WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government failed to properly monitor, control, and enforce conditions tied to more than NAf. 1 million in public subsidies, according to a new audit report.
The Algemene Rekenkamer Curaçao found that oversight by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (OWCS) was largely absent, particularly in the years following the disbursement of funds in 2010.
In the case of two organizations—FFA and FCVB—the ministry did not request accountability reports until approximately nine years after the subsidies were granted. During that period, no effective supervision was exercised, and there was no verification of whether the intended objectives had been achieved.
For CSDB, the situation was somewhat different but equally problematic. While supervision began in 2011, administrative confusion between ministries from 2013 to 2015 disrupted oversight responsibilities. Even after it became clear that the project’s objectives would not be met, authorities failed to take corrective action, such as withdrawing the subsidy.
The audit also highlights structural weaknesses in government administration. Poor record-keeping, missing documentation, and unclear responsibilities between departments made it difficult to reconstruct the decision-making process. In some cases, relevant documents could not be retrieved due to outdated systems or incomplete archives.
Furthermore, the government failed to clearly define and communicate performance criteria to the organizations receiving the funds. Without measurable targets or enforcement mechanisms, there was no effective way to ensure that public money delivered the intended social benefits.
The report concludes that these failures represent a breakdown in accountability and calls for stronger oversight, clearer procedures, and improved administrative capacity within government institutions.