Preface

We are very pleased that you are reading our 2010-2011 Open Arms Investment Guide. After all, something you have read, heard or seen about Curaçao as an investment opportunity has made you sufficiently interested to be reading this.

We also know that the first thing in which you, as an investor, are interested is clear and concise information. In this guide, we intend to do exactly that: provide you with current information that will be of interest to anyone who wants to invest in a growing economy, like ours. You will be pleased to know that, although the global financial crisis has dealt a severe blow to economies all over the world, the effects of that economic malaise were hardly felt locally. As a matter of fact, our economy grew at an average pace of 2.6 percent annually over the last two years. Furthermore, an important pillar of our economy, tourism, has been expanding (by 28 percent and 35 percent in 2007 and 2008, respectively), while most tourist destinations in this region have had to deal with a slumping industry.

What makes it all the more interesting is that Curaçao is posting good grades, while it is taking on new constitutional reforms within the Dutch Kingdom. With the new position in, and relationship to, the Dutch kingdom, Curaçao will be able to steer its own course more independently, while all along retaining the benefits that come with being a part of the Dutch Kingdom; a stable political and judicial system, a high literacy and educational level among its people and a thriving economy.

Hence, it should come as no surprise that 72% of local companies established on the island made a profit in 2009, according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics. This has led to an increase of confidence in our economy and the opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs. We are very happy about that. After all, a good investment is always a win-win situation for both the investor and the host country. Based on this aspect of mutual gain, we indicate in this publication our target sectors, which are the areas the government would like investors to consider the most. In this investment guide, the potential investor is given specifics about business start-ups in Curaçao, including helpful information ranging from the procedures to follow to the required permits and ways to obtain them. There is also a section on our tax system and on the many tax incentives the Curaçao government extends to investors, as well as how you can qualify for these.

We are convinced that after you read this guide, you will realize that Curaçao can be the next chapter in your success story. Not only because of our accommodating attitude towards investors, but also because of the uniqueness pertaining to our island, such as: 1. our multilingual population, 2. our relatively high educational level, and 3. our geographically strategically location (which allows for superb communication with other parts of the world and, hence, good business). The fact that Curaçao lies outside the hurricane belt is another very important factor for the safety of your human and capital investment, which ultimately translates into a guaranteed continuity of your operations and, hopefully, your profits.

We hope you enjoy reading our guide. I also encourage you to visit our website; www.curinvest.com, at which you will find all this information and much more.

Hope to meet you soon personally.

The Ministry of Economic Development