As it has been said many times by everybody: 2012 was a bad year. We had the worst government ever in the new country Curacao. This government was formed by MFK, PS and MAN. I have talked about it before so I do not want to repeat myself. Let us look ahead. In 2013 a new government formed by PS and PAIS will start. I regret that this government will start on the second day of the new year, because the new year is something to celebrate, and I do not know about the new government. Intervening with festivities of the people is something typical of these type of governments. But let us look ahead. The global outlook is not positive:
"The global economy has yet to shake off the fallout from the crisis of 2008-2009. Global growth dropped to almost 3 percent in 2012, which indicates that about a half a percentage point has been shaved off the long-term trend since the crisis emerged. This slowing trend will likely continue. Mature economies are still healing the scars of the 2008-2009 crisis. But unlike in 2010 and 2011, emerging markets did not pick up the slack in 2012, and won’t do so in 2013. Uncertainty across the regions – from the post-election ‘fiscal cliff’ question in the U.S. to the Chinese leadership transition and reforms in the Euro Area – will continue to have global impacts in sluggish trade and tepid foreign direct investment." (http://www.conference-board.org/data/globaloutlook.cfm)
This means that we will not autmatically profit from the global economy. And we could have used this because the public finance and local economy are in very bad shape. Budget cuts and tax increases are on the way. Also health care and pension reforms will be implemented. This will have an impact on consumption and this will impact the economy negatively.
The stimulation of the international financial sector and tourism will not be enough to grow the economy. This recipe alone will not resolve the problems of Curacao. Curacao needs to move swiftly in to the information age (3.0). This can be done by stimulating Ctex data centre. Force the telecom company to connect all house holds on the internet. Implement the one laptop per child program in our schools. Also install solar panels and water collectors on the roof of the school buildings. This will teach the next generation and stimulate innovation. This will help the poor. It will get them out of isolation and provide opportunities they never had before. We should stimulate the use of internet in all sectors. This will upgrade Curacao to the information age (3.0) and as a panacea all problems will be resolved over time. The explanation is, that this will release creativity within the local population and attract creative people like Anthony Delima, Jacob Geltdekker, Bob Pinedo, Eduardo de Veer, Gregory Elias. Because we are in the creative economy era.
"The creative economy is based on a new way of thinking and doing. The primary inputs are our individual talent or skill. These inputs may be familiar or novel; what is more important is that our creativity transforms them in novel ways. In some sectors the output value depends on their uniqueness; in others, on how easily it can be copied and sold to large numbers of people.
The creative economy brings together ideas about the creative industries, the cultural industries, creative cities, clusters and the creative class." (http://www.creativeeconomy.com/thebasics.htm)
These people will want to execute projects here in the Knowledge Zone Curacao and the Creative Zone Curacao. This will have a big global impact. Research institutes like the TNO will have a second look at Curacao and the best universities on the globe will establish on the island. But I have to warn everybody this window of opportunity will not be open forever. We will have to move bold and swift. I doubt that the government can do this. Please, prove me wrong.
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