Saba’s Executive Coun­cil has opposed the planned ex­pansion of the island’s governing and legislative bodies in a letter to the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament on Wednesday, argu­ing that there is now not enough time to “prepare for a structural change of considerable magni­tude”. The Executive Council’s let­ter comes a …

The government wants to increase the number of members of the island councils and executive boards of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba as early as the March 2027 elections. State Secretary Eddie van Marum for Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations asked the House of Representatives on January 13 to declare …

During a recent visit to the Carib­bean Netherlands, State Secretary of BZK Eddie van Marum of the farmers’ party BBB met with the National Park organisations of Bo­naire, Saba, and St. Eusta­tius (BES islands) to discuss the critical role these organ­isations play in managing and conserving the region’s unique ecosystems. …

The Dutch Government and Execu­tive Councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are discussing options for modernising vehicle reg­istration on the so-called BES islands. Digitisation simplifies inspections and facilitates the purchase and sale of cars. Caretak­er State Secretary Eddie van Marum of Digitisation and Kingdom Relations wrote this to the …

The BES-Reporter published the following article: The relationship between European Netherlands and Caribbean Netherlands is still characterized by inequality in policy and implementation, with citizens on Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius too often getting stuck in rules and procedures. This is what Reinier van Zutphen says in a podcast by …

It is not certain that the bill to expand the executive councils and island councils of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba will actually be declared controversial. At the initiative of Mikal Tseggai (GroenLinks-PvdA), a narrow majority in the House of Representatives Committee for Kingdom Relations decided earlier this week to …

The discussion on the expansion of the Executive Councils and Island Councils of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba has been delayed. The Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament’s Committee for Kingdom Rela­tions decided on Wednesday to declare the move “controversial” and leave the decision to the next Dutch government, which could take …

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment will adjust the amounts for minimum wage, child benefit, and social security benefits on Bonaire, St.Eustatius, and Saba as of 1 January 2025, based on 2025 inflation figures. The statutory minimum wage will be indexed across all three islands. For Bonaire, it will …

The bill to expand the island councils and executive boards of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba will be submitted to the House of Representatives. The Cabinet, after consulting the Council of State, approved the proposal by State Secretary Van Marum of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. If the law passes, …

The growing migration and aging population on the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba have significant consequences for the local economy and prosperity. To address these challenges, both the national government and local authorities must make decisive choices in the coming years. Key priorities include addressing infrastructure maintenance backlogs, …