WILLEMSTAD – Member of Parliament Ishahier Monte is calling for renewed efforts to help Curaçao residents struggling with unpaid water and electricity bills, while emphasizing that the issue requires long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.
Monte said the problem of utility debt is not new and noted that he has raised concerns about the issue on several occasions in the past.
According to the parliamentarian, responsibility for the current situation does not rest solely with the households involved. He argued that policies implemented by successive governments over the years also contributed to the problem by reconnecting water and electricity services without establishing a structural plan to help families become financially stable and avoid falling back into debt.
Monte also pointed to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many households facing severe financial hardship.
“Many people lost their jobs or saw their income reduced, resulting in overdue payments for water and electricity,” he said.
The MP noted that the consequences of that period are still being felt today, with many families continuing to struggle to keep up with utility payments.
Monte said his goal is to contribute constructively to the discussion and help identify practical and realistic solutions that can provide meaningful assistance to the population.
“If we truly want to help, we must start again from the beginning,” he stated, suggesting that policymakers should reassess the current approach and develop a more sustainable strategy for addressing utility debt.
The comments come amid ongoing public debate over rising utility costs, household debt, and proposals to assist families whose water and electricity services have been disconnected because of unpaid bills.