WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government is working to clean up and digitize welfare-recipient files after identifying continuing uncertainty over the accuracy and lawfulness of expenditures on income support and emergency assistance.
The issue is identified in the June 2026 Financial Management Report as an additional priority within Curaçao’s broader program to improve government financial management.
According to the report, there is uncertainty regarding the reliability and lawfulness of recorded expenditures for Onderstand and Noodvoorzieningen.
The government’s corrective plan includes cleaning up welfare-recipient files, digitizing records and updating information contained in the government’s CRM system.
The Ministry of Social Development, Labor and Welfare has submitted an action plan covering the digitization and archiving of client files.
The report says preparations for that work began in August, with completion currently expected in March 2027.
The government also intends to redesign the administrative processes governing income support and emergency assistance.
Its roadmap originally set a goal of bringing the relevant files into order by the end of 2026 and fully implementing the redesigned procedures by the end of 2027.
The administrative weaknesses are particularly relevant because welfare spending has increased significantly this year.
Through June, expenditures on Onderstand and Noodvoorzieningen were approximately XCG 15.6 million higher than forecast, mainly because of additional assistance provided to compensate recipients for rising living costs.
The government’s reform does not indicate that XCG 15.6 million was improperly spent. Rather, the report identifies weaknesses in the administrative controls needed to demonstrate that expenditures are completely, accurately and lawfully recorded.