WILLEMSTAD – Although Curaçao’s 2026 budget shows a projected surplus of 19 million guilders and formally complies with budgetary standards, the College financieel toezicht (Cft) has expressed serious concerns about the country’s financial management.
A key point of concern highlighted by the Cft relates to findings by the Algemene Rekenkamer Curaçao, which concluded that approximately 3.1 billion guilders in outstanding tax assessments from 2017 and earlier years were unlawfully written off in 2023. The Cft described this development as alarming and has again requested clarity on the progress of improvement measures at the Tax Department.
In addition, a definitive solution to the ongoing financial problems at the Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) remains absent. According to the Cft, the Council of Ministers has yet to take a formal decision on the proposed approach, despite repeated calls from the supervisory body for clear commitments and formalization of the plans.
The Cft also points out that the financial consequences of the increased AOV pension benefits have not yet been fully incorporated into the 2026 budget. This raises concerns about the completeness and reliability of the financial outlook presented.
Furthermore, the supervisory board notes that it is unable to issue a definitive assessment of compliance with the interest burden norm, as essential data on the collective sector are missing. According to the Cft, this lack of information could have implications for Curaçao’s future borrowing capacity.
Taken together, the Cft’s remarks indicate that while the 2026 budget may meet formal requirements on paper, significant underlying risks and unresolved issues continue to weigh on the sustainability and transparency of the country’s public finances.