Guide to Doing Business
in Bonaire
Regulated industries
The most relevant regulated industries on Bonaire are:
Banking
The monetary system of the island is regulated by the Central Bank of the Netherlands (de Nederlandsche Bank ). The Central Bank of the Netherlands operates as an independent central bank, supervisor and resolution authority with European partners to ensure:
- price stability and balanced macroeconomic development in Europe;
- a shock-resistant financial system and a secure, reliable and efficient payment system; and
- sound and ethical financial institutions that fulfil their obligations and commitments.[1]
The Central Bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).[2]
Education
As of 10 October 2010 the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) of the Netherlands is responsible for the education policy on Bonaire. The schools in Bonaire therefore form part of the Dutch educational system. The objective is that by 2016 the quality of education at schools in Bonaire should meet Dutch educational standards.
Energy
Due to the favourable climate there are good opportunities for sustainable energy (particularly wind and solar). A combined wind-diesel plant operates in Bonaire with twelve mid-sized wind turbines that supply up to 50 percent of the island’s electricity demand
Healthcare
Bonaire has a modern hospital, Hospitaal San Francisco, and a number of medical doctors on the island. There is an ambulance plane on call for emergencies 24 hours a day. A hyperbaric recompression chamber is located adjacent to the hospital.
Infrastructure
Flamingo International Airport is the airport of Bonaire. It has good air travels links with Europe, the United States, South and Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Various airlines maintain facilities, both for passengers and airfreight. Bonaire also has port facilities. The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu, I&M) works on secure connections of international quality.
Telecom
The BES Telecommunications Act is the basis for offering telecommunications services. The operator and supervisor in the field of telecommunications in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Radio Communications Agency (Agentschap Telecom), has been appointed as supervisor and implementer of the telecommunications and postal regulations in Bonaire. For the execution of the tasks the Netherlands Radio Communications Agency has partnered with the Bureau Telecommunicatie en Post of Curacao.
[1] Source : https://www.cn.dnb.nl/en/about_us.
[2] Source : https://www.cn.dnb.nl/en/about_us under Organisation.