The Hague – Ministries in the Dutch Government have reacted positively to development plans drawn up by the public entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The Dutch Government has the ambition, together with the islands, to remove the physical and social backlogs. The Dutch government recognizes that more needs to happen. The pace at which the various backlogs will be removed is dependant on the budgetary possibilities of the Kingdom. The removed backlogs must however be maintained.
The plans formulated by the public entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be worked out in further consultation. With this correct priorities can be established. The Ministries of Home Affairs & Kingdom Relations (BZK), Economic Affairs (EZ) and Infrastructure & Environment (I&M) offer expertise to arrive at more detailed plans. The Ministry of Home Affairs & Kingdom Relations will further make available 0, 5 million Euros. For investments in nature a regulation for contribution is being developed in which a total of 7, 5 million
Euros will be made available. The remaining financing of the adjusted plans will be worked out further in the framework of the preparation of the 2014 budget. The Dutch Government- preconditioned by budgetary space-will prepare the detailed plans (for example the integral plan for Rincon-Antriol-North Saliña) to realize the implementation by means of extra-ordinary allowances or interest free loans, or subsequently through the execution of the plans by the concerned ministries.
The Dutch government finds that the current rules with regard to interest free loans should not cause obstructions for realizing the implementation of plans with good potential. Here then applies the condition that the Commission for Financial Supervision establishes that the
public entities can comply with the financial obligations. The Dutch government therefore agrees to further work out how through own investments by the public entity and/or through the granting of interest free loans by the Kingdom plans can be realized.
The delegations are also satisfied with the confirmation that Minister Plasterk of Home Affairs & Kingdom Relations will expressly function as the coordinating minister for the development plans.