WILLEMSTAD – Utility company Aqualectra has written off more than Cg 2.2 million in outstanding water and electricity debt through the Pasku di Bida assistance program, which is aimed at helping financially vulnerable households on Curaçao.
Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW) Charetti America-Francisca disclosed the amount in response to parliamentary questions submitted by MFK Member of Parliament Javier Silvania.
Pasku di Bida is designed to help households whose water or electricity service has already been disconnected because of unpaid bills. Through the program, eligible families can have their utility services restored while receiving assistance in dealing with their outstanding debt.
Under the arrangement, SOAW covers 75 percent of the debt, while Aqualectra absorbs the remaining 25 percent. Participants are subsequently placed on an individualized payment arrangement based on their income and financial circumstances.
The figures provided by the minister also reveal the considerable scale of utility debt among Curaçao households.
Approximately 1,700 households that have already been disconnected collectively owe Aqualectra nearly Cg 12 million. This represents an average debt of roughly Cg 7,000 per household, although individual amounts can vary significantly.
An additional 1,400 households are at risk of having their utility services disconnected. Together, this group has approximately Cg 60 million in outstanding bills.
The figures indicate that the combined outstanding debt among these two groups alone approaches Cg 72 million.
The Pasku di Bida program seeks to prevent vulnerable families from remaining without essential utilities while also creating a structured way for them to address their financial obligations.
The disclosure comes amid a broader debate on Curaçao about household debt, poverty and the ability of families to meet essential monthly expenses. Recent discussions in Parliament have increasingly focused on whether existing assistance programs are sufficient to prevent households experiencing financial difficulties from falling further into debt.