In the debate on the budget amendment, Member of Parliament Endy Croes spoke clearly to the people: the AVP-Futuro government spends first and comes to ask for approval later.
Gasoline is expensive. Diesel is expensive. Groceries are expensive. The people have taken a hard hit to their wallets, and the government is providing no relief.
“You spend the money first, then you come to ask for permission,” MP Endy Croes said during the debate. “This budget amendment should have been brought in June, before the recess. Today is November 5th, just two months before the year ends. Parliament is being asked to approve money that has already been spent.”
Whose approval is being used to spend this money?
The Minister of Education comes today, in November, to ask for an additional Afl. 575,000 for conferences and an international forum. The forum already took place in April. Additionally, the government is requesting Afl. 300,000 for staff at a new Kingdom Relations department, along with an extra Afl. 200,000 to set the department up. “Does the department already exist? Who gave approval for this?”, Endy Croes asked.
Money for a forum, but not for books
Minister of Education Gerlien Croes stated that the previous government left no funds behind for the Book Fund (Boekenfonds) of Colegio Arubano. Endy Croes presented a copy as proof: in 2024, former Minister Rocco Tjon signed off on and approved Afl. 2.1 million for this project. “The money was there. Where did it go?”, Endy Croes asked.
Investment funds diverted elsewhere
MEP left Afl. 1.8 million in the 2024 investment fund for a Farmers Market. Now the government is using that money to give a handout to Arubus. The Advisory Council (Raad van Advies) itself questions whether this is correct.
Regarding FMSA, the government is extending a second loan of Afl. 11 million. The Advisory Council warned the government about this decision. “The government has provided three different explanations for the exact same funds. That is not transparency,” Endy Croes stated.
San Nicolas deserves better
Parliament approved two motions directing the government to seek partners for the refinery. Aruba has tanks, land, and storage capacity for oil—a prime opportunity to build a second economic pillar.
“Instead, ministers traveled to Bonaire, Curaçao, and the Netherlands, and signed a project to bring waste from other islands to process in San Nicolas. Our people in San Nicolas are not the garbage dump of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.”
January is going to be tough for the people
WEB’s agreement to hold oil prices down expires on December 31st. “If the government doesn’t act, water and electricity rates will rise in January, on top of the fact that gasoline and groceries are already expensive,” Endy Croes warned. In our neighborhoods, shootings and robberies are back. “After the cuts to Justice, our police force lacks what they need to protect you.”
Conclusion
“For a forum, the money is there. For your child’s textbook, the money isn’t there. For the family that cannot pay their electricity bill, the money isn’t there. That is what this government is: it spends the money first, comes to ask permission later, and your family pays the tab. The people deserve a government that puts our families first. MEP will not stay silent. MEP is here for you.”
