WASHINGTON/ORANJESTAD–Aruba Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes was in Washington DC last week where she visited the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the State Department.
The main objective of these meetings was to recover confidence in Country Aruba, especially in the financial area, and to introduce the Prime Minister to the American authorities.
According to Wever-Croes, she was able to restore some of the trust, especially at the IMF. She said she had been able to inform the IMF that the new Aruba Government had started to take measures to address the country’s financial problems by reducing the large budget deficit.
Aruba’s Citgo refinery and the situation in Venezuela were discussed with the State Department. Wever-Croes said the State Department shared Aruba’s grave concerns about the crisis in Venezuela.
The State Department is also closely monitoring developments at the refinery, which still has not reopened. The sanctions imposed on Venezuela and its companies and refineries affect operations in Aruba.
Wever-Croes explained that while it was important to seek economic development for Aruba, it was also imperative to remain vigilant in not attracting dubious investments in the island. She said the State Department shared this view and had pledged to assist in attracting sound American investments in the future.
In other news, Wever-Croes said she was happy to learn that the Aruba Parliament had started the handling of the 2018 budget. In agreement with the Aruba Committee for Financial Supervision CAFT and the Dutch Government, Aruba should have an approved 2018 budget no later than April 30, otherwise Aruba might face a Kingdom Council of Ministers instruction.
The adapted 2018 draft budget shows a lower deficit than the one originally prepared by the previous AVPO Government. “According to the CAFT, the budget that was sent to Parliament is the first significant step to solve Aruba’s financial problems. It is not an easy step and surely not a popular move, but it is necessary,” said Wever-Croes in a press release over the weekend. “With this budget, we are putting Aruba back on the road to financial stability and progress for everyone.”
She noted that once the budget was approved, the Aruba Government would be able to take a number of steps to combat crime, tackle social issues and invest in education and economic development.
More social workers will be employed to tackle social ills. Some 1,000 low-income families will be able to receive a piece of land to build a home and some 200 social housing units will be constructed. There will be assistance for the most vulnerable in society.
Police will be able to acquire more equipment, including a helicopter, drones, a radar system and new vehicles. School buildings that have been neglected will be renovated and investments made to improve the quality of education. Tourism, innovation and agriculture are promising areas for economic development. More medical personnel will be attracted for the hospital.
Measures will be taken to reduce the budget deficit, including raising taxes, improving tax compliance, introducing a temporary 2.5 per cent crisis levy, further reducing Government’s operational cost, and making drastic cuts at the Ministries.
“We are taking these steps with determination and courage, because we know that this is the only road to financial recovery. We are doing this for the current generation, but also for the next generation so as not to burden them with a heavy debt,” said Wever-Croes.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/75957-aruba-prime-minister-visits-world-bank-imf
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