According to Jonckheer, it is more common for the government to make plans and to set up committees for this purpose, where companies are not represented.
“It's not that the private sector should determine what happens, but by not involving the business community, decisions are made without the input of people who know the business. And that is a shame, because sometimes the plans do not have their full potential."
Jonckheer says he hopes that the private sector will still be involved in the plans for the further development of the marinas.