WILLEMSTAD - The execution reports sent today to the Dutch Parliament and the Parliament of the Dutch Caribbean reveal that Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are falling significantly behind schedule in implementing the country packages.
While Sint Maarten has received 1 red flag, and Aruba has received 2 (with 1 caused by The Hague), Curaçao has accumulated a total of 10 red flags plus a substantial amount of orange. A red flag signifies "a significant risk to the achievement of the objectives of these measures and possibly others."
In her accompanying letter, State Secretary Van Huffelen tries to put a positive spin on the delays, claiming that, in her view, these delays are "necessary" for a "careful, participatory, and sustainable process."
“Recently, the execution reports for the Country Packages for Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten for the third quarter of 2023 were established and signed by the Prime Minister of Aruba, Mrs. Wever-Croes, the Prime Minister of Curaçao, Mr. Pisas, the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Mrs. Jacobs, and myself,” said Van Huffelen in her letter.
As customary, the execution reports provide detailed descriptions of progress on an activity level over a three-month period.
Reflecting on a longer time frame, Van Huffelen says, she sees that the design phase of the reform processes took time for most themes but was necessary for a careful, participatory, and sustainable process, tailored to the capacity and context of the countries. “Now that the groundwork is mostly in place, I look forward with confidence to the phase in which the reforms will be genuinely implemented, although it may not always be easy. Consequently, I will maintain close contact regarding the progress, effectiveness, and challenges of the reforms with the Prime Ministers of the countries.”