This is the reality of our people. At the end of the month, a mother sits down with her bills. Electricity, water, rent or mortgage, groceries. First, she looks at what she has, and then she decides what she can pay. And if it isn’t enough, she goes to request a payment plan before the bills become a problem.
This is how thousands of families in Aruba live. With discipline, with sacrifice, with respect for every single florin.
Today, in Parliament, I saw a government doing the exact opposite. They spend the money first, and afterwards they come asking for approval for money they have already spent.
This budget amendment should have been addressed in June, before the recess. The amendment reached Parliament in August, and we are treating it in November, when the money has already been spent. Acting in this manner shatters transparency and integrity, and prevents Parliament from holding the government accountable.
A directionless government
Ministers are making decisions without a law specifying who is in charge of what. The Advisory Council (Raad van Advies) states “once again” that there is still no new Ministerial Portfolio Ordinance (LIM). Meanwhile, the coalition partners attack each other in the media. This is not governing. This is political child’s play. Prime Minister, stop the bickering and pay attention to the pain of the people. Because the people’s pain is real. Our teachers are working under immense pressure due to a shortage of educators. In our neighborhoods, our youth do not feel safe. The prices of food, gasoline, and rent are rising, and there is no relief plan in sight.
We have already seen where this ends
When spending runs out of control and national debt rises, others step in to make decisions for us. In 2015, the Netherlands wanted to take control of our budget, and the Prime Minister at the time, Mike Eman, went on a hunger strike. Who paid that price? The people. I do not want that for Aruba ever again.
There is another way
The other way is simple: communicate like adults and make decisions. That is how we worked. The government would come to Parliament at the beginning of the year, mid-year, and at the end of the year. Parliament could track the money all year long. Today, CAft itself confirms that Aruba’s finances are in good health. That is the result of discipline, responsibility, and integrity.
A budget is more than a list of expenses. It is our country’s roadmap, the relief for our families, the investment in our youth. Aruba needs an economy that doesn’t rely solely on tourism—one that provides jobs for our people. A government that truly cares for its country and has a clear plan against crime. The people deserve a government that delivers real relief for the families struggling today! That is the work MEP is ready to do. We are not standing here to shout. We are standing here to work.
Back at the table
The mother at her kitchen table doesn’t have a supplementary budget to legalize what she has already spent. She has her receipts, her discipline, and her hope that tomorrow will be better. To that mother, I want to say: you are not alone. It is your money. You have the right to know beforehand, not afterwards. The government isn’t there for you, but MEP is there for you.
