WILLEMSTAD – MFK Member of Parliament Javier Silvania is calling on the government to reverse a 25 percent reduction in the annual subsidy for elderly care home Nos Welita, warning that the funding cut has placed the institution in financial distress and jeopardized the care of dozens of senior citizens.
In a letter to Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare Charetty America-Francisca, Silvania said the subsidy allocated to Nos Welita for 2026 was reduced from more than ANG 1.6 million to just over ANG 1.2 million, a decrease of more than ANG 400,000.
According to the parliamentarian, the nursing home provides care for 35 elderly residents and employs 25 staff members.
Silvania said the funding reduction created immediate financial difficulties for the institution. During the first three months of 2026, the government continued making monthly subsidy payments based on the higher 2025 allocation. However, an email from the Ministry of Social Development's Finance Department reportedly informed the institution that no subsidy would be paid for April because the remaining annual budget had to be spread across the period from May through December.
As a result, Silvania said Nos Welita faced the prospect of being unable to pay employee salaries at the end of April.
The subsidy reduction is linked to conditions previously imposed by the ministry. According to Silvania, the government required the foundation to restructure its board and ensure that it employed a qualified director and a qualified nurse. The ministry also announced that the Government Accounting Bureau Foundation (SOAB) would conduct an investigation into both the institution's financial administration and the quality of care provided.
The minister indicated that the subsidy level would be reviewed once the investigation had been completed.
However, Silvania said Nos Welita maintains that it has complied with all of the ministry's requirements since 2024. According to the letter, the institution's board has repeatedly submitted written objections challenging the subsidy reduction, but those objections have reportedly gone unanswered.
He also cited a statement from Nos Welita's accountant, who concluded that the 2025 government subsidy had been used for its intended purpose.
Silvania argues that the government should have waited for the outcome of the SOAB investigation before reducing the institution's funding.
In his parliamentary questions, the MFK legislator asks Minister America-Francisca whether the subsidy cut will be reversed and when the outstanding April payment will be made. He also seeks clarification on the home's current financial position and asks whether Nos Welita will still receive government funds intended for residents' personal allowance program for 2023 and 2024.
The case raises broader questions about the financial stability of organizations providing care for Curaçao's elderly population, particularly those that depend heavily on government subsidies to maintain daily operations.