What does the Chamber do?

You have registered your BV, NV, sole proprietorship or foundation at the Chamber of Commerce on Statia or Saba. Or you are planning to do so. You know that this is mandatory and will result in your enterprise being added to the local commercial registry. But do you know what the purpose and function of the Chamber of Commerce really is? And more importantly, what it can do for you?

The Chamber’s mission is ‘to inform the registered entities and support them in any way possible with the goal to strengthen the individual organizations and the business community as a whole and as such contributing to the social-economic development of the island.’

Sounds great, but what does that mean exactly?

Business registry

The local Chamber of Commerce holds an overview of all enterprises and foundations on the islands of Statia and Saba. In this business registry you can look up information of all registered entities on St Eustatius and Saba. This registry is a public registry. This means everyone can request information and contact details from registered businesses.

If you wish you receive information from the registry, you can request this at the local Chambe+-r (for free). They will give you an excerpt that includes the following details:

Name of the business
Address of the business
Business registration number
Date of first registration
Legal form
Activity of the business
Name of the business owner

If you need an excerpt of your own business for formal and official purposes (such as immigration, permits, financial etc.), then you pay a fee for the stamp and signature.

Information and advice for businesses

Through information on their website, trainings and their offices, the Chamber can help and advise (starting) entrepreneurs on various matters such as:

How to start a business?
How to apply for a financial loan from Credits?
How to apply for certain business relieve packages offered by the government?
How to choose a legal form for my enterprise?
How to start a business as a foreigner?

The Chamber is a source of information for not only the local community but also for businesses and investors abroad.

Advisory function for the government

The Chamber can advise the local government and Ministry of Economy affairs on various subject that are relevant for the business economy. For example with spatial planning: to investigate how much land is needed and available for business purposes. You can imagine that the registry is very helpful when Government needs to reach the business community. For example, to send weather advisories in the hurricane season.

When some businesses had to close their doors (temporarily) due to Covid-19, the government used the Chamber’s registry to see which companies were eligible for a financial relieve compensation. They also consulted the Chamber to arrange this special aid.

The Chamber is member of the Central Dialogue on Statia, together with the business association and the two unions and other governmental task forces. This way, they stay informed on all business and economy related projects, ordinances and regulations and share those with the community. Vice versa, the Chamber has the opportunity to speak for the business community and voice their concerns and suggestions during their regular meetings.

Cooperating with other islands

The Chamber of Commerce St Eustatius and Saba is part of the Dutch Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (DCCC). DCCC consists of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba, representing over 65.000 companies in total. They work closely together and share information about government decisions, trade shows, changes in laws and regulations and communicate these to the local business communities. Together, they aim to facilitate cooperation between the islands, for example in trade and shipping opportunities.

If you are interested in getting in contact with other businesses in the region, for example for import/export purposes, the Chamber can connect you directly to them.