THE HAGUE - During a parliamentary debate on the cost of living in the Caribbean Netherlands, Dutch MP Peter van Haasen (PVV) advocated for a structural reduction in living expenses for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. The MP highlighted key challenges, including the islands' reliance on Curaçao and Sint Maarten for supplies, which he claims leads to inflated prices due to taxes, monopolistic agency fees, and transportation costs. Van Haasen stressed that the BES islands "should not be treated as cash cows by Curaçao or Sint Maarten."
The MP referenced the Thodé Commission's report, A Dignified Existence, which noted that while eliminating poverty entirely is an unattainable goal, significant progress has been made in the Caribbean Netherlands. For example, the minimum wage on Sint Eustatius has risen from $575 per month in 2010 to $1,750 today, alongside increases in child benefits and social welfare payments.
Despite these advances, Van Haasen acknowledged lingering issues, such as steep supermarket prices, with some goods, like avocados, costing up to $6 each. A recent report even noted a 38% price difference between supermarkets on Bonaire. The MP called for improved supply chain agreements to reduce costs, emphasizing the need for stronger infrastructure, such as upgrading Bonaire’s port facilities to enable efficient container unloading and reduce dependency on Curaçao.
Van Haasen proposed lowering costs rather than increasing incomes as a sustainable solution to combat poverty, warning of the risks of inflation and systemic complexity seen in the Dutch benefits system. He supported initiatives to boost food security, suggesting that growing fresh, healthy food locally would reduce prices, improve health, and enhance well-being.
The debate also touched on the paradoxical finding that residents of the Caribbean Netherlands report higher levels of life satisfaction than those in the European Netherlands, with 88% of respondents rating their lives positively. Van Haasen concluded by suggesting that policymakers might learn from the Caribbean perspective on well-being, rather than imposing European standards.