Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops (right) with Aruba Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes and Aruba Minister Plenipotentiary Guillfred Besaril (left) outside the Ministry of General Affairs after Friday’s meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers. (Aruba government photo)
THE HAGUE–The Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday decided to refrain from giving the Aruba government a financial instruction at this time.
The Kingdom government agreed to give Aruba time and space to finalise the process of adopting the 2020 draft budget. The instruction is off the books until the Aruba Parliament adopts the 2020 budget in accordance with the earlier agreements that were made with the Dutch government. It is expected that the budget will be approved early next year.
The Aruba government, represented during Friday’s meeting of the Kingdom Council of Ministers by Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes and Minister Plenipotentiary Guillfred Besaril, contended that the 2020 draft budget takes into account the reduction of the cost of personnel and an increase in revenues.
Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops stated on Friday after the meeting that sustainable finances are very important for both Aruba and the Netherlands. “Choices will have to be made,” he said. Aruba has pledged to include the advice of the Aruba Committee for Financial Supervision CAFT.
The minister said that at this point, the Kingdom government had sufficient confidence in the process to refrain from giving an instruction. “If the agreements will not be adhered to because for example the Aruba Parliament doesn’t stick to the agreements or comes up with a different budget, we will again have a discussion, but for now we have delayed the decision of an instruction,” Knops said.
Wever-Croes said Friday’s meeting went well. “The fact that no instruction was issued, gives us the space to finalise the 2020 budget process. We have made big steps and we are not there yet, but we are on the right track,” she said.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92709-instruction-for-aruba-averted
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