WILLEMSTAD – The MAN parliamentary faction is calling for the establishment of an official organization where Curaçao residents facing serious debt problems can receive professional guidance and assistance.
The proposal follows the publication of the Central Bureau of Statistics' Enkuesta Sosial 2025, which MAN says shows that 53.6 percent of households have difficulty meeting their debt obligations.
According to the faction, the need for structured debt assistance is becoming increasingly urgent as residents are forced to borrow money to cover everyday expenses.
MAN believes people who become trapped in problematic debt should have a clearly identifiable institution they can approach for assistance rather than having to navigate the problem on their own.
Such assistance could provide residents with guidance in dealing with creditors and organizing their finances while helping prevent financial difficulties from developing into more serious social problems.
The proposal forms part of seven questions the faction has submitted to the Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare.
MAN wants to know what short- and long-term measures the government intends to implement to address household debt and whether the issue will receive priority within social policy.
The faction is also asking when concrete measures can be expected and what progress has been made on the government's previously announced poverty policy.
For MAN, the CBS figures demonstrate that household debt should no longer be treated solely as an individual financial problem.
With more than half of households reportedly experiencing difficulty meeting debt obligations, the faction argues that Curaçao needs a more structured approach that gives residents facing serious financial problems a clear place to turn for help.