Archive of posts from Saba-News.com Archive Saba News
The Daily Herald reports today, that a total of 95 residents of Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba contacted the National Ombudsman in 2013 with complaints about local and Dutch public authorities in the Caribbean Netherlands. This was stated in the 2013 annual report of the Netherlands National Ombudsman.
“Many island residents were able to find the National Ombudsman for complaints about the local government and the Dutch government services despite the fact that it is relatively new as a point of contact for residents about government,” it was stated in the report.
The National Ombudsman has been authorised since October 10, 2010, the date that the islands became Dutch public entities, to handle complaints about the Police Force, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Tax Department, the Health Care Insurance Office ZVK, the National Government Service (Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland RCN) and other governing bodies of the Dutch government in the Caribbean Netherlands. As of October 1, 2012, the National Ombudsman is also authorised to handle complaints about the public entities.
Representatives of the various research teams handle the complaints that the National Ombudsman receives from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, it was explained in the annual report. The representatives visited the islands twice in 2013. The visits serve to get in touch with residents and public authorities. Representatives will again visit all three islands next week and the week after.
The National Ombudsman will be in St. Eustatius and Saba from Monday, March 31, up until Thursday, April 3. Two representatives will be present per island. They will be in Bonaire the week after. Information on how
and where residents can contact the National Ombudsman will be announced through the media. See also the earlier announcement on the Saba-News Publication Board: Complaints about your government?
During earlier visits of the Ombudsman, public authorities were provided with information through workshops and other means about the handling of complaints and the vision of the national Ombudsman on the relation between residents and the government.
Residents were given the opportunity to direct questions at the representatives of the National Ombudsman and file complaints. The visits of the National Ombudsman representatives were also used to discuss the complaints with the public authorities and solve these where possible.