WILLEMSTAD – The Sint Elisabeth Foundation (SEF) has once again called on the government of Curaçao to finalize outstanding financial matters. In a letter dated June 2, SEF reminded the Council of Ministers of the agreements outlined in a memorandum of understanding from September 2013, which stipulated that after the transfer of hospital functions to the new Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), a financial settlement should follow. 

SEF, the legal successor to the former Sint Elisabeth Hospital (Sehos), claims based on financial records that it is still owed over 22 million guilders by the government after deducting debts. This amount forms part of a larger claim totaling 44 million guilders, stemming from underpayments up to the end of 2019, rent payments for hospital space used by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rent for the prison kitchen. 

SEF Chairman Anton Casperson reiterated that although SEF initiated a civil lawsuit against the government on May 13, a previous court ruling already obliges the government to honor the memorandum. The judge ruled that the agreement must be respected as a binding contract. 

Part of the debt owed to SEF consists of loans Sehos provided to the government to ensure continuity of healthcare services. Two earlier loans—amounting to 11.5 million and 19.3 million guilders—were largely offset against deficits in Sehos’ healthcare budget at the time. According to SEF, only the third loan of 6 million guilders, given after the 2019 transfer of hospital functions, remains outstanding. 

Additionally, there is an unresolved tax debt of 15.7 million guilders owed by Sehos. SEF states that this is the only amount the government is permitted to reclaim. An extra tax debt of 17.2 million guilders from the period up to 2017, SEF argues, should have been waived due to a general exemption announced by the government at the time. In the ongoing lawsuit, SEF maintains that the government is unjustly attempting to collect this old debt. 

The foundation urges the government to proceed with a transparent and fair settlement to resolve these longstanding financial issues once and for all.