THE HAGUE - Dutch Member of Parliament (MP) Peter van Haasen, from the Party for Freedom (PVV), has voiced his disapproval regarding Minister David van Weel's handling of a motion concerning the gambling sector in Curacao. Van Haasen expressed confusion as to why the motion was passed on to Zsolt Szabó, the Secretary of State for Kingdom Relations, instead of being addressed directly by Minister Van Weel himself, particularly given that he had visited Curacao in January.
The motion, introduced by Socialist Party (SP) MP Michiel van Nispen in early November, calls for stricter oversight of the gambling industry in Curacao. Van Nispen emphasized the need to tighten regulations in order to combat issues like organized crime and money laundering, which are prevalent in the sector.
However, instead of the motion being addressed by Van Weel, the Minister of Justice and Security, it was redirected to Szabó's office because the new gambling law in Curacao falls under the Kingdom's framework. The regulations related to Curacao’s gambling sector fall within the Kingdom's legal package, making the Ministry of Health responsible for the review and adjustments.
In response, Van Haasen, during a commission debate on January 15, questioned why the matter had been passed on to Kingdom Relations rather than being handled by Van Weel directly, especially considering that Van Weel had already planned a working visit to Curacao in January. Van Weel had previously promised, in a September debate, that he would discuss these matters with Curacao’s Minister of Finance, Javier Silvania, during his visit.
Less than two months after the motion was filed, Curacao's gambling law, the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen, was passed. However, no further tightening of regulations, as requested by Van Nispen, was incorporated into the legislation. The law was approved in the same form it had been outlined by Curacao's Ministry of Finance before the motion was even introduced.
Van Haasen raised concerns about the handling of the issue and asked Secretary of State Szabó whether he intended to send the motion "back over the fence" to Justice and Security. He also inquired whether Kingdom Relations would now be responsible for implementing motions that belong under other government departments.
Szabó, in his response, highlighted the ongoing collaboration between multiple ministries in the modernization of Curacao's gambling regulations. He explained that the Kingdom Relations Ministry provides advice on conceptual laws, underlying regulations, and supervisory structures. He also pointed out that Curacao has the autonomy to determine how to respond to the advice provided by the Netherlands.
Further addressing concerns about money laundering, Szabó stated that discussions with Van Weel and Curacao officials are ongoing, in alignment with the Strasbourg Convention on money laundering, crime detection, and asset confiscation. The Secretary emphasized the importance of continued dialogue on these matters to address the broader concerns of organized crime and ensure effective cooperation between the Netherlands and Curacao.