In cooperation with the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, the Dutch government continues to focus on good governance and the rule of law, sustainable public finances, and the economic resilience of the islands. From this perspective, the aim is to work towards a shared future, taking into account the specific …

On Budget Day (“Prinsjesdag”) – Tuesday, 16 September 2025, the government presented the Tax Plan 2026 Law Proposal to the House of Representatives. The proposal must still be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before taking effect on 1 January 2026. Below you will find the …

Opinion: Internet Consultation as The Hague’s Booby Trap for the BES Islands In his contribution published today on, among others, The BES-Reporter, former island registrar Willem A. Cicilia makes a crucial point: internet consultations are a completely unsuitable instrument for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. They appear to be a …

Fatal Shooting on Saba On Friday, September 12, at around 9:00 PM, police received a report of a shooting incident on Upper Mountain Road in Zion’s Hill, Saba. One person was injured. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital by ambulance, …

The Island Councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will visit the parliaments of Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten this week to request joint support in The Hague for “equal treatment and participation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.” The initiative is prompted by the draft of the new WoIBES …

The Caribbean Defence Department is holding a hurricane emergency response exercise on Saba, Sint Maarten, and Sint Eustatius over the next two weeks. During this annual exercise, called ‘Calm Horizon, ’ military personnel will train with local security partners to increase their readiness and strengthen cooperation, to deploy troops quickly and …

As our community mourns the loss of Sheldon Johnson with heavy hearts, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson extends his condolences to family, friends, and colleagues and reminds us during this difficult time to support each other. During our grief, we are sometimes met with overwhelming emotions. As a small, close-knit community, …

The government has decided to exempt the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom from the planned increase in the flight tax on long-haul destinations as of 2027. According to De Telegraaf, this emerges from leaked sections of the Budget Memorandum that will be presented on Budget Day next Tuesday. The outgoing …

Message PES: We wish to inform the public that the requested closure of businesses has been lifted. Businesses can therefore open during their regular hours. We thank everyone for their cooperation. The KPCN reports: On September 12, at around 9:00 p.m., the central control room received a report of a …

The island councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba have jointly condemned the Dutch government’s amended WoIBES and FinBES bill, calling it a violation of their right to self-determination. In a strong statement, the councils expressed “surprise and disappointment” at being excluded from discussions on what they term “radical changes” …