WILLEMSTAD – Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts will visit Curaçao on April 23 and 24 to strengthen economic cooperation and stimulate local entrepreneurship. His visit will include meetings and site visits aimed at fostering innovation, economic growth, and improving the island’s competitive position. 

During his visit, Minister Beljaarts will meet with the Curaçao Bankers Association (CBA) and Qredits Microfinanciering Curaçao to discuss the extension of the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (BMKB) to the Dutch Caribbean countries Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. This scheme, already available in the European Netherlands and the BES islands, will be made accessible to the three autonomous Caribbean countries after the summer of 2025. It aims to improve financing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which currently face significant obstacles in accessing capital—hindering growth and diversification beyond the tourism sector. 

To further explore the local business climate, the minister will participate in a roundtable discussion with entrepreneurs and meet with key stakeholders including the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce, the Curaçao Business Association (VBC), the Social and Economic Council (SER), and the Curaçao Investment & Export Promotion Agency (CINEX). 

The agenda also includes official meetings with Governor Lucille George-Wout, caretaker Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, and informal talks with faction leaders of the Parliament of Curaçao. 

Minister Beljaarts will visit the port facilities managed by the Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA) and 2Bays Curaçao, where new economic activities are being developed on the former refinery site. He will also meet with members of the Green Hydrogen Value Chain Curaçao to discuss the maritime manufacturing and innovation agenda. 

At the College Hotel—where young people are trained for the hospitality sector in cooperation with ROC Mondriaan—the minister will talk with representatives of the Curaçao Restaurant Association (CRA) and the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association (CHATA) about opportunities in the tourism industry. He will also attend an event hosted by Corendon focused on collaboration between Dutch and local tourism entrepreneurs. 

On Wednesday, Beljaarts will participate—alongside the State Secretary—in a parliamentary debate in The Hague with the Committee on Kingdom Relations concerning economic development in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.