WILLEMSTAD – During his recent visit to Curaçao, Zsolt Szabó, the Dutch State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, engaged in constructive discussions with local organizations, particularly Kòrsou Transparente, regarding efforts to combat corruption on the island.
Szabó, speaking exclusively to Curacao Chronicle, shared that one of his main objectives is to include the Caribbean Netherlands in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI). “The reason I’m pursuing this is simple,” Szabó explained. “We have a Kingdom made up of four countries, but when I started my role, I noticed that only the Netherlands is measured by Transparency International for the Corruption Perception Index. We’re part of a group of about 150 countries measured, but the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, the CAS countries, aren’t included. That’s why I had productive discussions with all the Prime Ministers to ensure we are also assessed. I’ve received support from all three countries to move this forward, and now I’m working closely with Transparency International to formalize the process. We’re in the final stages, and soon we’ll reveal the steps we’re taking.”
When asked why he specifically wants Curaçao to be included in the Transparency International study, Szabó responded, "There's no particular reason why Curaçao would be different from the Netherlands in this regard. What’s beneficial about the CPI is that it simply measures whether corruption is present, and to what extent. A country can score anywhere from a 10, which indicates low corruption, to a 1, which is very poor. I just want to know where we stand as a country. Once we have those results, further statements can be made. Keep in mind that these are autonomous nations, so it’s up to each country to take action based on the findings."
Szabó’s remarks reflect ongoing efforts to increase transparency and combat corruption within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, emphasizing the importance of reliable and comprehensive data on governance across all its territories.