THE HAGUE - If the Rutte IV government keeps its word (which is not guaranteed), it will announce on Prinsjesdag that an additional €3.3 million will be made available for poverty alleviation in Caribbean Netherlands.
The coalition parties have reached an agreement on a €2 billion package to prevent the number of Dutch citizens living in poverty from rising to one million next year, as warned by the CPB (Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis). Based on the government's promise to treat the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba equally, about €3.3 million should be allocated to the islands (adjusted for the number of residents).
How this money will reach the poorest residents is still a question. In European Netherlands, this is a relatively straightforward operation because it is possible to increase specific benefits very selectively. However, poverty in Caribbean Netherlands is estimated to be 7 to 8 times greater (and deeper) than on the mainland. Approximately 40% of the islanders live below the subsistence level. This would justify a larger share from the €2 billion budget.