WILLEMSTAD - “The Netherlands needs to be more generous and empathetic to help us financially with the reconstruction of our economy. Now is not the time to be tight-fisted.” This is according to Dr. Steven Martina, Curaçao's minister of economic development and tourism. “We don’t have a corrupt gang here.”

Minister Martina talks about the enormous problems with which the island has been saddled by the corona crisis.

“Our economy is shrinking a quarter this year. Tourism in particular is also being hit hard. We are hit a lot harder than the Netherlands, where the economy may collapse by 6%,” Martina says.

HALF OF TOURISTS

Martina, who is a businessman himself, thinks the number of tourists in Curaçao - normally half a million plus 800,000 cruise passengers worth $ 1.2 billion - will be more than halved. "Full recovery will certainly take until 2022."

He is happy with the restart of flights from the Netherlands of KLM, Corendon and TUI last week. "We really need that to give residents and business some perspective. The poverty is poignant, the discontent understandable, although no reason for destruction and arson. Criminals take advantage of the situation. We do our best, but without support from The Hague we will not succeed.”

INSANE

Martina only talks about loans without all kinds of "nonsensical" preconditions. "Cut wages of civil servants by 12.5%? How are we going to do that? We also deal with collective agreements. We can already reduce costs where we can, but we cannot and do not want our population to start begging. Unemployment is increasing day by day.”

According to the minister, Dutch politicians sometimes pretend that everyone in Curaçao is corrupt. "There are a few bad apples in every country, but it's not a corrupt gang here. It hurts to have to keep hearing that in disguise. We can only knock on the door in the Netherlands. Curaçao may be autonomous within the kingdom, but not independent. Let us talk together about a rational and above all real recovery plan for the future of Curaçao, without throwing emotions and mud,” Martina suggests.

CORENDON

This month, KLM, Corendon and TUI will return to ten flights a week from Schiphol to Curaçao, sometimes via Aruba and Bonaire. Until March there were twenty weekly. "Tourists are very important. The backbone of our economy. We must continue to invest in this. That's why it's good that Corendon has opened a new hotel on the island last week, the Mangrove Beach Resort.”

However, according to Martina, the government of Curaçao is careful to prevent a second corona wave and lockdown. “That is why every visitor has to be tested for the virus just before departure. We do not want to re-import the disease and will open the border step by step, taking into account the 1.5 meter social distancing.”

In addition to continuing to contribute to personnel costs, Martina also asks the Netherlands for a contribution towards fixed costs and financial guarantee schemes for bridging loans. “Unemployment risks otherwise rising from 25 to 50%. And if people in Curaçao no longer have an income, they will be forced to seek refuge in the Netherlands in large numbers,” he predicts.

TOUGH DEMANDS

Martina is also concerned about the loss of the island's refinery and the poor business relationship with Venezuela. “If the Netherlands continues to impose tough unfeasible conditions, I see our future very gloomy. I am always positive, and I really hope that an easily feasible support program can be achieved.”

Martina: "We will repay all loans, although that will take about ten years. For the Netherlands, that money is relatively peanuts on their budget. For my part, I promise extreme budgetary discipline. We yearn for fraternization and a shared long-term vision to emerge from this downward spiral. We would like to see the Netherlands show moral and business solidarity in the current unprecedented malaise instead of pushing us unilaterally heavy and unreasonable interventions down the throat.”