Minister Herde extends the ROPV until 2029 without consulting anyone!
The MEP parliamentary faction submitted a series of written parliamentary questions to the Government regarding the decision to extend the validity of the Spatial Development Plan with Regulations (Ruimtelijke Ontwikkelingsplan met Voorschriften – ROPV) until July 17, 2029. The MEP faction is deeply concerned about both the substance of this decision and the manner in which the Government reached it. A decision of this magnitude, directly impacting Aruba’s development over the next three years, cannot be made without prior notification to Parliament and without providing a clear explanation to the people of Aruba.
Lack of Transparency and Consultation The MEP faction considers it entirely unacceptable that Parliament, as the representative of the people, had to learn through the press that the Government made a decision of such significance for the nation’s future. The faction seriously questions how a minister could extend the ROPV without conducting proper consultations with relevant stakeholders and entities.
This decision raises further questions given that several ministers of the current cabinet previously stated in Parliament that updating the ROPV was an urgent matter. The Government itself acknowledged that these amendments are necessary to create space for housing construction, economic diversification, and sustainable energy projects (such as a new wind farm). If the Government itself is aware that the current ROPV hinders these developments, the MEP faction demands to know why it chose to extend these very same restrictions until 2029.
Impact on Housing and Land Scarcity One of the greatest challenges Aruba currently faces is the acute shortage of housing and available land. For the MEP faction, this situation is alarming, as many Aruban families and young adults are searching for affordable housing, while others have been waiting years for a response regarding their long-lease land (erfpacht) applications.
“The Government cannot, on one hand, acknowledge that Aruba faces a serious housing problem and, on the other hand, extend the existing rules without explaining how this will help solve the crisis, build more homes, and make more land available to our people,” stated Member of Parliament Dangui Oduber.
For this reason, MEP demands that the Government present concrete figures and data regarding:
How many residential land applications are currently pending.
How many applications were submitted in 2025 and how many of them were processed.
How much land the Government actually has available and how much it plans to make available in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
What criteria the Government uses to determine priority in land allocation.
Furthermore, the MEP faction advocates for a transparent system where every citizen can closely track the status of their application, emphasizing that government land belongs to the people and must be allocated fairly, transparently, and without favoritism.
MEP Demands Full Transparency Finally, the faction requested that the Government provide copies of all written advice, official notes, memorandums, analyses, and a complete chronological report of the decision-making process underlying the extension of the ROPV until 2029. MEP reiterates that the people of Aruba have the right to know the motives behind this decision and demands complete transparency, concrete answers, and a clear vision for the future of our country.
For MEP, the central question remains: How does the Government intend to solve the housing crisis, create opportunities for economic diversification, and accommodate sustainable energy when it is simultaneously extending the very rules that restrict these developments until 2029?