Islands present at Kingdom congress

According news in The Daily Herald Governors and Prime Ministers of Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, and representatives of the Dutch Caribbean governments have been invited to attend the Kingdom business congress and trade mission in The Hague on November 27 and 28. Politicians, business people, representatives of the public sector and social organisations, legal and financial experts from throughout the Kingdom will meet each other during the two-day congress titled “Sustainable Business between the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the Netherlands” of the 17th trade mission of InterExpo and Tanja Fraai in Hotel Des Indes. The congress, which features some 25 speakers, takes place on the eve of the formal events on November 30, to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Chairlady of the National Committee 200 years Kingdom Ank Bijleveld-Schouten will perform the congress’ official opening on November 27. “We will hook up to the festivities in the Kingdom by organising our yearly business congress and matchmaking event around the date of November 30,” said Peter Oerlemans of Inter-Expo in a press release.
Various officials from the Dutch Caribbean will be present at the gala dinner on November 27. Invited have been the governors and prime ministers of the Dutch Caribbean. President of the Dutch Central Bank Klaas Knot will be the main speaker at the gale event. Knot will talk about the dollarization on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Attorney-at-law Prof. Arjen van Rijn will lead a debate of legal experts on the effects of the new constitutional relations that went into effect on October 10, 2010, while representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of the various islands will speak about the opportunities to do business on their island.
Speakers at the two-day congress include Leader of the D66 party, Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament and former Minister of Kingdom Relations Alexander Pechtold, Director of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies KITLV Prof. Gert Oostindie, Chairman of the Dutch Social Economic Council SER Wiebe Draijer, President of the Central Bank of Aruba Jeanette Semeleer, National Government Representative in the Caribbean Netherlands Wilbert Stolte, Chairman of the Council for Financial Supervision CFT Prof. Age Bakker, former Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen and Chairlady of the Association of Dutch Municipalities VNG Annemarie Jorritsma. Representing the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce will be Claret Conner who will give a presentation on the partnership with the Netherlands in economic diplomacy. Koos Sneek will represent the St. Eustatius Business Association and will speak on the possibilities for sustainability on his island. Sneek and Conner will also participate in a debate on sustainable entrepreneurship in the Dutch Caribbean. Statia Commissioner Carlyle Tearr will also attend the congress.