WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Parliament is expected to begin its public debate on the country's 2027 budget on November 23, with nearly two weeks provisionally reserved for the proceedings. The budget debate is scheduled to conclude by December 4.
The timetable is included in an adjusted schedule sent to Members of Parliament on Tuesday by Parliament President Fergino Brownbill.
The draft 2027 budget was submitted to Parliament on September 8, after which the procedure and timetable for its parliamentary consideration were revised.
Under the new schedule, the Central Committee will take the first formal step on October 5 by determining the deadline for parliamentary groups to submit their questions and comments.
MPs are expected to have until October 19 to submit their written questions.
Brownbill has asked the parliamentary groups to initially concentrate their questions on the financial figures contained in the budget and the General Considerations. The government's written answers are intended to provide MPs with additional information before the public political debate begins.
All questions submitted by the parliamentary groups will be combined into a single draft report, which is scheduled to be presented to the factions on October 21.
The report is expected to be formally adopted two days later, on October 23, and subsequently sent to the government.
The Cabinet must then respond in writing through a Nota naar aanleiding van het Verslag, containing its answers and explanations regarding the questions raised by Parliament.
Only after that document has been received will Parliament proceed with the public budget debate beginning November 23.
If the current schedule is maintained, the debate will conclude on December 4, leaving the government and Parliament several weeks before the 2027 budget takes effect on January 1.
The parliamentary year-end recess begins on December 24 and continues through January 4, providing some room in the schedule should the budget proceedings take longer than currently anticipated.