ORANJESTAD/THE BOTTOM- Entrepreneurs on St. Eustatius and Saba should be preparing for much higher yearly contributions to the joint Chamber of Commerce.

A new law which will be coming into effect as of January 1, 2022 (Financiële Regeling Handelsregister BES 2022) stipulate fees which are much higher for all entrepreneurs having a NV or BV registerred at the Chamber.

The mininum yearly contribution for an NV or BV as of this date will be 240 dollars per year, if only one representive is registered at the Chamber. In case there is more than 1 representative, the fee will even be as high as 400 dollars.

The Ministery of Economic Affairs in The Netherlands has prepared the new law, supposedly after holding ‘internet consultations’ with stakeholders in the process of establishing the new law. However, hardly anyone in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba seem to be aware of the much higher fees, which in most cases are at least 3 times as expensive as current yearly contributions

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What is even more shocking is the fact that yearly contributions in The Netherlands have been abolished. There, costs for the Chambers of Commerce are subsidized by the same Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The newly established fares are also much higher compared to for instance Aruba (67 dollars per year) and Curaçao (about 83 dollars per year).

Other fees, such as the one of getting an excerpt from the Trade Registry will also increase, but these increases are less drastic compared to current feels.