WILLEMSTAD - The Parliament of Curaçao has scheduled a new meeting on Thursday next week to address issues related to the Tax Department and ongoing tensions within the Ministry of Finance. Former Minister of Finance Javier Silvania (MFK) and Landsontvanger Alfonso Trona, head of the Tax Department, have both been invited to attend.

The decision comes after a previously scheduled session on October 17 was abruptly canceled following the leak of an audio recording in which a heated argument between Silvania and Trona was heard. The incident caused significant controversy and raised questions about internal conflicts and governance within the island’s tax administration.

Parliament Speaker Fergino Brownbill (MFK) announced the new session, stressing that transparency and cooperation between Parliament and the executive branch are vital to maintaining public trust. The meeting will proceed at the request of the PAR and MAN-PIN factions.

On October 17, faction leaders Ruthilda Larmonie-Cecilia (PNP), Quincy Girigorie (PAR), and Giselle Mc William (MAN-PIN) visited Governor Lucille George-Wout to formally express their concerns over Brownbill’s earlier decision to cancel the meeting. The opposition parties described the move as “an act of democratic obstruction” and requested the governor’s mediation to ensure proper parliamentary procedure.

In response, Brownbill stated that opposition parties are free to request a new meeting provided there is a “valid reason.” That comment sparked further protest, as opposition members argued that the Speaker had no authority to determine the validity of parliamentary agenda items, calling it a breach of democratic norms.

The upcoming session is expected to shed light on the internal turmoil surrounding Curaçao’s Tax Department, especially amid ongoing investigations into management practices and transparency within the country’s financial administration.