The motion presented in the Curaçao Parliament this week regarding 2Bays, in my view, says more than what is literally written in the document. Parliament is concerned about the way objectives and projects are being implemented and is asking the government to commission an independent evaluation of the performance, capacity, leadership and results of 2Bays’ management and Supervisory Board. If it turns out that the current leadership lacks sufficient capacity, the government, as majority shareholder, should take action.
That is a strong signal. But we should be careful not to reduce a structural problem once again to the individuals who currently occupy the leadership positions. The bigger question is whether an island of our size has enough specialized expertise to actually deliver on all the ambitions we set for ourselves.
The government itself is struggling to fill difficult vacancies because of a shortage of specialized expertise. This does not mean that the government lacks ambition. It wants economic growth, an energy transition, a circular economy, investment and more employment. And Parliament itself is now making clear that the current situation cannot continue.
Ambition without the capacity to execute leads to delays.
2Bays makes that problem particularly visible. Transforming the former refinery site requires expertise in port economics, industrial development, energy, environmental management and land remediation, financing, real estate, legal structures and international investment.
That requires multidisciplinary expertise at an international level. Expecting all of that knowledge to be permanently available on a small island is simply unrealistic.
Perhaps we are looking for the solution in the wrong place.
Curaçao’s World Cup experience showed that things can be done differently. Curaçao reached football’s highest international stage without limiting itself to players living on the island. We made use of Curaçaoan talent living abroad, players who were trained overseas and accumulated international experience. Under one flag, that geographically dispersed talent became national capacity.
Why should we apply that principle only to football?
Our diaspora also includes engineers, lawyers, executives, financial specialists, entrepreneurs, scientists, IT professionals and experts in energy and project development. These are people who have accumulated knowledge, experience and international networks that Curaçao could put to good use.
They do not necessarily have to move back to Curaçao to contribute. In today’s world, someone living in the Netherlands, the United States or elsewhere can become part of Curaçao’s development capacity.
2Bays could be a good place to start.
First, determine what expertise is already available on the island, identify what is missing and establish what expertise can be mobilized from the Curaçaoan diaspora. Then create a professional multidisciplinary team combining local specialists with diaspora expertise, supplemented by other international expertise where necessary.
This should not become another discussion group whose main achievement is producing yet another report. It should be an operational pool of expertise capable of evaluating projects, helping attract international partners and contributing directly to their implementation.
Because simply replacing the management of 2Bays will not solve the structural problem.
A new director without access to sufficient expertise and implementation capacity could find himself or herself facing exactly the same obstacles two years from now.
That is why the lesson from Curaçao’s World Cup experience goes far beyond football. We have seen what can happen when we stop focusing primarily on where someone lives and start focusing on what that person can contribute to Curaçao.
Curaçao may be geographically small. Our knowledge community does not have to be.
Our capacity does not end at our shores.
Orlando Meulens
Columnist