THE HAGUE/THE BOTTOM- According to a letter by State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen, dated on April 6, 2023 Bonaire St. Eustatius and Saba, want to growth their respective economies. 

In the case of Saba, the Government of Saba has indicating wanting to stimulate the economy on the island by promoting more and faster growth. 

“Saba’s economy has remained stable in recent years, but with minimal growth. The main sources of income are tourism and the medical school. This in addition to a smaller, but also important source: Fishery”, according to the letter to Dutch Parliament

According to the same letter, these sources of income have been significantly affected during COVID-19 due to fewer tourists and students came to the island. This is why, according to Van Huffelen, there is renewed attention to working towards an economy that is more robust, more sustainable and more self-sufficient. 

This should be achieved through diversification of the economy and the strengthening of the economic pillars. To achieve this, Saba is already working on various initiatives, among which the introduction of the Tourism Master plan, the opening of Saba Splash Bottling plant, the investment in the new port, expansion of sustainable energy generation, the stimulation of agriculture, and the opening of the Marine Research centre. 

Advisors, RCN and education

Initially the Government of Saba wants to hire two advisors to help with the preparation of plans and provide the necessary advice. On the longer term, Government also wants to focus on more exports, get more of the workload of RCN which is now mainly concentrated on Bonaire, and attract newer educational institutions.