WILLEMSTAD - In 2023, several healthcare and environmental institutions playing a vital role within the Curaçao community received a one-time additional subsidy from the Ministry of Health, Environment & Nature (GMN). The total amount is over eight million guilders. 

This funding is intended to supplement the financing shortfall for the fiscal year 2023 and aims to ensure the quality and continuity of essential services such as elderly care, disability care, mental health care, addiction care, and family planning. 

Among the beneficiaries is Parke Tropikal, which received 1.5 million guilders for the restoration of the zoo for therapy and community use, and various other organizations like PSI – Skuchami, SGR Groep, and Betesda, which were allocated amounts up to 2 million guilders. These funds are specifically targeted at activities and products that directly contribute to improving service delivery. 

To ensure that the provided resources are spent effectively and efficiently, the subsidies have been granted through ministerial decisions, with clear conditions for their use. The money must be spent specifically on the activities and products listed in the allocation, and a final written accountability of expenditures must be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and GMN by April 30, 2024. 

Several institutions have already utilized these additional subsidies for the purchase of products and the execution of activities. This includes acquiring transportation buses, performing overdue maintenance, procuring items such as mattresses and hospital beds, and providing special wheelchairs for the elderly and disabled. Critical training sessions have also been organized to enhance the quality of care. 

Given the significant amount of community funds involved in these subsidies, the minister has requested the institutions to submit an interim report with a detailed interim accountability of spending ahead of the final accountability. These interim reports must be submitted by March 15 and will undergo verification. This verification process ensures that the projects are making the desired progress and that the resources are being utilized correctly.