The Dutch House of Representatives has voted in favour of a motion to exclude the Ca­ribbean territories of the Kingdom from a planned increase in airline tax for long-haul flights. The mo­tion was introduced by far-right Party for Freedom PVV Member of Parliament (MP) Peter van Haasen. The motion received broad support, including a positive recommendation last week from fellow PVV member and State Secretary for Fi­nance Ferenc Zsolt Szabo, making its approval all but certain. Only the Socialist Party (SP), Party for the An­imals (PvdD), the socialist coalition party GroenLinks­PvdA, and Democrats ’66 (D66) voted against the measure.

The Dutch government had proposed raising the airline tax on long-distance flights, arguing that these routes contribute significantly more to carbon emissions and that the measure would generate additional reve­nue. Van Haasen, however, advocated for an exemption for the Caribbean countries and special municipalities, pointing out that they are part of the Kingdom and heavily reliant on tourism.

Curaçao’s Minister Pleni­potentiary in The Hague, Carlson Manuel (MFK), welcomed the outcome. He had previously met with State Secretary of Finance Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen late last year to raise con­cerns about the negative economic impact such a tax hike could have on the is­lands.

“We’re very pleased with this result. We’ve been fighting for this since No­vember,” Manuel said in a statement on social media. “We’re glad the motion was passed in favour of our countries.”

The Daily Herald.