THE HAGUE - State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (D66) of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations reflects in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on her role as a government official over the past years and how she has fulfilled her position. With the letter, she informs the House of Representatives about the state of affairs regarding various issues in the field of Kingdom relations.
The concept Main Agreement (HLA) for resolving the ENNIA issue was signed on April 11 by Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). Sint Maarten still needs approval from its Estates. The solution includes a restart and settlement of ENNIA, with a resolution fund for old policies and a restart of new policies. The CBCS provides pre-financing, for which the countries stand as guarantors.
Netherlands has assessed that the solution is financially solid and sustainable. The Financial Supervision Board (Cft) has confirmed that the contributions of the countries are financially manageable. However, a reserve in the budget is necessary to prevent the guarantees from negatively affecting the government debt.
Final approval will follow after approval by the Estates of Sint Maarten and written confirmation from the countries regarding the formation of reserves. After this, the refinancing of the COVID loans can also be reconsidered.
In addition, there is an arbitration procedure against the Netherlands due to actions by the CBCS under the emergency regulation for ENNIA. There are also other legal proceedings, including a liability procedure in Curaçao and a case in the US, in which the CBCS recently won. Further developments will be reported to the House.
"As State Secretary of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, I have had the opportunity to discover the value and complexity of the Kingdom relations for over two years," said Van Huffelen in the letter. According to the State Secretary, the Caribbean part of the Kingdom is incredibly diverse, with each island and community having its own needs and priorities. "As a government official, I have endeavored to strengthen the bond between the European Netherlands and the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, based on mutual respect and trust. At the same time, I wanted to achieve tangible progress for the residents of the islands," Van Huffelen writes.
"The countless contacts and experiences I have gained during my visits to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom over the past years are very dear to me. The six islands and communities have made a deep impression on me, and the connection I have experienced with them will always stay with me," Van Huffelen concludes.