WILLEMSTAD – The MAN parliamentary faction is calling on the Curaçao government to introduce concrete measures to address household debt after new figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) indicated that a large share of households are struggling to meet their financial obligations.
According to MAN, the CBS Enkuesta Sosial 2025 shows that 53.6 percent of households experience difficulty meeting their debt obligations.
The faction says the figure indicates that a substantial part of the population has insufficient financial room to comfortably cover fixed expenses, debt payments and other essential costs.
MAN argues that the consequences of household debt extend beyond financial difficulties. According to the faction, persistent debt and financial stress can also affect people's mental and physical well-being.
In making that argument, the party referred to CBS data concerning issues such as physical activity and absenteeism due to illness. However, the link between those indicators and financial stress is an interpretation made by MAN and is not established by the cited CBS figures themselves.
The faction believes the survey results require a more active response from the government and wants to know whether household debt will be made a priority within Curaçao's social policy.
MAN has submitted seven questions to the Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare, seeking information about measures being prepared for both the short and long term.
The faction also wants the government to indicate when residents can expect concrete measures to be introduced.
Another issue raised by MAN concerns the government's previously announced poverty policy. The faction wants an update on what has happened with those plans and how they relate to the financial difficulties now being reported among households.
According to MAN, the CBS findings should serve as a warning that financial pressure is affecting a significant portion of Curaçao society and requires more than temporary solutions.