WILLEMSTAD - In a recent address at the 17th International Conference on Intellectual Property Crime, Minister of Finance and Health, Javier Silvania, raised alarms about the rise of intellectual property (IP) crime within the medical sector. He stated that the distribution of counterfeit medicines and medical devices poses a direct and dangerous threat to the community. “This is not just a matter of financial losses; it can be a matter of life or death,” emphasized Silvania.
The minister noted that for small countries like Curaçao, the increase in counterfeit products and IP-related crime presents a significant challenge. “Our customs officers are under immense pressure due to the volume of goods passing through our ports. A particularly concerning trend is the rise of IP crime in the medical sector. To tackle this issue, it is essential to establish strong collaboration between Customs, the Health Inspection, and other local agencies to prevent these dangerous products from reaching our citizens,” he said.