WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao is entering a critical phase of its Landspakket reform program, with government modernization, tax reform and public sector restructuring expected to accelerate over the next 18 months as the current cooperation agreement with the Netherlands approaches its April 2027 deadline.
According to the latest Landspakket Implementation Agenda and Progress Report, authorities are focusing on improving financial management, modernizing the Tax Department, reducing bureaucracy and restructuring government ministries to create a more efficient public sector.
One of the most ambitious projects involves the modernization of the government apparatus itself. After delays in the original Improve Government Functioning program, authorities have launched a new initiative known as Future Proof Organisation (FPO). The program will develop new organizational structures for all ministries and begin implementing changes designed to improve government effectiveness.
At the same time, Curaçao is moving forward with plans to modernize the Tax Department and introduce a new Value Added Tax (VAT) system. The report notes that political commitment has now been secured for both projects and that implementation plans are being prepared.
The government is also seeking to improve financial oversight after acknowledging delays in projects aimed at strengthening financial management. A dedicated improvement program has been established to provide better coordination and support for those initiatives.
The reforms form part of a broader effort to strengthen the island’s economic and institutional resilience. The cooperation framework between Curaçao and the Netherlands was formally established in 2023 through the Mutual Arrangement on Reform Cooperation and remains one of the most extensive governance reform programs ever undertaken on the island.
Despite progress, officials acknowledge that not all reforms will be completed before the current agreement expires in 2027, raising questions about the future of cooperation beyond that date.