Saba Commissioner Bruce Zagers is questioning how the 30 million euros that the cabinet will structurally make available for basic income security in the Caribbean Netherlands from 2027 onwards will be spent. According to Zagers, a large portion of the money risks being used for energy and infrastructure, while it was intended to address poverty and high living costs.

In a letter to the House of Representatives, Zagers writes that in the 2027 budget, 15.3 million euros of the amount will go to energy measures. These include 6 million euros for solar energy and batteries on Saba and 6.1 million euros for Sint Eustatius.

Zagers says he welcomes the investments themselves, but questions why they are being paid from the basic income security budget. According to him, there is a risk that the money will primarily fund existing subsidies and essential services, without residents actually experiencing a structural reduction in their costs.