THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD – With the April 2027 deadline approaching, the Dutch cabinet has warned that implementation of the Landspakket (Economic Reforms) Curaçao is falling behind in several critical areas. Although progress has been made in certain fields, major structural reforms have only been partially carried out. That warning was issued by State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Eddie van Marum in a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives.
According to Van Marum, steps have been taken in recent months to improve the entrepreneurship climate, strengthen economic strategy and enhance the government’s shared service organization. These developments are described as positive contributions toward improving administrative efficiency and economic resilience.
However, reforms in core sectors — including social security, healthcare, education, taxation and the broader government organization — are still limited in execution. These foundational reforms, the letter states, have “only been implemented to a limited extent.”
Implementation Agenda Under Pressure
The letter refers to the semiannual Implementation Agenda and Progress Report for the Landspakket Curaçao, which has been jointly adopted and signed by both the Dutch government and Curaçao, including Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas.
The report shows that multiple reform tracks remain in the planning or decision-making phase. For several reforms, so-called “ultimate dates” have now been included. Without timely administrative decisions, implementation before the end of the Mutual Reform Arrangement in April 2027 could become unattainable.
Time Is Running Short
In practical terms, this means time is running out.
Many reform plans have already been drafted, but without formal decisions from the Curaçao government, implementation cannot begin. Delays in decision-making risk leaving insufficient time to amend legislation, restructure institutions and carry out structural changes before the cooperation framework expires.
If decisions continue to be postponed, it may become practically impossible to complete the agreed reforms before April 2027.
Van Marum states that he is in ongoing consultation with Prime Minister Pisas regarding the causes of the delays, their potential consequences and how the Netherlands can continue to support Curaçao during the remaining period of the agreement.
Structural Reform Framework
The Landspakket Curaçao forms part of the agreements made in 2020 between the Netherlands and Curaçao following the COVID-19 crisis. The objective was to strengthen governance, improve public finances and reinforce the island’s economic structure through structural reforms.
The Dutch House of Representatives will be further informed about progress and the implications of delays through future reports.
With just over a year remaining under the current arrangement, the coming months are expected to be decisive for whether Curaçao can complete the agreed reforms within the established timeframe.