The Curaçao government deserves credit for acting quickly after announcing a sharp increase in fuel prices. In times of economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability, protecting the most vulnerable in society is not only good policy — it is a moral responsibility.
Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas and his cabinet have introduced a temporary support package for low-income households and those on social welfare, aimed at cushioning the blow of rising fuel, food and energy costs. For thousands of families living month to month, this assistance may be the difference between making it through the month or falling deeper into financial distress.
That matters.
A government, especially one with social-democratic or left-leaning values, should protect those at the bottom when the economy turns rough.
No serious person can argue against helping pensioners, welfare recipients or families already struggling under inflation.
But there is another group in Curaçao’s society that was almost entirely absent from the government’s announcement.
The middle class.
And that silence was loud.
The teacher. The police officer. The nurse. The small entrepreneur. The independent contractor. The family with two working parents trying to stay above water.
They are not poor enough to qualify for assistance.
But they are not rich enough to absorb repeated economic shocks.
And they are the ones carrying much of the island’s economic weight.
They pay taxes.
They pay mortgages.
They pay school fees.
They pay insurances.
They pay rising groceries.
They pay rising fuel.
And often, they pay for everyone else through the tax system.
When gasoline rises by 34 cents and diesel by 35 cents per liter, it does not only affect the poor.
It affects the delivery driver bringing products to supermarkets.
It affects the contractor driving across the island for work.
It affects the parent driving children to school.
It affects the small business owner whose operating costs suddenly increase.
And when transport becomes more expensive, everything becomes more expensive.
That is economic reality.
The government announced fuel subsidies for bus operators to prevent fare increases.
Good.
The government announced cash support for welfare recipients and low-income families.
Also good.
But what about the people who make just above the threshold?
The family earning 32,000 or 35,000 guilders a year.
Too “wealthy” for assistance, but financially stretched every single month.
What about the small business owner already dealing with rising rent, payroll, import costs and shrinking profit margins?
What about the middle-income worker whose salary has not kept pace with inflation for years?
These are not luxury problems.
These are real pressures.
And if ignored long enough, they create resentment.
Because the middle class often feels like the forgotten class — too stable to receive help, too burdened to breathe.
Curaçao’s economy cannot function without them.
They are the productive engine.
The consumer base.
The taxpayers.
The risk-takers.
The employers.
If the vulnerable need protection, the middle class needs breathing space.
That does not necessarily mean direct cash payments.
But it could mean temporary tax relief.
Temporary reduction in fuel-related taxes.
Mortgage support mechanisms.
Business tax credits.
Import duty adjustments for essential goods.
Or utility incentives.
Something.
Anything.
Because economic policy should not only be about preventing poverty.
It should also be about preventing economic erosion.
And that erosion often starts in the middle.
Prime Minister Pisas said the package is meant to protect purchasing power and social stability.
That is understandable.
But social stability is not only maintained by supporting those with the least.
It is also maintained by ensuring that those holding the economic center together do not collapse under the weight of rising costs.
The poor need support.
That is unquestionable.
But the middle class needs recognition.
And right now, many are asking the same question:
Who is looking out for us?