THE HAGUE – The Netherlands is giving Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten an additional two years to complete the reforms originally agreed upon in 2020. The cooperation arrangements governing the reform packages will be extended through the end of 2029, according to the Dutch Kingdom Relations budget published on Prinsjesdag.
The extension means the three Caribbean countries will have more time to complete reform programs that have fallen behind schedule. The measures originated during the COVID-19 crisis, when the Netherlands provided extensive financial support to Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten in exchange for commitments to implement structural reforms.
The reform packages cover a broad range of areas aimed at strengthening the countries' economic and financial resilience and improving the functioning of government and public institutions.
The Netherlands and the three countries formalized their continued cooperation through mutual arrangements in 2023. Those arrangements were intended to provide the framework for implementing and monitoring the remaining reforms.
However, many of the reform projects have progressed more slowly than initially planned. Ending the program on the previously agreed date would risk undermining investments already made in recent years, both financially and in terms of administrative capacity and effort.
Earlier this year, an independent evaluation committee also recommended extending the program, providing additional time for the countries to complete reforms that are already underway.
The extension through 2029 will not require additional funding from the Dutch government. Instead, existing money will be redistributed over a longer period.
According to the Kingdom Relations budget, €30.9 million originally scheduled for 2027 will be shifted to the following two years. Of that amount, €21.3 million will become available in 2028 and €9.6 million in 2029.
The decision effectively acknowledges that the reform process in Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten will take considerably longer than initially anticipated.
For Curaçao, it also means that cooperation with the Netherlands on the Landspakket reforms will continue for at least another three years, with the emphasis increasingly shifting toward completing reforms and ensuring that measures already initiated produce lasting results.