2011: year of the implementation

By our correspondent
Otti Thomas

The budget for Kingdom Relations is all about the new political relations after October 10th. "For the new countries Curaçao and St. Maarten, this means a period with new challenges. It requires much from the new countries to prepare the institutes for the new tasks and authorities. (…) An important benchmark will be that the countries succeed in protecting themselves against criminal influences and fulfill their public tasks effectively", Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and State-Secretary Ank Bijleveld-Schouten wrote in their explanation. They refer to the plans of approach for tasks both countries cannot implement independently, and the possibilities of the National Council of Ministers to intervene in these fields if necessary.

With regard to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, the two members of government point out that Dutch Ministers and State-Secretaries will bear responsibility for their policy on the islands, with the National representative as the most important link between the local government and the Dutch government.
The inquiry into the status of the government on Aruba will play an important role. "Based on the results of this inquiry, one will judge whether there is reason to take further measures and on which level that is to take place. This doesn’t alter the fact that the improvement of the aliens’ chain and the Corps Police Aruba must be continued with cogency. (…) This also applies for the country’s alarming financial situation. The national government devotes itself to improve such." The year 2011 is further named as the year in which a long-term vision on the Kingdom is to be presented.

134 million
Of the 134 million guilders reserved by the Dutch government for 2011, 75 million is meant for organizations and plans that enhance the autonomy, such as the Council financial supervision (Cft), supporting the immigration policy on Aruba, and educational projects.
"The Education and Youngsters’ Cooperation Program (OJSP) on Curaçao in 2011 will be in the theme of the implementation of the so-called Sint-Joris agreement, and of the compliance with the recommendations ensuing from the mid-term evaluation that is to take place in 2010. The Sint-Joris agreement includes the agreements that the school governors will assume more responsibility for the implementation of the program" according to the explanation.
An amount of 57 million is meant for the guarantee function or the Dutch relief in the field of legal security and the enforcement of the human rights. The Coastguard, the Criminal Investigation Cooperation Team and support of the Public Prosecutor and the Court of Justice fall under such.

The amount of 134 million is significantly lower than the amount upwards 1 billion in 2010, but in that year there is a question of a substantial amount for debt reconstruction.
Moreover, the financing of policy for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba is from now on the responsibility of several ministries, who each include such on their own budget. In an interview with the World Broadcast, Bijleveld stated that despite the economies with other ministries, one did not cut back on Kingdom Relations. "We’ve kept to everything in the field of debt reconstruction, and we held all obligations. That was not easy, but we succeeded. I hope that it also holds in the Chamber, because of course one always has to wait and see."
For that matter, some positions will disappear in the future, such as the financing of projects through the Institute Development Netherlands Antilles (Sona) and the Antillean Co-financing Organization (Amfo).