WILLEMSTAD – The Advisory Council has raised legal and procedural concerns about the government’s plan to raise the maximum allowable salary for medical specialists, noting that a key oversight body required by law has yet to be established .
Under the LNT, deviations from salary limits require that an independent entity, as prescribed in the Landsbesluit Code Corporate Governance Curaçao, be consulted before final decisions are made. The report confirms that this entity has not yet been formally created, despite earlier commitments dating back to 2022.
While the government acknowledges this gap, it argues that the urgency of the healthcare situation justifies proceeding without waiting for the full governance structure to be in place. Instead, it points to alternative safeguards, including extensive benchmarking, consultations with the Social Insurance Bank, the Inspectorate for Public Health, the Stichting Overheidsaccountantsbureau and corporate governance advisors.
The Advisory Council cautions, however, that bypassing a statutory hearing requirement risks undermining the legal robustness of the decision-making process. It urges the government to accelerate the establishment of the missing entity to ensure compliance with the law and prevent future disputes.
Despite these concerns, the government maintains that public health interests must take precedence, warning that further delays could exacerbate staff shortages and lengthen waiting lists.