WILLEMSTAD - The opposition party MAN-PIN has raised serious concerns about the legality of a recent tax debt exemption granted by the Minister of Finance, Javier Silvania. During a heated Parliamentary session, MAN-PIN argued that the minister lacked the legal authority to approve the exemption, which reportedly involved the cancellation of 3 billion Antillean guilders (3,000 million) in tax debt.
According to MAN-PIN, Minister Silvania failed to provide a clear legal justification for his actions, despite repeated questioning from opposition members. The minister was unable to reference any specific law that would authorize such a significant tax exemption, leading the opposition to question the legality of the decision.
MAN-PIN also criticized the minister's move to draft a new law aimed at retroactively justifying the exemption. The opposition argued that if the minister’s actions were lawful, there would be no need to introduce new legislation to legitimize them.
In an attempt to deflect responsibility, Minister Silvania allegedly blamed public employees, insisting that he had done nothing wrong. However, it was his own social media post that revealed the tax receiver had lost a court case against wealthy debtors, bringing the issue into public view.
The opposition dismissed claims that the minister’s actions were an effort to intimidate those who might expose the identities of individuals or entities owing taxes. MAN-PIN asserted that it was not politicians, business owners, bus drivers, or employees who requested the exemption and challenged the minister to release the list of beneficiaries, including supporters of the ruling party MFK.
This latest controversy, according to MAN-PIN, is another example of the ruling party MFK defending questionable actions within the government. The opposition alleges that the proposed legislation is a deliberate attempt to shield the minister from accountability. They pointed to an earlier advisory opinion from the Social and Economic Council (SER), which stated that the minister’s decision in 2023 was illegal and resulted in a significant loss of tax revenue for Curaçao.
As the debate continues, the issue raises broader questions about governance and transparency within the current administration, with the opposition pledging to hold the government accountable for actions they deem unlawful and detrimental to the island’s financial health.