SABA/SINT EUSTATIUS - The government will make € 16 million available in 2023 to improve purchasing power for residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. An additional € 12 million will then be made available in 2024 and € 4 million annually from 2025 onwards. The money is part of the broad measures that are being taken to improve purchasing power in the Netherlands.

This increase in purchasing power is in addition to the extra financial resources from the Coalition Agreement of structurally € 30 million (€ 23 million in 2022) to improve the standard of living of the inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands. And is in addition to the € 5 million that was made available by the cabinet last March for lowering excise duties in 2022 and introducing an energy surcharge for low-income households.

The extra amount now released by the cabinet will be used to make the energy surcharge available in 2023. This is an amount of $ 1300 for households up to 130% of the legal minimum wage. The reduction in excise duty on petrol in 2023 will also be extended: 16 USD cents per litre for the first half of 2023 and 8 USD cents per litre for the second half of 2023.

In addition, older people will receive a higher basic pension in 2023. The increase in the AOV corresponds to the amount initially envisaged for 2025. This means that an AOV beneficiary with full AOV accrual, depending on the place of residence within the Caribbean Netherlands, receives approximately 150 dollars extra per month.

Furthermore, parents will receive more child benefit next year and childcare will become cheaper. For a single mother with 2 children aged 1 and 3, for example, this means that she receives $40 dollars extra child benefit per month and pays $50 dollars less per month for childcare (for full care).

The tax-free allowance will also be increased. That is the part of the income on which no tax has to be paid. The increase of the tax-free allowance in the Caribbean Netherlands by USD 500 leads to a tax reduction of 30.4% x USD 500 = approximately USD 150 on an annual basis for residents of the Caribbean Netherlands who pay wage or income tax.

The purchasing power measures are additional to the inflation adjustment that is usually applied as of 1 January to the statutory minimum wage, the AOV, the AWW, the social assistance and the child benefit (as well as the tax-free sum). The amount of the inflation correction is determined on the basis of the CBS consumer price index for the third quarter of 2022. This percentage will come out around 20 October. The inflation rate for the second quarter of 2022 was around 8 to 9%, but how this will develop towards the end of the third quarter of this year is not easy to predict in advance.

Furthermore, a package is also being worked out for the Caribbean Netherlands to mitigate the consequences of rising energy prices.

Minister Schouten for Poverty Policy sees that due to the current sharp rise in energy and food prices, the livelihood security of a growing group of people is under increasing pressure: "That is why we are taking a large number of measures to improve purchasing power next year, such as a new energy allowance for low incomes, a higher basic pension and for parents a higher child benefit and cheaper childcare. It is necessary that incomes and costs are more in balance with each other. The government wants to take steps on this more quickly."

State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations is pleased with the extra money for residents of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba: "It is important that we help all residents of the Netherlands with extra purchasing power measures. I am satisfied that there is also a good package for the Caribbean Netherlands. But I also know: we are not there yet. We must continue to work on tackling poverty."

(RCN Caribbean Netherlands)

BONAIRE (KRALENDIJK) - Over the weekend of 17th and 18th of September, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee, KMar) encountered several foreigners staying on Bonaire illegally.

On Saturday 17th of September, three undocumented persons were found, presumably from the Dominican Republic. On Sunday, three persons were found near Sorobon, one of them was in the possession of an Ecuadorian passport. This person was also not in possession of a residency status on Bonaire. 

In the early morning of Saturday 17th of September, KMar received a report of a suspicious situation in which three persons had been found near Laguna Beach. In cooperation with the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee responded to the report.

At the scene, the situation was examined, and it was assessed whether first aid was needed. The three persons were in good health according to the circumstances. When it emerged that the three could not clarify exactly where and how they had landed, the KMar took the three, presumably Dominicans, to the station for further investigation.

The foreigners have since been transferred to the Netherlands Caribbean Correctional Institution (Justitiële Inrichting Caribisch Nederland, JICN). There they remain in aliens’ custody during further investigation.

On Sunday, 18th of September, officers of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee again encountered three persons during a patrol, near Sorobon. At the time, the three persons were swimming in an area where it is prohibited.

Upon checking the three persons, it was found that one of them did not have a lawful residence on the island. The man, who held an Ecuadorian passport, was also taken to the JICN, where he now remains pending his deportation.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee monitors the security of the Caribbean Netherlands' borders, both at airports and at the islands' water borders. By combating illegal border crossings and cross-border crime, it contributes to security on the islands. (RCN Caribbean Netherlands)

SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS – Security has been stepped up around the heir to the throne, princess Amalia, and prime minister Mark Rutte because of concerns they could be targeted by organised criminals, the Telegraaf reported.

Amalia has delayed moving in to her student accommodation in Amsterdam, where she is studying Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics, after her name and the prime minister’s cropped up in intercepted messages, the newspaper said on Saturday.

The government information service Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst said it did not comment on security arrangements, but justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz told WNL op Zondag that there were ‘very serious’ threats in general from the underworld against politicians, public figures and journalists.

Yesilgöz said she was working on plans for a stricter detention regime with tighter supervision for ‘exceptional category’ criminals such as drugs gang bosses.

Security guards at the high-security prison in Vught also raised the alarm about correspondence between Ridouan Taghi, who is currently on trial accused of being the head of a gang that carried out six gangland assassinations in 18 months, and Mohammed Bouyeri, the murderer of film-maker Theo van Gogh.

Taghi’s lawyer Thomas van der Horst confirmed that the two had exchanged letters, pointing out that correspondence between inmates was not forbidden. The Telegraaf said the letters contained citations from the Koran, but Van der Horst denounced what he called a campaign by the media to ‘generate suspicion’.

‘The number of letters in more than a year can be counted on both hands, and only four of them came from my client,’ he said.

(DutchNews)

SABA/THE HAGUE--The Saba delegation on Friday, September 16 concluded a successful working visit to the Netherlands with the securing of various commitments that will benefit Saba’s community.

The delegation had meetings at ministries, and with dignitaries and government organizations. A highlight was the establishing of the Task Force that will look at solutions for long-time issues such as banking, connectivity, real estate and notary services among other things. Commissioner Zagers signed the Task Force document on behalf of the Public Entity Saba. Other signatories were State Secretary of Kingdom Relations and Digitization Alexandra van Huffelen and St. Eustatius Deputy Government Commissioner Claudia Toet.

Saba Package and WolBES, FinBES

During a meeting with State Secretary Van Huffelen, the delegation discussed the evaluation and upcoming changes of the WolBES and FinBES laws which focus on different levels of financial supervision, the function of the Kingdom Representative of the National Government Department for the Caribbean Netherlands RCN and the future increase of the size of the Island Councils and Executive Councils. A working group will be visiting Saba in October for talks with the Island Council and Executive Council on this future increase.

Also discussed with Van Huffelen was the Saba Package with a focus on digital infrastructure, digitization in government, digital services for the public and the economic side of digitization. Human capacity was another issue that was discussed as it requires continuous attention with the limitations of a small island. This matter was also discussed with the Association of Dutch Municipalities VNG. Together with the VNG, the Public Entity Saba will look into temporary, short-term assistance until the positions are permanently filled. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) will support the Public Entity Saba financially with these initiatives.

Free allowance

Next year’s evaluation of the free allowance was discussed in a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of BZK. As of next year, the system of the free allowance will be evaluated every year, in consultation with the islands. The free allowance for Saba will be increased gradually in the coming years as part of the Saba Package 2.0.

The possibilities to allocate funding from the Regio Deals of the Dutch Government for Saba’s overall development was also discussed with the Ministry of BZK, as well as the so-called reference points under which the ministries create visions and ambitions for various policy domains that affect the islands.

Investments in poverty eradication, the social domain, public health, healthy lifestyle and sport projects on Saba were discussed with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (SZW) and the Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sport (VWS).

Other infrastructure

The Saba delegation met with representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) to talk about important future investments that are needed for Saba’s water infrastructure. On the table are Saba’s ambitions are to extend the water pipeline to the new harbor location, to increase the capacity on the existing pipeline from Fort Bay up to The Bottom and Windwardside in order to pump up more water and faster, to improve the intake for the Reverse Osmosis water plants and to secure more water storage capacity.

The delegation also met with representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs as well as the Minister of Climate Rob Jetten. Issues such as telecom, sustainability and tourism were discussed. Future investments into renewable energy on Saba was the main topic of a meeting with Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Rob Jetten. These investments are important not only from a point of sustainability, but also to make Saba less dependent on fossil fuel, which currently greatly impacts the price of electricity.

Opportune timing

According to Commissioner Zagers, the timing of the visit to the Netherlands for strategic discussions was opportune as it was just before Budget Day on the third Tuesday of September, the end of the year memorandum (“Najaarsnota”) and several crucial debates in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament next month. Commissioner Zagers had individual meetings with Members of the Second Chamber Joba van den Berg and Jorien Wuite.

The Saba delegation travelled back to Saba on Sunday, September 18. The delegation consisted of Commissioner Zagers, Island Secretary Tim Muller, Senior Policy Advisor Nicole Johnson, Head of the Public Health Department Jane O’Flynn and Senior Social Worker of the Community Development Department Lucrecia Paulina.