WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao Parliament continued its Central Committee meeting this week with a key presentation from the Algemene Rekenkamer Curaçao (Audit Chamber) on its report regarding the government’s 2023 annual accounts.
The session resumed after having been suspended earlier during a previous parliamentary meeting on March 23.
During the meeting, Audit Chamber representatives Joel Felida and Shanela Cathalina presented their findings and observations to members of Parliament.
Audit Chamber members during the parliamentary debate
The report on the 2023 annual accounts forms part of the Audit Chamber’s constitutional oversight role, examining whether public funds have been managed lawfully, transparently and effectively.
The annual accounts are considered one of the most important financial accountability documents of the government, as they provide Parliament with insight into how public money was spent and whether expenditures matched approved budgets.
Following the presentation, members of Parliament agreed to temporarily suspend the second agenda item after parliamentarian Girigorie proposed allowing lawmakers additional time to review the Audit Chamber’s presentation, which had been distributed by email.
Parliament Speaker Fergino Brownbill approved the request and suspended the agenda point for 30 minutes to give members the opportunity to study the material in more detail.
During that break, Parliament also ratified an additional agenda item concerning the approval of an official trip to Expocomer 2026 in Panama, which took place from March 9 to 13.
After the session resumed, Parliament opened a single 10-minute question round, during which members were given the opportunity to ask the Audit Chamber representatives questions about the findings in the report.
The exchange focused on financial accountability, budget execution and the management of government resources during the 2023 fiscal year.
At the end of the questioning round, the Audit Chamber representatives requested additional time to formulate their responses to the questions raised by members of Parliament.
The discussions around the 2023 annual accounts come at a time when financial management remains under increased scrutiny, particularly as Curaçao continues efforts to improve government accounting standards and strengthen public financial oversight.
The Audit Chamber’s review is considered an important part of that process, helping Parliament assess whether government spending complies with legal and budgetary requirements and where improvements are still needed.