The 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided a valuable platform for Aruba to strengthen international ties and advance key discussions. One of the highlights was the first-ever meeting between Aruba’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Geoffrey Wever, and Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen.
Since this was their first encounter, Minister Wever took the opportunity to brief his Dutch counterpart on Aruba’s current economic situation, including the state of public finances and ongoing fiscal developments. A major topic of discussion was the existing challenges in Aruba–Netherlands relations, particularly negotiations regarding financial cooperation.
Minister Wever also informed Heinen of Aruba’s upcoming plans to access the capital markets in 2025. The government is preparing to finance part of both its domestic and external debt, with a total refinancing need of approximately 434.44 million florins. While Aruba intends to use part of its budget surplus to continue reducing the national debt, some of the debt maturing in 2025 will need to be refinanced.
By sharing this information, Wever ensured that the Netherlands is fully updated on Aruba’s fiscal outlook and opened the door for potential Dutch support during the refinancing process. “The conversation was constructive and friendly,” Wever stated. “It was also a good opportunity to expand Aruba’s network with Dutch politicians and other key stakeholders.”
The minister emphasized the added value of including Aruba’s Department of Economic Affairs in the IMF delegation, noting that many of the key topics at the spring meetings are closely tied to economic policy. “I believe the combination of Finance and Economic Affairs is critically important,” Wever concluded.
