photo: John Samson

THE HAGUE – Anyone who has problems with government agencies on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius can personally file a complaint about this next week. The National Ombudsman is sending a research team to the islands.

It is the first visit to Saba and St Eustatius after the havoc of Hurricane Irma. In addition to the ‘regular’ complaints, for example about permits and unanswered letters, the ombudsman also expects complaints or questions related to the reconstruction.

Every year, the employees visit the Caribbean municipalities once or twice to conduct research. Complaints from citizens about, among other things, the Pension Fund and the Health Insurance Office, led to tackling of these problems.

Conversations
On Monday, the research team will speak to citizens on the Windward Islands: Thursday on St. Eustatius and Thursday and Saturday on Saba. The following week the team from the Netherlands will travel to Bonaire.

Ombudsman Renier van Zuthphen plans to access the situation himself in June. According to van Zuthphen, there will also be talks with, among others, the government commissioner who temporarily controls the island.