WILLEMSTAD – Nearly six years after Curaçao and the Netherlands launched the Country Package reforms, many of the original objectives remain unfinished despite years of work, extensive planning, and millions invested in implementation.
The reform program was introduced in 2020 as part of an agreement tied to Dutch financial support during the COVID-19 crisis. It was intended to modernize government, strengthen public finances, improve healthcare, reform education, and create a more competitive economy.
Instead, the reform process has become characterized by repeated delays, shifting deadlines, and concerns about whether government has sufficient capacity to carry out such a large-scale transformation.
Since the launch of the program, numerous consultants, project teams, technical experts, and advisory bodies have been involved in developing reform plans and implementation strategies.
Yet several key reforms remain incomplete.
Reports by oversight bodies have repeatedly highlighted shortages of qualified personnel within ministries, difficulties implementing recommendations, and delays in translating plans into concrete results.
The challenge is not necessarily a lack of ideas, but a lack of execution.
Several ministries continue to face vacancies, while experienced civil servants have retired or moved to other sectors. This has made it difficult to maintain momentum on complex reform projects that often require years of sustained effort.
The situation has led some observers to question whether the reform agenda was too ambitious from the outset.
Supporters of the Country Package argue that structural reforms take time and that significant progress has already been made behind the scenes. Critics counter that citizens should be able to see clearer results after nearly six years of implementation.
The debate is likely to intensify as Curaçao approaches the next phase of the reform process and policymakers begin evaluating which projects delivered measurable improvements and which failed to meet expectations.
For many residents, the issue is becoming increasingly simple: after years of reforms, reports, and promises, what has actually changed?