WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s government wants culture to play a greater role in national identity, education and heritage protection, but several of the sector’s largest funding allocations will remain virtually unchanged in 2027 and throughout the government’s multi-year budget.
Biblioteka Publiko Kòrsou is budgeted to receive XCG 3.8 million in 2027, the same amount allocated in 2026. According to the multi-year projections, that funding will remain unchanged through 2030.
The allocation for antiquities and museums follows a similar pattern. Almost XCG 1.2 million is budgeted for 2027, exactly the same as this year, with no increase projected through 2030.
Direct cultural subsidy funding also remains unchanged. Although the broader ordinary-budget category for “Subsidies and Contributions for Culture” rises from nearly XCG 1.74 million to almost XCG 1.96 million, the actual subsidy component remains fixed at XCG 1.3 million.
The increase instead comes primarily from goods and services, for which the government is allocating XCG 600,000 in 2027, compared with XCG 380,000 in 2026.
The figures mean that cultural organizations dependent on government subsidies should not interpret the higher overall budget category as an increase in the amount available for grants.
At the same time, the 2027 budget sets out an ambitious cultural policy. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports wants to use culture to strengthen national identity and social cohesion while increasing awareness of Curaçao’s history.
The government also wants to strengthen cultural education within the school system, protect cultural heritage and further professionalize and expand the cultural sector.
For heritage preservation, authorities intend to improve data collection and align Curaçao’s efforts with UNESCO objectives concerning the protection of cultural heritage during disasters.
However, the government is allocating only XCG 250,000 for new cultural investments in 2027, down from XCG 1.125 million this year.
The investment allocation will remain at XCG 250,000 in 2028 before increasing to XCG 1.25 million in both 2029 and 2030.
The budget therefore creates a clear distinction between maintaining existing cultural programs and institutions and financing new development: while nearly XCG 13 million will be spent on the cultural policy area in 2027, only a small fraction will be available for new investments.