THE HAGUE - The Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten are not yet sure under which conditions the 'corona loans' provided in the past 2 years will be extended. The term ends on April 10. The loan amount has now risen to more than 1 billion euros.
Repayment per April 10 is not an option. Despite the economic recovery that has started, the countries will still close this year with large deficits. The question therefore focuses mainly on the conditions under which the interest-free loans will be extended. State Secretary Van Huffelen stated in a debate with the Dutch Parliament Committee for Kingdom Relations that he is still negotiating with the countries and that he does not want to prejudge this. Nor was she tempted to respond to the suggestion of Attje Kuiken's of the PvdA party to offer the countries, as a perspective, that part of the debt would be forgiven.
The countries should also not expect too much from the Netherlands when it comes to compensating for the sharp rise in oil and gas prices due to the war in Ukraine. The package that the Dutch government is studying only applies to its own citizens, including those in the Caribbean Netherlands. Van Huffelen acknowledged that the consequences of more expensive energy may have a greater impact in the CAS countries than the Netherlands but emphasized that the countries are autonomous. However, at the insistence of Joba van den Berg of the CDA party, she was prepared to contribute ideas, for example about joint purchasing of oil so that Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten can also benefit from the volume agreements that the Netherlands makes.
The 2.5-hour debate yielded nothing concrete: almost everything Van Huffelen had to say is contained in the letter about the main points of her policy that she sent to the Chamber earlier this week and her report of the introductory trip to the islands. Everything points to the fact that she is continuing the line of her predecessor Knops, although she expresses it with more empathy and tact. For example, the “less for less and more for more” has been replaced by the more allied-sounding;“You need to help me to help you”. And where MPs asked too much of her, Van Huffelen also drew a clear line: “They are independent and autonomous countries that make their own choices. We cannot take responsibility and we should not want to. We are ready to help, but the countries themselves are in charge of their own future.”