WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government has announced an ANG 6 million support package aimed at helping residents cope with the rising cost of living, which officials say has been exacerbated by political tensions in the Middle East and their impact on global prices.
Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW) Charetti America-Francisca unveiled the assistance program, which includes a monthly payment of ANG 100 and a food package for a period of three months.
The support measures are intended to provide relief to the island’s most vulnerable residents as higher fuel and energy prices continue to affect household budgets.
According to the government, a large portion of the financial assistance was already transferred on Friday. The first group of beneficiaries includes more than 4,700 recipients of social assistance benefits and over 9,200 pensioners who receive only an AOV pension supplemented by government assistance.
Additional payments will be made next week to other eligible groups. Widows, orphans, and pensioners with annual incomes below ANG 30,000 are scheduled to receive the ANG 100 contribution on Friday, June 5.
The government has also extended the program to low-income workers. Employees earning less than ANG 30,000 per year may qualify for the assistance, but they must submit an application through the government’s support portal.
Officials said the relief package was developed in response to the growing financial pressure on households caused by international developments, particularly instability in the Middle East, which has contributed to rising fuel and transportation costs worldwide.
The government hopes the temporary support measures will help families manage essential expenses during a period of heightened economic uncertainty.
The assistance program is part of a broader effort by the government to cushion the impact of rising prices on vulnerable groups while monitoring developments in international markets that continue to influence the cost of living in Curaçao.