BRUSSELS, WILLEMSTAD - The European Commission has informed the ‘Caribisch Netwerk’ that funds for other projects will not be released until Curaçao initiates the projects for which the Commission has already allocated funds in the past.
In late 2022, it was announced that the European Union had pledged nearly nineteen million euros to Curaçao for water management. This funding would be used to construct and renovate water purification facilities.
This investment would help the island address issues related to sewage and the treatment of chemical wastewater. However, when inquired whether the funds have been transferred to Curaçao, it was revealed that this has not yet occurred. Curaçao must first initiate previous projects for which it was expected to receive funding before accessing this multimillion-euro subsidy from Brussels.
European Commission
"The current focus is for Curaçao to first start implementing EU support from the previous 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020) for resilient infrastructure," stated a spokesperson from the European Commission. This concerns an amount of nearly seventeen million euros.
"Afterward, the new support package of nearly nineteen million euros for water and sanitation facilities for 2021-2027 can begin once it is formally approved."
Dive Schools
Curaçao is showing some urgency regarding water management subsidies. Several dive schools have recently raised the alarm, expressing great concerns about the future of the coral reef due to ongoing wastewater discharge into the sea around the island.
The coral not only faces difficulties due to climate change and coral diseases but also environmental issues.
Government
Meanwhile, the Curaçao government has been claiming to be 'working on' resolving this problem for years.
Former Minister of Traffic, Transport, and Spatial Planning, Zita Jesus Leito, promised in 2018 that the discharge of chemical wastewater at Shut - near the airport - would cease that same year.
In 2019, the former Minister of Economic Affairs, Giselle McWilliam, also stated that she was working with the water and energy company Aqualectra to address the wastewater issue.
Fast forward to 2023: According to nature conservationists and divers, chemical wastewater is still being discharged into the sea at the well-known dumping site.
Project
The infrastructure project from the 2014-2020 subsidy round has yet to commence. "Preparations are underway and will be completed soon," said Policy Director Tilly Pikerie on behalf of the Ministry of Traffic, Transport, and Spatial Planning.
Why is it taking so long for the project to start? According to officials at the ministry, the delay is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is expected that the tendering process for the various projects can take place in early 2024, with the implementation starting by the end of 2024," Pikerie stated.