Prominents appeal to Rutte about Antilles Inland

On Friday, Rutte said that the Cabinet helps Curaçao with tens of millions to get through the corona time, but demands reforms in return. Curaçao must take measures to put the household record in order. Then the cabinet wants to help, said responsible State Secretary Raymond Knops (Kingdom Relations).

“Our Caribbean partners in the Kingdom have faced at least three external, unaffected shocks: hurricanes, a completely collapsed neighboring country of Venezuela and the corona virus over it. And then Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten are also small-scale island economies, which are already fragile by nature and highly dependent on tourism. Corona literally means that no tourists come to the islands anymore. The social and economic misery on the islands is almost incalculable. Tens of thousands of families live off the food bank, with formal and informal unemployment going up to 30 to 50 percent. ”

The letter writers call for help. “Conditions are part of that, but let the islands participate in the decision-making process and ensure that in the next elections everyone will appreciate the solidarity and the rule of law of the Kingdom bonds. Organize the aid in such a way that on the one hand the underprivileged on the islands experience the added value of the Kingdom relationship and on the other the economic structure of the islands is strengthened. ”

In addition to the aforementioned, the signatories are also Glenn Helberg, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, Tania Kross, John Leerdam, Churandi Martina, Paul Rosenmöller, Clemence Ross, former president of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) Nout Wellink and VVD celebrity Ed Nijpels.

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