THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD - Undersecretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops will be in Curaçao soon to meet with the government and several other stake holders. One thing is certain, the need is so great that the reforms in Curaçao must start quickly. Therefore, there is no time to negotiate the plans for the Caribbean Reform Entity (CHE).

No procedures are laid down in the Statute for drawing up a consensus kingdom law. The only condition is that Curaçao, together with Aruba and St. Maarten agree to the law, otherwise they are not bound by the statute law. In the case of the CHE Kingdom Act, negotiating in advance was not obvious, Knops indicated.

“Although the proposal addresses a problem that has been visible for years, its urgency can be explained by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic has taken over the financial situation in the Kingdom and made the negotiation process virtually impossible.”

Although communication was difficult due to the urgency of the crisis, the three countries were given the opportunity to come up with their own proposals. Any objections to the bill can be submitted to the Council of State and the Advisory Councils during the legislative process.

As is known, the Advisory Councils have already reacted critically to the proposal. These objections may also be discussed during the parliamentary debate on the bill. In a number of answers, the Undersecretary reiterates that while the control, direction and supervision of the CHE is in Dutch hands, the entity will operate at a distance from the Dutch government and that the wishes and views of the Caribbean islands will be taken into account. There will be consultations about projects and countries can reject plans of action.