In front of the Central Bank of Aruba, Parliamentarian mr. drs. Richard Arends (AVP) summed-up how this year went economically for Aruba. This year will be marked by the measures implemented to fight the spread of the pandemic and all the consequences this had on economic activities. The hotel sector, restaurants, small & medium businesses, those who work independently, and those who depend directly on tourism were affected severely. There was hope when the economy got reactivated mid-year, but the benefit from this was lost because of a lack of integral economic management from the Government.
The economic recovery went slower than what we expected, and the Government still hasn’t presented a plan on how to give the necessary stimulation in the short term. There isn’t a plan to help companies survive this crisis. There isn’t a plan to stimulate economic activities for them to survive in the coming period.
The year is coming to an end, and there is no clarity about the 2021 budget or the measures implemented for the coming year. There is also no clarity about the execution schedule regarding what was agreed upon with the Netherlands.
We all noticed how political leaders sent spokespersons from different departments to announce upcoming measures and changes that could have a major impact on the lives of different families. We must yet to be informed about what was agreed to regarding the reform packages on the labor, fiscal, and economic field. Political responsibility is completely absent.
Parliamentarians of AVP will remain in a responsible position, alert, and express the community’s concerns. We will continue contributing positively to the economic recovery of our island. We will be on the lookout for the citizens, business owners, small & medium enterprises regarding the reform package measures that will be executed in the upcoming two years.
According to mr.drs. Richard Arends, it’s the political leaders’ responsibility to inform the people about the changes, but we haven’t heard anything. We have no idea what to expect of the coming year nor what impact the reform will have on our economic recovery.
