The faction leader of AVP, Jennifer Reyes, gave an extensive explanation of why the Minister of Education was called to Parliament for a Public Meeting (OV). The point of contention lies in the public tenders for didactic materials in Papiamento and Dutch, where there are doubts regarding the procedures followed.
According to Reyes, the meeting was requested after a media article came to light, indicating that the amounts for these materials exceeded the legal limit allowed without an open public tender. In this case, the Minister reportedly requested an exception to award the work to specific companies or individuals.
Seeking clarification and transparency For the AVP faction, it is fundamental that the minister provides a detailed answer on how this process was conducted. “For us, transparency is important, but also the aspect of progress and continuity,” Reyes declared. She explained that the opposition chose a Public Meeting so that the Minister could be present to provide all necessary clarifications to the people’s representatives.
Reyes noted that these types of exceptions have occurred in the past and might be due to the “specialization” of the subject matter. “Not everyone, regarding the Papiamento language part, would be able to perform such specialized work,” she admitted, anticipating that this might be one of the Minister’s arguments.
Quality and continuity in education A key point Reyes brought forward is the importance of not interrupting the educational process. She emphasized that in education, one cannot simply stop a project and start completely over if one wants to maintain a high level of material and quality. “When you are in the field of education, it is good to continue with the same level of material and quality,” the faction leader added.
Awaiting answers Despite other topics being discussed during the parliamentary session, for the AVP faction, the priority remains transparency in the use of public funds for school materials. Jennifer Reyes concluded by indicating that they remain awaiting the final answers and clarifications from the Minister to determine if the processes were executed according to the rules of good governance.