Considering that an investment fund (investeringsfonds) should be a fund for the country’s progress, ensuring its citizens and the government apparatus function optimally, what is being budgeted for each ministry to manage its departments does not seem focused on improving the government system.
With great surprise, it was noted that the President of the police union (SPA), Lito Lacle, launched a heavy questioning of the financial management of the Government of Aruba. The fatal blow is the so-called investment fund of 40 million florins presented by Minister Geoffrey Wever—a sum that sounds large on paper, but in reality must be “split” to cover the needs of no less than seven (7) ministries in their entirety. This leaves the Police Force (KPA) once again with many questions about what the future of the force will be if the necessary money is not made available.
A “Sugar Pot” for 7 Ministries
For SPA, this financial situation is more than painful; it is a lack of respect for national security. Lacle explained that, through Minister Geoffrey Wever, these funds were created to invest across the entire government apparatus. However, this 40 million has to be spread so thin among 7 ministries that, so far, there is no sign or clarity as to what exactly the share or the “pot” allocated to KPA will be.
Faced with this scenario, the union leader openly questions whether security and the Police Force itself are truly a priority for this government. “What are the structural costs to reorganize the Police Force? We have not received those two answers yet,” Lacle emphasized firmly.
“It Amount to Nothing”: Money for Projects, Shortages for the Workers
The concern and indignation grow even greater when seeing how the resources from this investment fund are generalized across the entire government apparatus to promote projects, while personnel on the streets are sounding the alarm for reinforcements. Today SPA is speaking out, but there are various government departments that Minister Geoffrey Wever is seemingly leaving to “bleed to death” (bloeddood). But who stands responsible for this?