Island Governor Soliano asks The Hague for extra capacity for integrity and public order

KRALENDIJK – Island Governor John Soliano is asking the Dutch cabinet for additional support to strengthen the governance and civil service organization of Bonaire. In a letter to State Secretary Eric van der Burg, Soliano writes, among other things, that two extra staff positions are needed for the Integrity Bureau. He is also requesting temporary support in the area of public order and safety.

Soliano’s letter is dated September 30 and was sent to the House of Representatives as an attachment by State Secretary Van der Burg on October 2. In it, Van der Burg writes that Soliano recognizes the problems surrounding good governance and the strengthening of the civil service organization and has since put concrete measures in place. The State Secretary wants to discuss this with Soliano and the Executive Council during his upcoming working visit to Bonaire.

Soliano writes that Bonaire is facing urgent societal issues that call for stable governance. At the same time, he states that the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB) is continuing to address these societal challenges despite the current political situation. According to the Lieutenant Governor, this requires not only administrative stability but also greater implementation capacity.

Civil service organization is not keeping pace

According to Soliano, Bonaire has grown considerably in recent years, while the capacity of the civil service organization and other government services has not grown at the same pace. In addition, he says that years of lagging investment and restraint in legislation have led to backlogs in various policy areas.

As a result, the civil service organization must, in some areas, work in a fundamentally different way, according to the Lieutenant Governor: in a more integrated and decisive manner and with more specialist knowledge. He describes this as a transition process that needs time and space.

Soliano also warns against political interference in the work of civil servants. In his view, this is undesirable because it can lead to a blurring of responsibilities, a sense of insecurity within the organization and less effective public administration. He also says it can put the unity of policy under pressure.

Support for the Island Secretary

Meanwhile, the OLB is working on strengthening the civil service organization. The Island Secretary and his office will receive support in the short term to improve, among other things, integrated management, governance, organizational development and decision-making processes.

According to Soliano, the selection of two candidates for this support is in its final phase. The aim is for them to start in October 2026. The support is intended to result, among other things, in a development plan for the Office of the Island Secretary and tools to improve the functioning of the management team.

Work is also underway on a new mandate arrangement, intended to allocate the powers of the Executive Council and the Island Governor within the organization more clearly and in a more balanced way. According to Soliano, this should allow decisions to be made more quickly.

Gap analysis faces delay

One of the projects that has been delayed is the so-called gap analysis of the civil service organization. This analysis is meant to provide insight into how many and which employees will be needed over the next three to five years.

After requesting multiple quotes, the OLB had awarded the assignment to one party, but according to Soliano that party subsequently indicated it no longer had capacity available. The OLB is therefore examining whether the assignment can be awarded to another party, so that the analysis can still be carried out this year.

New approach to waste management

The letter also addresses specific files for which extra expertise is needed. For waste management, according to Soliano, there is a proposal for an implementation organization that, under the leadership of the OLB, is to manage various components in an integrated manner.

This includes, among other things, the realization of the MOSC, the transition to other processing routes, the export of waste and the end of dumping at Lagun. Consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has since taken place. The Executive Council is expected to adopt the proposal in the first week of October.

New codes of conduct ahead of 2027 elections

To counter political interference, the Executive Council has since adopted an administrative deal that sets out frameworks for the relationship between the administration and the civil service organization. This deal has been distributed among civil servants and still needs to be implemented further.

The OLB is also working on new codes of conduct for the Island Council, the Executive Council, the Island Governor and the civil service organization. In addition, the procedure for suspected breaches of integrity is being revised.

The aim is for the new codes of conduct and the amended procedure to be adopted by the Island Council before the elections of March 2027.

Two extra staff members for the Integrity Bureau

One concrete request to The Hague concerns the Integrity Bureau. Soliano writes that the work of the bureau, together with internal and external confidential advisers, has led civil servants to speak up more often and more quickly.

At the same time, he says the current staffing is insufficient to handle signals and reports in a timely and careful manner while also devoting enough attention to awareness and the further development of integrity within the civil service. Soliano therefore wants to hire two additional FTEs to embed integrity structurally within the organization.

He is also requesting temporary support for the Island

Governor’s office in the area of public order and safety. Because of Bonaire’s growth, security issues are increasing, according to Soliano, and this demands ever more capacity from the office. He considers temporary support for one year desirable, with specific knowledge of public order and safety.

Van der Burg has informed the House of Representatives that during his upcoming visit to Bonaire in October he wants to discuss the measures and the required support with Soliano and the Executive Council.

Read the response from State Secretary Eric van der Burg hereRead the letter from Island Governor John Soliano herere