Dutch make available
over 1 billion guilders
CAY HILL--The Netherlands is making available more than one billion Antillean guilders for financial support for the Netherlands Antilles, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius.
This commitment from The Hague is part of the transition accord the Netherlands, the Central Government and the islands signed late Monday afternoon at the end of a plenary session of the one-day political consultation.
The target date for new relations in the Kingdom of the Netherlands has been set at December 15, 2008, the day traditionally celebrated as Kingdom Day, the day on which the Charter was signed in 1954. St. Maarten will become a country and the three “smaller” islands Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius overseas municipalities.
To make sure the islands have a healthy start, the Netherlands is helping with debt relief. An amount of NAf. 224 million is being reserved for this purpose. To eliminate the backlog of payment arrears, The Hague is making available NAf. 259 million.
The four islands will receive NAf. 71 million extra for social and economic investments. NAf. 15 million is being made available on the short term for concrete projects. NAf. 13 million is being reserved for budgetary aid for the islands. This budgetary aid is a one-time contribution and is mainly to cover health care related expenses for the three “smaller” islands. The budgetary aid will only become available after the financial supervisor has been appointed.
In addition it has been agreed that the Netherlands will deposit NAf. 507 million on an account at the Central Bank of the Netherlands Antilles as soon as the financial supervisor has been appointed. This money is reserved to pay the shares of St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius in the yet-undivided debt of the Netherlands Antilles.
Made available specifically per island for payment arrears (in Antillean guilders): St. Maarten 183 million, Bonaire 55 million, Saba 3 million, St. Eustatius 15 million. Each of the four islands receives NAf. 3 million for budgetary aid. The four islands also will receive NAf. 2 million for so-called quick wins. For the Social Economic Initiative (SEI): St. Maarten 26 million Antillean guilders, Bonaire 19.5 million, Saba and St. Eustatius each 13 million.
Dutch caretaker Minister of Kingdom Relations and Administrative Reform Atzo Nicolaï assured that the one billion were solely extra means and that the amount would not be deducted from any Dutch development aid related expenses. He said the amount had to be seen separately from funds made available via the Implementing Office of the Development Foundation Netherlands Antilles USONA.
The phased plan of St. Maarten, the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands, and the phased plan of the Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius will serve as points of departure for the new constitutional relations.
The transition accord doesn’t mention Curaçao, as that island territory hasn’t ratified the November 2 accord with the Netherlands. As a result, Curaçao attended Monday’s meeting as observer. Aruba was also to attend as observer, but informed that its representatives couldn’t make it.
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