WILLEMSTAD – MFK Member of Parliament and former Minister of Finance Javier Silvania says the government does not have to wait years to resolve the dispute over police officers being excluded from the Bion Law's overtime tax exemption.
In a letter to Minister of Finance Javier Cooper, Silvania argues that an immediate policy change is possible through a parliamentary aanschrijving—an administrative directive that would allow the government to adjust the implementation of the law while a formal legislative amendment is being prepared.
According to Silvania, a complete amendment to the Bion Law could take up to two years.
Any legislative revision would first require review by the Social Economic Council (SER) and the Council of Advice, before returning to Parliament for debate and approval.
Rather than waiting for that lengthy process, Silvania says Minister Cooper should seek Parliament's support for an administrative directive that could immediately address the concerns of police officers.
Previous precedent
Silvania points to his own tenure as Minister of Finance as evidence that such an approach can work.
He recalled that in 2022, when fuel prices rose sharply, he asked Parliament to support an administrative directive removing one layer of turnover tax (OB) on gasoline.
According to Silvania, Parliament unanimously supported the proposal, allowing fuel prices to drop by 24 cents per liter within a week.
He believes the same mechanism could now be used to address shortcomings in the implementation of the Bion Law.
"Government is a continuation"
Silvania emphasized that public administration should not come to a halt simply because ministers change.
"Government is a continuation," he wrote, urging Minister Cooper to continue the work already begun under the previous administration.
He argues that police officers should not have to wait years for relief when legal and administrative tools already exist to provide a faster solution.
The proposal forms part of a broader package of recommendations Silvania submitted to the Ministers of Finance and Justice regarding overtime taxation and police welfare.