Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
The quality of childcare on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba has improved since the supervision by the Inspectorate (2020). Children are being supported in their development ever better and the management is increasingly steering on further quality improvement. Operators do need to continue paying attention to the VOGs and the training level of professionals. This is what the Inspectorate of Education concludes following the fourth round of inspection in 2025. In 2025, the Inspectorate of Education (hereinafter: the inspectorate) visited all 79 locations for daycare, out-of-school care and host parent care. This was done in collaboration with local inspectors on the three islands. They investigate whether these locations meet the requirements in the areas of administration, personnel and accommodation, whether they are safe and healthy for children, and whether the children are sufficiently stimulated in their development. The inspectorate also assesses whether the management of the childcare centres is focused on improving quality. Increasingly more attention for the development In its report, the Inspectorate concludes that pedagogical employees are increasingly anticipating the developmental needs of children and assisting children in taking the next step in their development. In addition, pedagogical employees are also stimulating the interaction between the children. At an increasing number of locations, the Inspectorate also observes that the management is safeguarding a professional culture and expertise advancement of the staff. Children are also more frequently systematically followed in their development. A targeted approach is used for the children who require additional assistance or actually additional challenges. Yet at approximately half of the locations this can still be better. Challenges in the staffing area It remains difficult for many locations to find sufficient (properly trained) staff. Moreover, by no means do all employees dispose of a valid Certificate of Conduct (VOG). This is exceptionally vulnerable and this must be improved rapidly, according to the Inspectorate. Minister Vijlbrief of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) confirms this in his reaction to the inspection report. To facilitate applying for a VOG for childcare employees, the Minister also wants to permit VOGs from the European Netherlands. In addition, the Minister is encouraging employers and employees in childcare to enter into discussions with each other about improvement of the terms and conditions of employment and the preparation of a CLA. So that working in the sector becomes even more attractive. In addition, OCW is working on the structural availability of training offer for the benefit of childcare on the islands. The follow-up On the basis of personal ambitions and the inspection report, childcare organisations are continuing the improvement of the quality of childcare. In this regard, they are supported by the BES(t) 4 kids programme. For instance, this programme offers pedagogical coaches and various training sessions and practical tools via the website of BES(t) 4 kids. The shared objective is that each child is cared for in a safe and healthy environment in which the development is stimulated through play. Change in supervision from 1 January 2026 On 1 January 2026, the Childcare Law BES took effect. From that moment, the Inspectorate is supervising according to a new inspection framework that comprises all legislation and regulations. From 1 January 2026, inspection reports about all childcare organisations are published on the website of the Inspectorate of Education: https://toezichtresultaten.onderwijsinspectie.nl. The full inspection report can be found on the website of the Inspection of Education (in Dutch, English will follow soon). The response from the Minister Vijlbrief of SZW (Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment) can be read here. RCN
- July 7, 2026
Dutch Senate approves bill on expanding the Island Councils and Executive Councils on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
Following the Dutch House of Representatives, the Dutch Senate has now also adopted the ‘Expansion Act’ proposed by Eric van der Burg, State secretary for Kingdom Relations. The bill aims to contribute to more effective governance and broader representation of residents on the island councils. This is achieved by increasing the number of island council members and island commissioners on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The bill states that the number of Island Council members will be gradually increased at the next elections on 17 March 2027. During the first phase, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will be allocated two additional Island Council members. This means the number for Bonaire will increase from 9 to 11, while the number for St. Eustatius and Saba will increase from 5 to 7 respectively. The number of commissioners is also set to increase from 3 to a maximum of 4 on Bonaire and from 2 to 3 on St. Eustatius and Saba. Representation and governance capacity The increase in the number of Island Council members and Island Commissioners is part of the reform of the Public Bodies (Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba) Act (Wet Openbare Lichamen Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, WolBES). The number of council members and commissioners has not been adjusted to reflect population growth since 2010. The islands have also indicated that they have too few commissioners to cope with the heavy workload. Increasing the number of administrators will enhance the governance capacity. Comply or Explain Once the various steps set out in the bill have been completed, the number of Island Council members will be determined by the population of the islands, and the number of Commissioners will be determined by the number of Island Council members. As State secretary Van der Burg explains, “This is a good example of the ‘comply or explain’ principle. Our intention is to make the same arrangements as we have done for the municipal councils in the European part of the Netherlands. At the same time, we are taking account of the specific situation on the islands and are adopting a step-by-step approach. I am pleased that the Dutch Senate treated the bill as a priority. By increasing the number of Island Council members and Commissioners, we will be strengthening both democracy and the islands’ ability to take decisive action.” With the approval of the Dutch Senate, the Expansion Act has now become official and will come into effect in time for the Island Council elections in March 2027. RCN.
- July 7, 2026
Support for aviation in Windward Islands
Financial backing for air traffic in the Windward Islands is one step closer. On Thursday, the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber (House of Representatives) approved the bill enabling assistance, including the submitted motions. Based on an exploratory study, a decision will be made after the summer recess regarding the manner in which interisland flights will be supported. “In principle, I will do that after the summer, this autumn,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Vincent Karremans. The proposal concerns a Public Service Obligation (PSO) — a guarantee for affordable air connections. The government views this as the most efficient arrangement for affordable flights between St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. The same structure is used by European countries such as Greece, Italy and Scotland for affordable connections to islands. During a recent debate in The Hague, all legislators present emphasised that Statians and Sabans are dependent on air traffic. “For the residents of Saba and Sint Eustatius, an air connection is not a luxury, but a lifeline. Without reliable flights, not only will mobility come under pressure, but also access to healthcare, education, family, work, and economic development,” said Ula Köse of D66. However, MPs did have some concerns regarding implementation. CU’s Don Ceder referred to a note made by Karremans stating that funding must be available for the support. That remains uncertain, the minister said. “I believe it is a matter of political will,” Ceder responded. Together with PRO’s Mikal Tseggai, he submitted a motion to apply slightly more pressure. Before the end of the year, they want to demand a package for the PSO or a tender process. Karremans responded positively. “I certainly have the political will, and I am certainly willing to make an effort,” he said. The VVD minister also promised attention to innovations in the field of sustainable aviation. That topic was mentioned by, among others, CDA’s Jantine Zwinkels. “For major international aviation, electric flying will not be an alternative for the time being, but for short distances, this technology actually offers prospects,” said Zwinkels. Finally, all the MPs mentioned ticket prices. “If you are on Saba, you can see Sint Eustatius, and vice versa. It is about a 30-kilometre flight. That flight costs 400 dollars. (…) For the same amount, we fly from Amsterdam to Dubai,” said Hidde Heutink of Groep Markuszower. Like Tseggai and Köse, he asked about the possibility of lowering ticket prices for residents, but keeping them at the current level for tourists. The draft law is intended to keep air traffic reliable and affordable, so ticket prices are a focus of the government. “They are very dependent on that connection, so it is important that we pay attention to that,” he added. The possibility of different prices for residents and visitors is being investigated, but the minister did note that the islands are partly dependent on tourism. The Daily Herald.
Students completing internships in Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten will not be covered by a draft legislation that would grant students the right to receive compensation for mandatory internships. The proposed law announced by the Dutch government, will apply only in the European- and Caribbean Netherlands. The public entities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (so-called BES islands) thus stand to benefit, but not the autonomous Caribbean countries within the Dutch Kingdom of Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten. The bill aims to ensure that students enroled in secondary vocational education, MBO, higher professional education, HBO and scientific education WO universities receive compensation for mandatory internships or internships that form part of their educational programme. Under the proposal, no nationwide minimum internship allowance will be established. Instead, the amount would be determined through sector-specific or company-level agreements. Because Dutch education does not extend to Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten, the proposed legal right to internship compensation would have no direct effect there. This also means that students from the Netherlands who complete internships on those three islands would not be able to claim the proposed statutory right to compensation. Interns and host organisations in Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten would still be free to negotiate internship allowances on their own. However, according to the Dutch Ministry of Education, whether such agreements are legally enforceable depends on the law governing the internship contract. The proposed legislation is expected to be released for public Internet consultation before the summer of next year, after which it will continue through the Dutch legislative process before being considered by Parliament. If adopted, the law would mark a significant change for students in the Netherlands and the BES islands, while leaving internship compensation in Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten subject to existing contractual arrangements rather than a statutory entitlement. The Daily Herald.
- July 5, 2026
On Saba, the Netherlands feels far away
The Dutch Newspaper De Volkskrant published a 4-page article on Saba in their weekend edition of July 4th. The article in Dutch can be read here. An automatic translation is available below.
The Acting Island Governor of the Public Entity Saba hereby cares to inform the public that there will be a special Island Council meeting on Thursday, July 9th, 2026 at 3:00 pm at the Princess Juliana Sports Field. You may also view the public meeting on the Saba Government YouTube page. The agenda is as follows: 1. Opening 2. Speech by Representatives of the Island Council 3. Speech by Representative of the Executive Council 4. Passing Governor’s chain 5. Reading of the Royal Decree 6. Adress by Acting Kingdom Representative 7. Administration and signing of the Oath 8. Receiving Governor’s chain 9. Speech by Island Governor 10. Words of thanks 11. Closing Sincerely, The Acting Island Governor S.A. Nicholson
The website BES-Reporter pointed to a report from the University of Curacao that researched the consequences of a legal status change in relation to the European Union. Today, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba can rely on the legislative and executive capacity of the Netherlands in the event of a closer relationship with the European Union. But even then, sufficient local capacity will remain necessary to implement European rules, funds, and oversight in practice. This conclusion is stated in a new study by the University of Curaçao on the choice between the current OCT status and a possible status as an outermost region, UPG. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations commissioned this report. The report is in Dutch with a summary in English. The latter reads: Executive summary (English) The choice between the status of Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and the status of Outermost Region (OR) determines the legal, economic, and administrative relationship of Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius with the European Union (EU). This choice presents both opportunities and obligations and requires a careful assessment of the consequences for governance, the economy, and society. As Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius currently hold OCT status, the evaluation of advantages and disadvantages is centered on whether to maintain this status or transition to OR status. From a legal perspective, OCT status entails limited applicability of EU law, whereas OR status implies that EU law generally applies in its entirety, subject to possibilities for specific derogations. Both statuses are equally advantageous for an island. The value of OCT or OR status depends on a combination of the policy objectives pursued by the Kingdom and the island concerned, the legal frameworks within which these objectives are realized, and the actual opportunities and constraints facing the island. The assessment framework in this report focuses on the extent to which a chosen status contributes to an island’s effective capacity: the ability to effectively represent and safeguard the interests of its population within the prevailing legal, economic, and administrative circumstances. Provided there is mutual agreement between an island and the Kingdom, a change of status is legally possible within the existing European and Kingdom legal frameworks. At the same time, a status change entails significant legal obligations regarding the introduction, implementation, and enforcement of regulations. The practical feasibility of a status change therefore depends largely on the implementation capacity available to an island, whether or not supplemented by support from the Kingdom (and the EU). Consequently, a change of status involves transitional costs. These primarily concern the costs of adapting and implementing laws and regulations resulting from the scope of EU law. Furthermore, these costs include the necessary institutional and organizational adjustments within governments and implementing agencies, such as strengthening personnel capacity and expertise and establishing administrative systems for supervision, reporting, and data exchange. The economic advantages and disadvantages of transitioning to OR status are highly dependent on the economic characteristics of the island concerned, including scale, economic diversification, and institutional capacity. It must be taken into account that while access to European funds can contribute to economic development, it does not in itself guarantee sustainable economic growth. Ultimately, the ability to translate opportunities offered by EU funds into structural economic progress depends on the island’s capacity to effectively apply for, utilize, and report on these resources. This is therefore contingent on the island’s implementation and absorption capacity. The choice for or against a change of status is not exclusively a legal or economic decision but is, to a large extent, the result of a political and administrative assessment. Central to this assessment are the islands’ right to self-determination, the Kingdom’s responsibility for the enforcement of EU law, the possibility of making exceptions within European law, and the administrative feasibility of a change of status. The social impact of a status change becomes apparent in the contrast between existing vulnerabilities in the island’s socio-economic situation and what the status change would concretely alter in the lives of residents, for example in the areas of employment, purchasing power, and public services. The magnitude of these effects depends, among other things, on how the new status is implemented and on the institutional capacity available to the governments involved. The experiences of the French overseas territories Saint-Barthélemy and Mayotte demonstrate that a successful status change depends primarily on careful preparation, sufficient implementation capacity, and a proper alignment between the status and the economic structure. An insufficiently prepared transition can lead to administrative and financial risks. In essence, the choice between OCT and OR status constitutes a coherent set of strategic trade-offs. At the political and administrative level, it must be determined whether local political will leans toward further integration into the European legal order or toward greater autonomy to define and pursue independent economic, social, and cultural development. A corresponding choice must also be made at the Kingdom level. At the legal level, it must be assessed whether there is a willingness to establish a legal framework that guarantees compliance with EU law. At the social level, existing vulnerabilities within the population, such as poverty and aging, must be considered. At the economic level, various indicators must be used to assess whether a status change strengthens economic resilience and mitigates existing vulnerabilities. University of Curacao
- July 3, 2026
Screening of justice personnel in the Caribbean Netherlands falls short and entails significant risks
The integrity of employees within the justice system is an important prerequisite for trust in the rule of law. Justice personnel have access to sensitive information, often hold far-reaching powers, and work in positions where reliability is essential. For that reason, careful, timely, and complete screening is of great importance. The Law of Enforcement Council has conducted an investigation into the screening of justice personnel in the Caribbean Netherlands. The investigation focused on the Public Prosecutor’s Office BES, the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force, the Caribbean Netherlands Correctional Institution, the Caribbean Netherlands Child Protection Board, and the Caribbean Netherlands Probation Foundation. The Council concludes that the current screening of justice personnel at the organizations investigated in the Caribbean Netherlands falls short and entails significant integrity risks. The current legal and organizational framework for screening no longer meets the requirements that justice organizations may and must set for a careful, timely, and complete assessment of the reliability of current and future employees. As a result, integrity risks cannot be fully identified, including on a periodic basis. This leads to unacceptable vulnerabilities that put pressure on the functioning and credibility of justice organizations in the Caribbean Netherlands. It also occurs that employees start work before the screening process has been fully completed. As a result, individuals without complete screening may gain access to confidential information. The Council also notes that existing legal possibilities are not being used sufficiently. For example, police data are not included in the assessment of a Certificate of Good Conduct in practice, even though this is possible under certain conditions. In addition, the Caribbean Netherlands does not have a variant of the Certificate of Good Conduct based on police data, while such a more stringent form of screening has already applied in the European Netherlands since 2022 for certain positions within justice organizations. It also occurs that employees start work before the screening process has been fully completed. As a result, individuals without complete screening may gain access to confidential information. Regarding the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force, the Council observes that the ministerial regulation that should have further elaborate reliability investigations — a more stringent form of screening specifically for the police — is still lacking. The Council qualifies this as negligence on the part of the Minister of Justice and Security, who is also the administrator of the police force. As a result, there is still no elaborate and legally safeguarded framework available for the screening of police personnel. Consequently, most police officers have not yet undergone this form of screening. According to the Law of Enforcement Council, central direction is also lacking. The organizations involved endorse the importance of this and recognize the current limitations of screening in the Caribbean Netherlands, but in practice it is insufficiently clear who isresponsible for what. The Council therefore calls on the Minister of Justice and Security to take central direction and to make clear and binding agreements with all parties involved. Partly in view of the conclusions and the risks identified, the Council will closely monitor the follow-up to the recommendations and keep itself informed about progress. The inspection report can be read on the website of the Council for Law Enforcement: https://www.raadrh.com/reports-bes Law of Enforcement Council.
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has increased the maximum electricity tariffs for the Caribbean Netherlands effective July 1, with average monthly household electricity bills expected to rise by about US $27 on Bonaire, US $17 on Saba and US $12 on St. Eustatius. According to the ACM, the tariff adjustments are the result of increased oil prices. The ACM sets the maximum tariffs for the production and distribution of electricity in the Caribbean Netherlands each December for the following year. Energy suppliers then determine the tariffs they charge residents and businesses based on those maximum rates. To account for fluctuating fuel prices, the ACM may adjust the variable electricity consumption tariff from July 1 each year. The maximum standing charge is not affected by this adjustment. The authority said the maximum standing charge established on January 1, remains unchanged. It noted that the standing charge continues to be subsidised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate to the average European Netherlands level. On Bonaire, the maximum variable usage rate will increase from about US $0.39 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to about US $0.50 per kWh. The maximum pagabon (prepaid) tariff will increase from about US $0.74 per kWh to about US $0.85 per kWh before application of subsidies on the standing charge. According to the ACM, the increase will raise the monthly electricity bill of an average household on Bonaire by about USD 27. On St. Eustatius, the maximum variable usage rate will increase from about US $0.33 per kWh to about US $0.38 per kWh, increasing the monthly bill of an average household by about US $12. On Saba, the maximum variable usage rate will rise from about US $0.48 per kWh to about US $0.55 per kWh, resulting in an average monthly increase of about US $17 for households. The ACM said the tariff adjustments took effect on July 1. The Daily Herald.
- July 1, 2026
Two new ATM machines have been openend
Public Entity Saba is pleased to announce the opening of two new ATMs on the island, located at Juancho E. Irausquin Airport and Fort Bay Harbor. Two additional ATMs are planned for The Bottom and Windwardside. Construction of these locations is currently underway and is expected to become operational in the coming months. The official opening took place on Monday, June 29 with Governor Jonathan Johnson making the first withdrawal alongside representatives from DNB, Brink’s and Public Entity Saba. At this time, the newly installed ATMs accept Visa cards only. Public Entity and DNB recognize that many residents and visitors also rely on Mastercard services. Work is ongoing to expand services to also include Mastercard in the future. Commissioner Bruce Zagers welcomed the introduction of the new ATMs stating, “Although digital payments continue to grow, reliable access to cash remains important for residents, businesses, and visitors. These additional services improve convenience and accessibility for residents, and we appreciate the partnership and collaboration with DNB and Brinks in making this possible”. Public Entity Saba thanks DNB and Brink’s for their continued efforts and support to improve financial services on the island. PES
