An independent committee has presented the evaluation results of the “Mutual Arrangement” (Areglo Mutuo — the reform pact between the Netherlands and Aruba) which encompasses the Country Package (Landspakket). The evaluation results show that Aruba is making a good effort to sort out its affairs, but these reforms still need to be fully executed for citizens to feel the changes in their daily lives.
What do the evaluation results say regarding Aruba?
Aruba is in control: Of the three Caribbean countries, Aruba is the one that has demonstrated the best control and a more stable overview of the projects.
Many plans, lacking execution: Many management plans have been drafted on paper, but very few projects have been completely finished. Most of the reforms have yet to start functioning structurally in reality.
Lack of manpower: The biggest obstacle in Aruba is the shortage of qualified personnel within the government and a lack of experts to draft the necessary laws. Because of this, many changes are stalled.
The committee underlines that the work started during a time of tension: This arrangement was born during the COVID-19 crisis when Aruba needed financial support. The initial lack of trust created tension, but cooperation is now moving forward with more tranquility.
What does the committee advise to do now?
They advise extending the arrangement by 2 years (until April 2029) to complete the work, as major reforms take a lot of time. For this reason, it is better to shorten the list; instead of trying to change twenty things at once and leaving them halfway done, Aruba must choose and focus solely on the structural reforms that are most urgent and execute them well.
Additionally, they advise using the funds provided by the Netherlands through the TWO (Tijdelijke Werkorganisatie / Temporary Legislative Organization) to strengthen the departments responsible for drafting laws, so that changes can progress faster. Regarding transparency, the committee is of the opinion that Parliament must receive more transparency on funding and progress so that the public knows exactly what is happening.
Conclusion
To conclude, MP Tromp-Lee is of the opinion that there needs to be better negotiation to stop the so-called “checkmark culture” (vinkjes-cultuur), where the Netherlands acts like a schoolteacher simply checking off a list to see if Aruba did its homework. The member of parliament emphasizes that a real and structural collaboration must be established where both countries are equals. The Netherlands also benefits from Aruba being strong and structurally stable; when Aruba is structurally healthy, the entire Kingdom is safer and more balanced.