THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD - The Member of Parliament for the Socialisty Party (SP), Ronald van Raak asked some questions to the Undersecretary of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops about the “exorbitant salaries at the top of government companies in Curaçao”. These questions were submitted on August 5 this year. The Dutch MP has finally received answers to his questions.

Question 1

Is it true that salaries at the top of government companies in Curaçao are much higher than the income of the Prime Minister?

Question 2

Why are the incomes of the top of these government owned companies, which mainly perform public duties and are paid with public money, not public?

Question 4

Are you aware of the top incomes at the government NVs on Curaçao and Sint Maarten?

Answers questions 1, 2 and 4

According to the Corporate Governance Code Curacao, the annual account must report on the remuneration per director. Compliance with this code is the responsibility of the Foundation for Supervision and Standards of Government Entities (SBTNO). Sint Maarten also has a Corporate Governance Code. Compliance with this code is the responsibility of the Corporate Governance Council.

The remuneration and supervision of directors of government owned companies on Curaçao and Sint Maarten is a matter for the countries concerned. Nonetheless, I believe that if a country needs to take robust measures to get its finances in order and requires assistance from the Netherlands, it should also look at the remuneration of directors of public limited liability companies. I have spoken to the Prime Minister of Curaçao about this before.

Question 3

In the meantime, does the financial supervisor Cft have insight into the finances of the government’s companies on Curaçao and Sint Maarten?

Answer question 3

Supervision of government entities is not possible under the Financial Supervision Act (Rft). However, government entities often play an important social role. Their functioning can have far-reaching consequences for the national budget. After all, financial obligations through legal persons who belong to a country can be very important for the financial position of the country. The entire collective sector is therefore taken into account in the financial supervision of that national budget. The Cft regularly asks the governments of the countries for information about the collective sector that it considers necessary for the performance of its duties.

Question 5

Do you share the view that people who hold a public position should never earn more than the Prime Minister?

Answer question 5

In the Netherlands we have agreed the Balkenende standard for this. I understand from a reaction in the media that the Prime Minister of Curaçao believes that standards should be set and that there should be transparency about the remuneration that government directors receive. The way in which Curaçao wants to implement this is an autonomous matter for the country of Curaçao. I encourage the government of Curaçao to take this forward energetically.