Prime Minister Meeting with Representatives of ATIA

Monday morning, Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes met with ATIA (Aruba Trade & Industry Association) to discuss points of interest and/or concerns from their side or from the Government of Aruba. The Prime Minister indicated that the meeting went well and that they managed to cover various important topics.

Labor Market

A topic of great importance that ATIA always brings forward is the labor market in Aruba, considering that the private sector has a significant need for workers. In response to this, a task force has been set up, working on certain recommendations from both the private and public sectors. The Prime Minister indicated that things are moving in the right direction, but more attention is needed as it is not yielding all the desired results.

Financial Situation

Another important topic raised during the meeting was the fact that the Government has created financial space and that every year the budget has a surplus. Due to this, the Government will allocate funds every year for public investments in Aruba. These are investments that the Government of Aruba will fund, and together with the private sector, this should continually expand capacities so that these projects can be executed by the private sector.

Relationship with the Netherlands

The topic of the relationship with the Netherlands also came up, discussing different aspects of the "landspakket" (country package) and the visit of the new State Secretary, Mr. Zsolt Szabò, who met with the Prime Minister on various important topics.

Other Relevant Topics

During the meeting, ideas were exchanged on the topic of digitalization, the eGovernment project, and ATIA’s concerns regarding the progress, or lack thereof, in the work of the Directorate of Infrastructure and Planning (DIP).

The Prime Minister expressed that the meeting was positive, where the Government of Aruba and ATIA representatives were able to share all their concerns. Several steps were also taken for the coming period.