THE HAGUE – The VVD faction in the Dutch Parliament is outraged by the decision of the Curaçao government to waive billions of tax claims while simultaneously asking the Netherlands to fund reform projects on the island.
Second Chamber member Roelien Kamminga has requested clarification from State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations.
“Have you taken note of the article ‘OM ‘entered into conversation’ with Silvania’ dated 18 April 2023 and the press release dated 3 April 2023 in which the Curaçao Ministry of Finance indicates that it intends to adjust the collection policy of the Tax Department?
“Do you share the opinion that it is unacceptable to forgive tax debts in one’s own country while at the same time calling on the Netherlands to finance reform projects in Curaçao with Dutch tax money? If not, can you explain why not?
“Do you share the view that collecting tax debts from 2017 and earlier could contribute to putting the Curaçao budget in order? If so, will you discuss this with the government of Curaçao?
“Can you indicate what the legal basis is for no longer actively collecting tax debts on Curaçao from the year 2017 and earlier, and what the status of this decision/intention is?
“What has the Curaçao government done since a similar decision was made in 2015 to implement the necessary reforms, and what have you done in recent years to push for this?
“How will it be ensured that the necessary policy and organizational adjustments are now made in the future? And what is needed for this?
“Do you share the opinion that it would be desirable to make these necessary policy and organizational adjustments a precondition for further financial assistance for the reforms? If not, why not?
“How does the intended adjustment of the collection policy on Curaçao relate to the most recent letter from the Financial Supervision College of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which states that the Curaçao budget still does not meet the standards referred to in Article 15 of the Kingdom Act on Financial Supervision of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Rft)?”
The VVD is concerned that the Curaçao government is choosing to forgive tax debts rather than collecting them, while simultaneously requesting financial assistance from the Netherlands. They believe that the collection of tax debts could help to put the Curaçao budget in order and are requesting clarification from State Secretary Van Huffelen on the matter. They also want to know what has been done in recent years to push for the necessary reforms and what is needed to ensure that these reforms are made in the future. The VVD is also questioning whether the necessary policy and organizational adjustments should be made a precondition for further financial assistance for the reforms.
Bron: Curacao Chronicle