KRALENDIJK- The Executive Council of Bonaire wants the island to become a place where citizens are ‘happy, healthy and prosperous’. That ambition was also conveyed to the State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), Alexandra van Huffelen, who was visiting this week.

A new kind of ‘administrative agreement’, which builds on the previous agreement concluded with State Secretary Raymond Knops, should form the guideline for realizing the ambition.

“Agreements have already been made with the central government in the past. This resulted in the 2018-2022 Administrative Agreement. Now that the Administrative Agreement is coming to an end, the OLB has the need to extend the current agreement and at the same time to tighten it up. In the near future, further discussions will be held with the government about Bonaire’s ambitions,” said a press statement on Tuesday.

Action points

In the new administrative agreement, agreements should be made about the quality of services, affordable energy, more opportunities for the development of citizens, public transport and an allotment plan. In addition, the BC also wants to focus on improving roads and restoring public buildings.

The starting point of the OLB’s vision are the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With these targets, United Nations member states are working to end extreme poverty, inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030. Achieving the SDGs would require close collaboration with central government.

Master plan

What is striking about the statement of the BC is that the famous Master Plan is also being relaunched. “The Master Plan sets out the course for the coming years,” the BC promises.