Zagers Urges Dutch Parliament to rethink urgent WOLBES amendment

SABA--Commissioner Bruce Zagers of Saba has written to members of the Dutch First and Second Chamber, urging them to reconsider the sudden rush to amend the WOLBES law, legislation governing the constitutional relationship between the Netherlands and Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba.

In his detailed letter dated October 6, 2025, Zagers warns that the proposed amendment, which would change the number of Island Council Members and Commissioners, is being advanced hastily and without adequate consultation with the islands. He notes that such a change, though discussed for years, was previously expected to take effect only after 2031, yet is now being rushed through before the 2027 Island Council elections.

“This occurs even as time to prepare for such drastic changes is shrinking,” Zagers wrote. “The islands lack the financial resources to adapt, and neither their physical infrastructure nor institutional capacity will be ready to manage these challenges effectively.”

Commissioner Zagers questions whether the urgency being shown toward the WOLBES amendment truly reflects the priorities of the islands. “This law is a priority for The Hague and will proceed regardless of readiness,” he stated. “My concern lies elsewhere: are these changes truly a priority for the islands themselves?”

While acknowledging that Saba has benefited from structural growth and stability since the constitutional transition of 2010, Zagers says that many underlying issues continue to hinder daily life. He emphasizes that practical adjustments that could improve quality of life are frequently delayed, while laws irrelevant to island realities are pushed forward.

In the letter, Zagers outlines several examples where current Dutch laws fail the Caribbean Netherlands:

• Work Permits: Schools and businesses on Saba face long-standing challenges with the work permit process. “Entire classes begin the school year without qualified teachers because of bureaucratic delays,” he wrote. “The negative impact on our children, schools, and business community is profound.”

• Intervention in Struggling Schools: Dutch law requires an Education Inspectorate report before intervention, making immediate action impossible. “On Saba, with only one primary and one high school, parents have no alternatives. This law fails in our context, yet no change has been made to allow direct intervention when quality concerns arise.”

• Connectivity and Economic Growth: Despite ongoing discussions, Saba still lacks a Public Service Obligation (PSO) to regulate airfares and flight frequency. “Flights to St. Maarten are treated as ‘international,’ meaning subsidies are prohibited. Our people face what may be the world’s most expensive twelve-minute flight, with ticket prices as high as $415,” Zagers noted.

• Healthcare Access: For more than a decade, Saba’s children were treated by an orthodontist from St. Maarten until his services ended because he was not registered under Dutch medical regulations (BIG). “Families now pay up to $415 per trip to St. Maarten or abandon treatment altogether. The irony is that our health insurer sends European Netherlands patients abroad for care. For us, that’s impossible.”

• Cost of Living and Bureaucracy: Zagers cited double taxation, high import duties, and an over-complicated Asycuda import declaration system as key drivers of living costs. “Despite raising the minimum wage, costs continue to rise because of layered taxes and bureaucracy that small islands cannot sustain,” he said.

The Commissioner highlighted how treating Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba as one “BES” entity often leads to unworkable policies. “A wastewater issue on one island does not justify the same law for all three,” he wrote. “The result is countless costly studies and overregulation for issues that don’t exist everywhere, while genuine priorities like structural funding for infrastructure remain unaddressed.”

In his conclusion, Zagers stressed that the problems outlined are not minor inconveniences but systemic failures that undermine progress. He called on the Dutch Parliament to show the same urgency for issues that directly affect the lives of island residents as it now shows for the WOLBES amendment.

“As local politicians, we face our people daily. We must explain why there are no teachers, why orthodontic care has stopped, and why groceries remain so costly—even though these issues stem from laws beyond our authority,” Zagers wrote. “The contrast is stark: when The Hague prioritizes a law, change can happen quickly.”

He emphasized that the letter is not directed at any individual or ministry, but represents “broad-based sentiments grounded in 15 years of experience.” Zagers called for genuine partnership and mutual respect between The Hague and the islands:

“By aligning legislative priorities with the real needs of our communities, we can ensure that laws and systems truly work for the people, not against them.”

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