According to Minister Ursell Arends, the Tax Department (DIMP) would need to start exploring the possibility of charging fines for Aruparking. During a press conference on Wednesday morning at DIMP, we asked the director how far this is progressing since they’ve had a year already with reactivated parking meters but lack the enforcement to hand out fines.
This is a topic still under discussion at DIMP according to the director Luenne Gomez-Pieters. She states that the matter is complicated by the fact that the government and AruParking are entities on their own.
He explained that it’s very difficult for DIMP to levy fines against another entity that stands on its own. “It’s like if I were to issue fines for Serlimar, or for ATA, AHATA, for someone who hasn’t paid a sum. It’s very difficult.” DIMP wants to cooperate and brainstorm more solutions together, but for now, this is a topic that still lacks a solution.
If that’s the wish, a change in the law would be necessary, according to Gomez-Pieters. In other departments like DIMAS or DIP regarding leasehold, it’s regulated by law how collections are fixed, and the tax collector has the right to collect. That’s why they could act in those areas because if the law doesn’t give DIMP the authorization, the department would hardly be able to collect anything because they lack authority in that area to do so.
