WILLEMSTAD - The memorandum of amendment to the Kingdom Act on the Caribbean Entity for Reform and Development (COHO) was the agenda item yesterday during the meeting between the CAS countries and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Alexandra van Huffelen.
Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas and Finance Minister Javier Silvania attended the virtual meeting. The Prime Ministers of Aruba Evelyn Wever-Croes and Sint Maarten Silveria Jacobs were also present.
Curaçao objects, among other things, to the extra powers that the Financial Supervision Board (Cft) is given in the memorandum of amendment. That is one of the reasons why the memorandum was not discussed in the Kingdom Council of Ministers in December last year.
Former State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops denied at the time that new conditions have been included in the memorandum of amendment. This note is the result of months of negotiations between the officials of the four countries. There was already an official agreement that the governments of the CAS countries only had to confirm.
The Curaçao Prime Minister yesterday asked for a written agreement containing all the concerns of the islands, so that this can be taken into account during the implementation of the Kingdom Act.
In addition, the parliaments of the countries also have the opportunity to table amendments during the debates on the Kingdom Act.
In exchange for reforms, the Dutch cabinet offers liquidity support to Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. That is why the COHO is being set up. This entity will work out the reforms together with the ministries and in consultation with stakeholders. This entity will also help with the implementation of this.
As is known, Van Huffelen will pay a working visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom this month.