Parliamentarian Eduard Pieters continues to question a contract worth approximately 2.1 million florins per year and is demanding clarity regarding the use of public funds from the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA).
The Aruba Patriotic Party (PPA) faction is increasing pressure on the Government to provide documentation that, according to faction leader Eduard Pieters, must prove that the law was followed in awarding the contract for waste management financed through the ATA.
During his press conference, Pieters indicated that the matter is no longer just about waste management. For the PPA, the central question is whether the Government is respecting the legal framework that regulates the use of public funds. “We are talking about approximately 2.1 million florins per year going to a single private company. If there was a public tender, show us the proof.” According to Pieters, during the parliamentary meeting dedicated to the issue, the PPA found no evidence proving that a public tender procedure took place. Therefore, the faction has formalized its demands in a letter to the Council of Ministers.
The PPA is demanding proof of the public tender (Article 21), access to the Ministeriële Beschikking (ministerial order) instructing the ATA (Article 20), and is questioning why the local company Serlimar was not given an opportunity. Pieters concluded: “We cannot normalize actions by leaders that go against the law. That is where the people’s trust in politics begins to break down.”