WILLEMSTAD - Business owners had to pay their turnover and payroll tax yesterday. This was announced in an advertisement in several newspapers on the islands. The ad was placed by the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Department.

This is striking because the Minister of Finance Kenneth Gijsbertha had promised the business owners at the beginning of this month, during one of the daily briefings, that this was not necessary because of the coronavirus measures which had completely halted the company.

Gijsbertha has not yet responded to the turnaround of the tax authorities and the breaking of his promise.

This announcement is not in accordance with what was issued on 3 April 2020 in the government’s decree by the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister and published as such in the National Gazette of Curaçao of that date.

This notice concerns a package of fiscal aid measures to bridge the period in which the adverse economic effects of the corona virus are felt. The scheme entered into force on the date of publication. From that moment on, anyone can request deferment of payment and agree on a payment arrangement for all taxes and non-taxes, including social contributions, collected by the Tax Department.