GREAT BAY--Parliament passed just one national ordinance during the 2025-2026 parliamentary year, while seven new draft national ordinances were submitted for consideration, according to Parliament’s newly released annual report.
The sole ordinance recorded as passed was the National Ordinance Basic Payment Account, legislation establishing rules for a basic payment account for consumers. Although originally filed under Parliamentary Year 2023-2024, it was approved by Parliament on January 9, 2026.
The figures provide another measure of Parliament’s legislative activity beyond meetings, attendance and questions to ministers. While MPs increased their use of written oversight during the year, the report shows that the movement of legislation through the full parliamentary process remained limited.
Seven new draft national ordinances entered Parliament during 2025-2026. The first, submitted on October 24, 2025, was the National Ordinance on Tax Reform, Phase I, aimed at repealing tax ordinances no longer applied in practice.
Four financial-sector regulatory laws were then submitted on January 7, 2026. These covered supervision of payment service providers, supervision of virtual asset service providers, oversight by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten of payment and securities settlement systems, and supervision of operators of financial market infrastructure systems.
A social and health insurance repair ordinance was submitted on May 21. It proposes amendments and harmonization across legislation governing old-age insurance, widows and orphans insurance, accident insurance, Social Health Insurance and sickness insurance. The 2026 national budget ordinance was submitted on June 11.
The annual report also shows that the Basic Payment Account law became the main vehicle for MPs to exercise their right of amendment during the year. Three amendments were submitted and all three were approved.
Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams submitted an amendment aimed at preventing legal uncertainty and unjustified differences between regular account holders and holders of basic payment accounts. MPs Ardwell Irion submitted two additional amendments, one promoting digital accessibility and another strengthening non-discrimination, information requirements and structural reporting for oversight and evaluation.
All three amendments were accepted on January 9, 2026, when Parliament approved the Basic Payment Account ordinance.
The report also records several motions through which MPs attempted to direct government policy or formally express Parliament’s position.
