The Per­manent Kingdom Relations Committee of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parlia­ment urged five other com­mittees to pay more atten­tion to issues concerning the Caribbean parts of the King­dom in five letters sent out on Monday, March 25.

In a letter to the Perma­nent Committee for Eco­nomic Affairs and Climate, the Kingdom Relations Committee emphasises the importance of the dossiers Electricity and Drinking Water BES and requests a follow-up on the climate conference held in Aruba.

Kingdom Relations Com­mittee Chairman Week Pau­lusma also informs the Com­mittee of Infrastructure and Water Management of its debate with the State Secre­tary of Kingdom Relations and the Minister of Climate and Energy on climate in the Caribbean parts of the King­dom.

In its letter to the Perma­nent Committee Infrastruc­ture and Water Manage­ment, the Kingdom Rela­tions Committee calls at­tention to the dossier Public Service Obligation (PSO) for flights to and from Saba and St. Eustatius. According to Paulusma, “This concerns an important dossier that has a direct impact on life on Saba and St. Eustatius, where people are dependent on flights to St. Maarten for primary necessities (such as healthcare).”

A letter also went out to the Permanent Committee for Defence, in which the importance of the dossier Coast Guard for the King­dom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean is empha­sised and an invitation to the round table discussion Geopolitical and Safety De­velopments in the Kingdom on Wednesday, April 3, is extended.

The Permanent Committee for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality received a let­ ter on the importance of the Nature and Environment Policy Caribbean Nether­lands.

In the fifth letter, the King­dom Relations Committee urges the Permanent Com­mittee for Public Health, Welfare and Sport to plan a committee debate on the Caribbean Netherlands.
“On the agenda of this to-be-planned debate are documents from November 2022. The Kingdom Rela­tions Committee asks you to plan this debate as quickly as possible, considering the im­portance of the topics on the agenda and the many issues that the islands face in this dossier,” wrote Paulusma on behalf of the committee.

The Daily Herald.