WILLEMSTAD – The Raad van Advies has once again issued strong criticism of an initiative law proposed by ruling party Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK) aimed at encouraging employers to hire young people and young professionals.
According to the advisory body, even the third revised version of the draft law still falls short from a legal and legislative drafting perspective.
The initiative proposal seeks to introduce exemptions on wage taxes and social charges for employers who hire young workers. The lawmakers behind the proposal say the measure is intended to increase labor participation among youth and so-called young professionals on Curaçao.
However, the Council of Advice states that earlier concerns raised in previous opinions have still not been adequately addressed.
In its latest advice, the Council says it remains concerned about the quality of both the legal text and the explanatory memorandum accompanying the proposal.
According to the Council, the draft legislation still contains ambiguities, technical deficiencies, and provisions that have not been sufficiently elaborated.
The advisory body acknowledged that drafting legislation is a complex process and noted that not every initiative law can be expected to be perfect from the outset.
At the same time, the Council stressed that lawmakers are expected to seriously consider and incorporate previous recommendations made during the advisory process.
One of the Council’s main criticisms remains the lack of clarity about how the proposed scheme would function in practice and what concrete effects it is expected to produce.
The Council also raised continuing concerns about the practical implementation and legal substantiation of parts of the proposal.
The initiative law has already undergone multiple revisions following earlier criticism from the Council of Advice. The first version generated concerns about possible discrimination and implementation difficulties. Later revisions included changes to the financial conditions tied to the incentives for employers.
The proposal now returns to the political and legislative process amid ongoing debate about youth unemployment, labor participation, and economic opportunities for young professionals on the island.