FROM THE
CHAMBER BOARD
Chamber President Raoul Behr
Dear Entrepreneurs,
The ability to anticipate change, adapt and remain resilient has become essential to doing business. From the pandemic and geopolitical tensions to supply-chain disruptions, energy pressures and natural disasters, businesses worldwide are operating in an environment where circumstances can change rapidly. For Curaçao, a small and open economy, international developments can quickly translate into higher costs, disrupted supplies and changing market conditions.
Recent challenges closer to home have also reminded us that resilience begins with the fundamentals.
Reliable infrastructure, including a stable electricity supply, is essential for business continuity, productivity and investor confidence. Our recent call for greater reliability therefore concerns more than the immediate impact of outages; it concerns the conditions businesses need to operate, invest and grow. Preparedness,however, should not only be about
managing risks.
It should encourage us to innovate and identify opportunities. The pandemic taught us that businesses capable of adapting their operations, embracing technology and finding new ways to reach customers were often better positioned to navigate uncertainty. It is worth asking ourselves again: how do we make our businesses more resilient to the next disruption, whatever form it may
take? Understanding our international exposure is part of that preparedness.
The recent CBCS working paper examining the impact of euro fluctuations is particularly relevant given Curaçao’s close economic relationship with the Netherlands and our position within the Kingdom. Exchange-rate movements and developments among our principal trading partners
ultimately affect businesses and consumers at home. At the same time, looking outward remains essential. Upcoming opportunities connecting Curaçao entrepreneurs with Colombia, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, the United States and Venezuela, together with an incoming business mission from Trinidad and Tobago, demonstrate that uncertainty should not prevent us from exploring new markets and partnerships. Through educational sessions, information, training, business development initiatives and international cooperation, we aim to strengthen
entrepreneurs’ knowledge, networks and capacity to adapt.
Resilience does not mean predicting every challenge. It means building businesses capable of responding when circumstances change. As we pursue new opportunities, let us also consider how we can strengthen, diversify and innovate today to be better prepared for tomorrow.
In an increasingly unpredictable world, preparedness itself can become a competitive advantage.