SOAB investigating integrity complaints surrounding top tax official Alfonso Trona
WILLEMSTAD - New information has surfaced revealing that the ‘snèk’ (small eatery) owned by the wife of Alfonso de Jesus Trona, the current Head of the Tax Receiver’s Office (Ontvanger), has not paid taxes for more than ten years. The case tops the list of “major concerns” raised by former Finance Minister Javier Silvania (MFK) in internal documents reviewed this week.
Although Silvania resigned from his post last week, the revelations indicate that the former minister continues to push for accountability within Curaçao’s tax administration. According to the documents, an official integrity report was filed regarding the Trona case, which is now under investigation by SOAB — the Government Audit Bureau responsible for financial oversight of public institutions.
The document highlights two integrity complaints involving Trona: one related to unpaid taxes by a business he is affiliated with, and another concerning the reversal of a tax refund adjustment, which allegedly resulted in an unauthorized full payout.
Allegations of Abuse of Authority
Silvania’s report also lists what he calls “improper use of discretionary powers” by the Tax Receiver, pointing to a pattern of repeated renewals of payment arrangements without legal basis. These arrangements, he wrote, were often granted to wealthy or influential individuals and families — even when no payments were ever made. Th
e report further alleges that outstanding tax debts and payment agreements are frequently ignored or left unenforced, leading to the expiration of collection deadlines and making recovery of millions in public funds impossible.
Silvania also raised alarm over the “improper prepayment of refunds” to senior civil servants, union members, and former politicians, stating that many of these cases lacked documentation or justification in their files.
Calls for Action Ignored
Concerns about Trona’s conduct are not new. Both opposition politicians and media outlets — including Curaçao Chronicle — have previously questioned how he has managed to remain in office despite repeated reports of misconduct and audit findings.
According to Silvania’s internal note, the Council of Ministers was urged in April 2023 to take action following ongoing concerns about irregularities at the Tax Receiver’s Office.
“I previously submitted a proposal to the Council of Ministers to dismiss both the Tax Receiver (Trona) and the Inspector of Taxes (Jamila Isenia),” Silvania wrote. “As minister, I did not have the authority to remove them directly, and the Council instead decided to deploy a temporary support team as an interim solution.”
SOAB Investigation Underway
The SOAB has already conducted several internal audits into the operations of the Receiver’s Office and is now tasked with examining the new integrity reports. Its findings could prove decisive for the government, which faces growing public pressure to restore confidence in Curaçao’s tax system.
The ongoing probe adds to an expanding list of controversies involving high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Finance and raises serious questions about the enforcement of accountability and transparency within one of the country’s most critical public institutions.
While the investigation is still ongoing, Silvania’s latest statements underline a deepening crisis of confidence in Curaçao’s tax administration — one that, for many citizens, reflects a broader erosion of integrity in public office.
