WILLEMSTAD - Member of Parliament Suzy Camelia-Römer of the MAN-PIN party has urged that the government take steps to help both policymakers and citizens better understand Curaçao’s national budget — which she described as “a point of concern for decades.”
Speaking during a parliamentary session with the General Audit Chamber, Camelia-Römer emphasized that the national budget — the country’s most important law — remains misunderstood by many, including those responsible for approving and managing it.
“The big problem is that many government officials and parliamentarians do not understand the budget — and neither does the general public,” she said.
To address this gap, she proposed that the Audit Chamber and relevant authorities launch an awareness campaign using short explanatory videos on radio, television, newspapers, and social media to clearly explain what the national budget represents, how it works, and what its figures mean.
Budget Changes Without Parliamentary Debate
Camelia-Römer also criticized the Ministry of Finance for making budgetary changes after approval without returning to Parliament for discussion and authorization.
“Such changes must be presented to Parliament so that they can be debated,” she said. “People think democracy means the majority simply decides — but that’s not true. Everything must be based on legality.”
The veteran politician stressed that Curaçao needs more political maturity and respect for institutional rules. She expressed concern about the growing tendency among some ministers to act impulsively or invoke legal authority without proper grounding.
“Just this week, I heard a minister make major statements under the guise of legal authority — statements that could cost the country a great deal of money,” she warned. “I will not name the minister because this is not about personal attacks. What I want is for everyone to start following the rules.”
Camelia-Römer’s remarks drew attention to long-standing issues of transparency, fiscal discipline, and governance — and echoed calls by the Audit Chamber for stronger public understanding of how Curaçao’s budget system functions.
