Ministerie van Sociale Ontwikkeling, Arbeid en Welzijn: A Pillar of Curaçao’s Future
January 29, 2025
Curaçao faces a significant challenge: creating a better quality of life for its people amidst persistent poverty and economic inequality. At the heart of this mission stands the Ministry of Social Development, Labor, and Welfare (SOAW), a key institution addressing the island's most pressing social issues.
The Ministry encompasses various organizational units to tackle poverty, unemployment, and social welfare. These include:
• Regional Offices (UO Regiokantoren): Bridging gaps between the government and the people.
• Social Care & Youth Programs: Supporting vulnerable populations, from single mothers to pensioners.
• Electra- and Water Subsidies: Ensuring affordable access to essential utilities.
• Social Insurance and Mediation Units: Protecting the rights and well-being of workers and families.
• Subsidies for Elderly Homes: Supporting the aging population as Curaçao waits for concrete elderly care policies.
Despite these efforts, the numbers paint a troubling picture:
• Gini Coefficient: 0.42 in 2011, indicating high income inequality.
• Poverty Levels: 30% of residents have lived below the poverty line since 2016.
• Household Incomes: 80% earn less than 3,000 guilders monthly.
Although unemployment dipped below 7% in 2024, most jobs in tourism offer low wages, exacerbating economic struggles. The closure of social workplaces like Santa Martha highlights the ongoing need for innovative solutions to job creation.
Recent reports and policy adjustments, such as a slight increase in the minimum wage and ambitious plans to reform the social welfare system, offer hope. However, implementation often lags, weighed down by bureaucratic inertia and funding gaps.
I have long advocated Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a trans-formative solution. It provides a safety net that ensures every individual has a dignified baseline income. Tim ‘S Jongers’ book, Armoede uitleggen aan mensen met geld (Explaining Poverty to the Wealthy), underscores the importance of understanding poverty not just as a lack of money but as a lack of opportunity and stability.
With the appointment of a new SOAW minister, there is an opportunity to shift focus from short-term fixes to long-term strategies. A robust, inclusive approach could address underlying inequalities, implement sustainable elderly care, and ensure data security for the ministry's clients. This issue gained attention when sensitive data was mistakenly sent to parliament.
Curaçao’s future depends on a ministry empowered to enact change with transparency and innovation. Let us make that vision a reality.
Miguel Goede
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