During the Public Meeting on the Investment and Development Fund proposal, the leader of the PPA faction, Eduard Pieters, raised a fundamental question: “If Aruba is creating a multimillion-dollar fund for the country’s future, where exactly will these investments change the lives of the people?”
According to Pieters, no one can deny that Aruba went through a period of economic recovery after the pandemic. However, the reality that many citizens confront every day is different from the positive figures presented by the government.
“The economy might be growing, but many families are still struggling to survive. The cost of living is rising, gasoline is increasing, services are becoming more expensive, and many citizens do not feel the prosperity that the government constantly announces.”
Growth Without Quality of Life
Pieters recalled that over the years, Aruba has experienced rapid economic development. However, that growth has not always been accompanied by structural investments in the quality of life. Right now, Aruba is confronting infrastructure that has fallen behind, sidewalks in poor condition, roads full of potholes, and a system that cannot always respond to the growing needs of our community.
“We cannot continue measuring success solely by the number of tourists, tax revenue, or surpluses. The main question is: how are the people living?”
According to the parliamentarian, national prosperity only has value when it translates into real well-being for the citizen.
A Fund for Everything
One of PPA’s primary concerns is the extremely broad scope of the fund. In its current form, the fund includes infrastructure, economic development, sustainability, digitalization, innovation, and various other areas of investment.
For Pieters, this is precisely where the danger lies.
“When you want a single fund to handle everything, the risk is that, ultimately, you do not achieve any goal with depth or lasting impact.”
The PPA advocates for a more focused direction, with clear priorities and truly measurable goals.
Investing in Human Beings
More than just criticizing, Pieters presented an alternative vision for the future of Aruba.
According to Pieters, the most important investment a country can make is not in concrete, asphalt, or buildings, but in its people. “Our most valuable heritage is not our infrastructure. It is our human beings.” The PPA proposes that the fund focus on education, professional training, technology, innovative agriculture, food security, and preventive healthcare.
Particularly in education, Pieters advocated for a deeper integration of 21st-century skills, technological innovation, and the continuous empowerment of our teachers.