WILLEMSTAD - The Minister of Finance Javier Silvania has not yet piloted the 2022 budget through Parliament but has just been requested to redo his homework. The Financial Supervision Board (Cft) has pointed out to him that the budget does not meet "the criteria of orderliness and verifiability". The Cft does even give the minister a compliment for the improved collection of taxes.

On paper, Curaçao is heading for a deficit of 162 million this year, but there are serious doubts about the reality of this figure. For example, the Cft notes that not all expenses and income have been included in the budget and that some of the income and expenses that are included are not sufficiently substantiated. It is highly uncertain whether part of the budgeted income will actually be realized because the underlying legislation is not yet in place.

Furthermore, the income, expenses and investments resulting from the National Package have not been incorporated. This also applies to the effects of the 2022-2025 government program. Estimates are also based on outdated realization figures for 2021. In contrast to the decrease in personnel costs agreed with the Netherlands, this increase is sharp compared to 2021.