State Secretary Szabó informs the House of Representatives on progress of the administrative agreements with Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba
Achieving more noticeable results for residents. Measures to recruit and retain staff more quickly and preparing strategies for economic development. These agreements between State Secretary Szabó (Digitalisation and Kingdom Relations) and the island governments of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are included in the progress report on the administrative agreements that State Secretary Szabó sent to the House of Representatives this week. Progress is discussed quarterly with Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The State Secretary keeps an eye on what is and is not going well and makes this a subject of discussion with the island governments.
State Secretary Szabó: “I see the administrative agreements with Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba as important instruments to set priorities and to achieve tangible results. In the coming period, my focus remains on the promotion of good governance, sound public finances, and economic self-sufficiency. In this regard, extra attention is paid to upgrading the implementation capacity and the necessary preconditions for this. I do so in consultation with Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba and my colleagues in The Hague.”
Bonaire
On Bonaire, many actions from the administrative agreement are still in preparation. Szabó notes that few visible and noticeable results have been achieved for residents. In the administrative consultations with the Executive Council of Bonaire, he expressed concern about this.
Still, positive steps have also been taken. For example, the Island Governor is working on strengthening good governance and the new library has been opened, offering more services. The €13 million for the implementation of the Region Deal Bonaire is also a positive step. Bonaire is currently elaborating the plans for this. The Region Deal enables investments in area development (Antriol and Nort'i Saliña), public transport, logistics, and school accessibility and sustainability.
The State Secretary agreed with the Executive Council that a number of issues need to be addressed this year. These include the realisation of a container depot, a bus service affordable and effective for residents, strengthening of the implementation capacity, improvement of the licensing, supervision and enforcement system and of the financial processes within the Public Entity.
St. Eustatius
On St. Eustatius, there are currently major challenges in the number of outstanding vacancies and, consequently, the implementation capacity. With support from BZK, a plan to speed up and improve the recruitment process, including measures to ensure staff retention, is therefore being developed. This benefits the implementation capacity of the island. By 2024, positive steps were taken in the areas of financial management, housing, integrity, and good governance. A start was also made on the Statia 2026 programme, including with resources from the Region Deal. The projects from the Region Deal and the historic moment in November 2026 are unique opportunities to put St. Eustatius on the international map, benefiting tourism and economic development. This requires tight planning to meet the deadlines.
For 2025, it was agreed that there will be a local economic development strategy with a long-term perspective.The administration and control system for sound public finances, introduced in 2024, is secured. Further work is ongoing to prepare and implement an island approach for good governance. The Executive Council is also going to work on the implementation of the plan to tackle stray cattle.
Saba
In 2024, important steps were taken on Saba in terms of infrastructure and the physical living environment. For instance, €5 million has been allocated for the implementation of the Saba Region Deal, the ‘Under the Hill 2’ housing project with 18 social housing units has been completed and agreements have been made for the realisation of more housing units until 2030. In addition, the Cabinet has earmarked €40 million for the building of a new hurricane-resistant port on Saba (Black Rocks Harbour), the first tranche (€30 million) of which has recently been made available to Saba. The building of the new port is a crucial project for the economy and self-sufficiency of the island and will start in the fourth quarter of 2025. Together with the Executive Council of Saba and the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Szabó is monitoring the progress of the project. Topics that require additional attention in 2025 include the preparation of an economic development strategy, the establishment of a local court of auditors, and the introduction of clear procurement and tendering rules.
Purchasing power
To properly monitor the purchasing power on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba, it was agreed to take a comprehensive look at the purchasing power measures for 2026 on Prinsjesdag (Budget Day). This is when measures on, for example, taxes, (temporary) subsidies for living expenses and income support are brought together. Income effects and forecast figures are also calculated as much as possible for a better understanding of the purchasing power on the islands.
Zsolt Szabó: “Staying committed to economic self-sufficiency will help to significantly improve the purchasing power.”