From 13 to 17 July, State Secretary Eric van der Burg will pay a working visit to the Leeward Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. During the visit, the focus will be on strengthening cooperation within the Kingdom, local economic growth, and nature conservation.
Bonaire
The State Secretary will meet with the Executive Council on Bonaire to discuss recent administrative developments. Topics to be discussed include progress on the waste processor at Selibon Lagun and the planning for the introduction of public transport on the island. At Sorobon, he will be given a tour of the mangroves, led by the nature organisation STINAPA. The focus of this tour will be on the challenges regarding nature conservation, climate and the environment. Mr Van der Burg also wishes to gain an understanding of the Regional Deal. For that reason, he will visit several locations where investments are being made to improve logistics, infrastructure and sustainability on Bonaire. In total, the Central Government is investing 13 million euros in broadening prosperity on Bonaire. He will also be given a tour of WEB Bonaire to gain insight into major challenges in the production of drinking water and electricity.
Aruba
On Tuesday, 14 July, Mr Van der Burg will depart for Aruba. The agenda includes administrative talks with Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt, Prime Minister Mike Eman, and the Minister of Kingdom Relations, Education, Youth, Innovation and Sport, Gerlien Croes. At the University of Aruba, Mr Van der Burg will receive a presentation on the Kingdom Start Up Program. Within this program, students from Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten collaborate on developing entrepreneurial skills. Due to the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, the State Secretary will visit the Crisis Management Office, from where relief efforts for Venezuela from Aruba were coordinated. Here, he will speak with, among others, members of the Red Cross Aruba relief team that has been in Venezuela. To gain an impression of the waste management issues on Aruba, the State Secretary will visit the waste processing and recycling company Ecotech. In the context of economic development, he will visit Vaper Trading. This is the first company on Aruba to have utilised the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten (BMKB ACS). This scheme is specifically for entrepreneurs in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. It allows them to borrow money more easily to invest in their businesses.
Curaçao
State Secretary Van der Burg will arrive on Curaçao on Thursday, 16 July. He will visit the Governor of Curaçao, Mauritsz de Kort, and have an introductory meeting with Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas. He also visits the Joint Court of Justice, the highest court for the Caribbean countries and islands within the Kingdom. To gain insight into the sustainable redevelopment of the Port of Curaçao, Mr Van der Burg will receive a tour of the port accompanied by the Minister of Economic Development, Roderick Middelhof. The State Secretary will also visit Blue Nap Americas. This data centre manages the data of the majority of government institutions on Curaçao.