WILLEMSTAD, BRIDGETOWN – Curaçao and Barbados have reached agreement on the text of a bilateral tax treaty aimed at preventing double taxation. The agreement was initialed today in Bridgetown by Germaine Rekwest, tax treaty negotiator at Curaçao’s Ministry of Finance, on behalf of Finance Minister Javier Silvania.
The Curaçao delegation also included Arne Kattouw, member of the Taskforce Tax Treaties; Crystal Overman, Tax Inspector; and Suhena Neuman, Tax Director at Grant Thornton. Barbados was represented by Sangene Watkins-Diagne, Director of the International Business Unit, Taxes.
Remarkably, the agreement was reached after just one round of negotiations, based on Curaçao’s Fiscal Treaty Policy. Talks were initiated during IMF meetings in Marrakesh (2023) and Washington (2024), where Minister Silvania and Barbados’ Minister of Finance, Ryan Straughn, agreed to move quickly toward formalizing a treaty.
Part of a wider CARICOM strategy
The treaty with Barbados aligns with Curaçao’s broader strategy of strengthening ties with CARICOM member states. Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas recently confirmed Curaçao’s commitment to pursuing more tax agreements with CARICOM countries, an announcement he made during the 49th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in July 2025.
The treaty complies with all international standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Importantly, it also contains an extension clause that could allow Aruba and Sint Maarten to join in the future. The Netherlands has had a tax treaty with Barbados since 2006.
Next steps
Following today’s initialing, both countries must complete their domestic procedures before formal signing can take place, after which parliamentary ratification will be required. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Treaty Department) and Curaçao’s Foreign Relations Service (DBB) are working closely with the Ministry of Finance to expedite this process.
Tax treaties are crucial in cases where multiple jurisdictions claim taxation rights over the same income or profits. Such agreements determine which country has the right to tax, preventing individuals and businesses from being taxed twice on the same earnings. For Curaçao, expanding its network of tax treaties is seen as vital for supporting the island’s international financial services sector, one of its key economic pillars.
Expanding Curaçao’s treaty network
Curaçao currently has four tax treaties in force, including recent agreements with Malta and San Marino. Treaties with Suriname and Cyprus have been signed and are pending ratification, while an agreement with Mauritius is expected to be signed soon. In February 2026, Curaçao will also begin negotiations with Luxembourg, which would bring the total number of treaties to six.
