WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao became an associate member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) last week, a move seen as long overdue by former Parliament Member and Minister Alex Rosaria. "In the past few decades, we have been minimally involved with Caribbean countries," Rosaria said.
Rosaria believes that "Curaçao has something to make up for." He noted, "For a long time, we looked down on the countries in the Caribbean and didn’t always take them seriously. Now, we need to show that we are engaged with what’s happening there."
He advocates for greater cooperation in education, sports, culture, and health rather than focusing solely on trade agreements. "Recognizing diplomas from Caricom islands, for example, or student exchanges. Strengthening ties is what it's about, so we can truly become part of the Caribbean region. The Netherlands is far away; these are our neighbors," said Rosaria.
Rosaria served as the Minister of Economic Affairs and Labor of the Netherlands Antilles in 2005 and 2006, and as a Member of Parliament and leader of the Partido Adelanto i Inovashon Soshal (PAIS) from 2012 to 2016. He questioned the government’s engagement with the Caribbean, asking, “Does the government show sympathy when a Caribbean statesman dies? Do we send congratulations when Jamaica wins a medal at the Olympics? At the very least, this is not shared with the people of Curaçao.”
‘What You Do With It Is What Matters’
Rosaria is surprised that the public and businesses have not been adequately informed about the implications of the associate Caricom membership. “What does it mean? Who will represent us?” he asked. “And how will we do it? That’s more important than the cost. We don’t have this information yet, but it needs to come soon.”
Curaçao is autonomous within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but does not have the status of an ‘independent country.’ Therefore, it cannot be a full member of Caricom. As an associate member, Curaçao has no voting rights but can participate in discussions and submit proposals, except on foreign policy matters.
This is stipulated in the treaty "between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on behalf of Curaçao, and the Caribbean Community."
Bureaucratic Processes
According to Parliament Member Steven Martina, the process started in the 1980s. Martina, who served as Minister of Economic Development in the previous Curaçao government, stated, "Such bureaucratic processes generally take a very long time."
Curaçao’s Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas signed the treaty exclusively concerning Curaçao on Sunday, July 28, on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Pisas envisions Curaçao as an ideal hub for the region due to its strong ties with South American countries, the European Union, and the Kingdom.
Impact on Imports?
Robbin Martina, chairman of the Curaçao Agency Association (BVCA), does not believe importers will notice immediate changes from Caricom membership. "Caricom’s actions seem mostly focused on policy. The question is how that translates to various sectors. Our company imports products from Jamaica and pays import duties. Will that change now?"
Twenty years ago, Curaçao primarily imported products from Europe and the United States and later from China. "Now, much more comes from the region," Martina said. "That’s also because more people from those countries live on the island. For us, Caricom membership could mean something if import barriers, like import duties, were removed."
“So far, only Barbados has reduced all import and export tariffs,” Martina noted. "And it’s a prosperous country." Barbados is the driving force within Caricom behind the pursuit of a Caribbean Single Market Economy.
Martina explained, "This involves, for example, the free establishment of entrepreneurs. But in Curaçao, we produce very little; we primarily import a lot."