THE HAGUE – After a three-month delay, the Dutch Senate has finally approved the Kingdom Relations and BES Fund budget. The only opposition came from the two-member Forum for Democracy faction, which did not provide an explanation for its dissenting vote. 

The delay was caused by political disputes in the House of Representatives over another budget, which subsequently delayed the submission of all budgets to the Senate. The Senate then took its time reviewing the proposal, particularly due to concerns about whether funds designated for slavery-related projects had been diverted. 

The postponement had tangible consequences, including a temporary hold on funds allocated for the construction of a new port in Saba and road maintenance projects in Bonaire. Now that the budget has been approved, these financial obstacles have been lifted, allowing the planned projects to proceed.