Prof. Dr. Wouter Veenendaal, a professor by special appointment in Kingdom Relations and associate professor of comparative politics at the Institute of Political Science of Leiden University, held his inaugural speech yesterday, Monday. Veenendaal held his inaugural speech as holder of the professor chair Democratic Representation in the Kingdom. Ministry …

Better access to banking services and financing for entrepreneurs. Better alignment between education and labour market. Digitalisation of processes and availability of data for policy and implementation. These preconditions for economic development of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom are included in the vision that State Secretary Zsolt Szabó (Digitalisation …

A delegation from the board of the Pension Fund Caribbean Netherlands (PCN) recently visited Saba to tour several projects funded or co-financed by the organization. The visit highlighted ongoing developments and future plans aimed at supporting the island’s growth. The delegation made stops at key sites, including the future Scenery …

The Catholic Association for Ecumenism in the Netherlands has published a special issue of the magazine “Perspectief” in which the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dutch slavery past is highlighted. One of the contributions was made by Rose Mary Allen, a cultural anthropologist and extraordinary professor of …

The Adviso­ry Division of the Kingdom Council of State has raised concerns that the Nether­lands’ national Climate Plan excludes the Caribbean ter­ritories, focusing solely on the European part of the country. In its advisory opinion, the Council of State notes that under the Climate Act, the plan applies only to …

The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is currently unable to access 80 million euros earmarked for the economic strengthening of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. These funds are intended for critical projects, including the construction of a new port for Saba (40 million euros), road improvements on …

The Public Entity Newsletter No8: February 2025 is out Click the image to read it online PES

The Central Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has initiated a public awareness campaign on Saba and St. Eustatius to highlight the importance of data and its role in decision-making. As the official data collection and statistics agency for the Caribbean Netherlands, CBS generates comprehensive statistics on key areas such as population, economic …

Saba’s Island Council met last Tuesday to discuss a wide range of issues, such as ferry and air services, invasive species control, cost of living and housing. Island Council Member Vito Charles raised concerns about the “Makana” ferry, particularly the smell of diesel on board and associated health risks to …

A growing dispute has emerged be­tween Dutch Minister of In­terior Affairs and Kingdom Relations Judith Uitermark and State Secretary Zsolt Szabo over the allocation of the 66-million-euro slavery fund designated for Cura­cao, Aruba, and St. Maarten (CAS countries), as well as Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba (BES islands). The disagreement …