~New deadline set for July 15~

THE HAGUE–As expected, no agreement was reached during the meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers today, Friday regarding the new entity to channel future liquidity support and to implement reforms.

And while St. Maarten and Curaçao received a new deadline of July 15 to comply with the conditions of the second tranche liquidity support so they can qualify for funding of the third tranche, Aruba did comply with those conditions and will receive funds of the third tranche, some 204 million Aruba florins, to cover July, August and September.

Curaçao and St. Maarten will have to wait a bit longer on that funding, because they still have some homework to do. “We have until July 15 to finalise the criteria regarding the salary support programme. We would have to change over the system. If we have to, we will,” said St. Maarten Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs after the meeting.

As for the third tranche, discussions will have to continue with the Netherlands. “I’m happy that it has not been forced through despite the fact that we as three countries could not agree to the conditions,” said Jacobs.

Jacobs and Curaçao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath said they needed more time reach an agreement with the labour unions concerning the 12.5 per cent salary cut that The Hague has demanded for the total wage sum of the Curaçao and St. Maarten governments.

“We are not against reforms. We were already executing reforms. The problem is the high speed in which the Netherlands forces us to get it done. We have to talk with the unions in a local context whereby unemployment has increased to 50 per cent. We have the space to continue talks on a total package that we are part of and that we can justify,” said Rhuggenaath.

Bron: Daily Herald