Wednesday’s opening of the virtual Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation IPKO was used by all three Dutch Caribbean countries to complain bitterly about heavy conditions being set by the Netherlands for badly-needed COVID-19 liquidity loans. St. Maarten also highlighted the ineffectiveness of the post-Hurricane Irma Dutch-sponsored Recovery Trust Fund managed by the World Bank.
Curaçao spokesperson Stephen Walroud made a valid point when he said cuts demanded to receive continued financial assistance must remain bearable, “otherwise people will lose hope and a mass migration will follow.” He did not specify where to, but experience with refinery closures and other deep crisis situations in both Aruba and Curaçao has shown that most who choose to leave end up in the Netherlands. The latter is something both government and the elected representatives in The Hague should keep in mind.
Spokesperson for the Dutch delegation Paul Rosenmöller, while countering that conditions are customary, did acknowledge that these need to be reasonable. Perhaps he and his colleagues will be inspired to review some of the requirements to see if these really pass that test.
It’s also very important for the islands to get their tourism economies going again and the recent decision to allow people from the Netherlands to vacation only in the Dutch Caribbean and parts of Western Europe this summer is certainly helpful in that regard. Curaçao has already announced that Dutch guests, although required to undergo testing before their trip, effective July 1 will not have to quarantine on arrival. This news was obviously widely welcomed in the local hospitality industry.
St. Maarten should not stay far behind, especially now that French authorities have removed restrictions for travel to the overseas territories. As pointed out earlier, this means that from June 22 passengers coming on flights from France via Guadeloupe or Martinique can land at Grand Case and freely cross the border into the Dutch side.
It was interesting to note in Wednesday’s paper that Aruba has decided not to follow advice by the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) to keep its border closed to US visitors for now, because – based on available figures – the risk of importing a coronavirus case is considerably higher. The destination to a large extent depends on the North American market and simply cannot afford to do without such much longer.
The same may be argued for St. Maarten, which must also decide how to proceed as Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) gets ready to reopen. One thing seems clear: The competition is not sitting still.
