In its 2024 annual report, the Temporary Work Organization (TWO) looks back with the theme Power of Collaboration. The TWO has been working with Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten for over four years on the implementation of the Country Packages. Behind the scenes, civil servants and experts from the three countries, in collaboration with the TWO and other Dutch departments, have been working hard on the reforms over the past four years.
“In this annual report, we highlight a number of these processes. Processes that make a sustainable contribution to improving the self-reliance of the Caribbean countries. Processes that show the power of good collaboration in the Kingdom and how this is given a different interpretation in each process, depending on what fits best,” says Judith Jeurissen, program manager of the TWO.
Projects that sustainably strengthen
The annual report includes interviews with experts from Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten who lead projects that are already in operation and sustainably strengthen the countries. In Aruba, Edwin Brugman talks about the reforms in healthcare, where the aim is to keep healthcare affordable and accessible. John de Lannoy discusses the developments surrounding the transformation of the Curaçao Tax Office, where quality, transparency and speed must become the norm. The financial management of Sint Maarten is highlighted by Roxanne Howell and Candia Joseph. They describe the concrete steps that are being taken to gain more control over government finances through better financial information provision. The reader will also find overviews of different projects from the Country Packages that will be completed in 2024.
Outside view
Together with the three countries, the TWO is firmly committed to healthy financial management, sustainable education and a well-functioning government apparatus. Sometimes an outside view to check whether we are still on track is very valuable.
“For this annual report, we asked Maria van der Sluijs-Plantz and Richard Doornbosch, who have followed the Country Packages from the start, how they view what the collaboration has yielded so far. Both state that the special form of collaboration of the mutual arrangement is a success in itself. A collaboration that promotes ownership of the countries and synergy. If you organize this well, you will enjoy it for decades,” says Jeurissen.
2024 in financial perspective
In 2024, the TWO spent € 19.4 million on the implementation of the Country Packages. In 2023, this was € 19.7 million and in 2022 € 14.2 million. This concerns both financing of projects (program) and costs for TWO employees, other Dutch specialist departments and experts who are hired or borrowed for specific projects in the countries (device).
For Aruba, a total of € 4.9 million in regular program expenses was made in 2024. This largely went to strengthening the financial function and implementing the three lines of defense model (€0.7 million). For Curaçao, program expenditures amounted to €2.4 million, of which the largest part (€0.7 million) went to the program Improving the Functioning of Government. Sint Maarten received €5.4 million and invested the most in the program Future of Finance with €2.3 million.