Page 7 - aruba-today-20221017

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local Monday 17 october 2022

Minister of Finance asked World Bank for help with Expenditure Review

“The debate on government expenses needs to be based on facts and not political opinion”

ORANJESTAD – During the
week that minister of Fi-
nance, Xiomara Maduro
attended the Annual Meet-
ings of International Mon-
etary Fund (IMF) in Wash-
ington DC, the minister met
also with executives from
the World Bank. Minister
Maduro asked the World
Bank for help with carry-
ing out and Expenditure
Review in order to review
the government expenses on the level of government nel expenses, Aruba is at ment expenses are neces- a debate on the subject
for Aruba and to compare expenses in Aruba. 11 percent of GDP which sary, seeing as more and of government expenses
these with countries like is not an exorbitant level more people and institu- based on fact. Must avoid
Aruba. IMF already had a look for our region. Now the re- tions use the slogan “the that each time the discus-
The biggest and more talk- quest is for the World Bank government needs to cut sion is pushed on the topic
Such an investigation will ed about expenses for the to carry out a deeper inves- or reduce expenses”. Ac- of government expenses
give a good view of where government of Aruba are tigation in order to provide cording to the government, based on political opinion
Aruba is standing with re- personnel and service and a wider insight on the level many people and institu- without information. Such
gards to government ex- products. Regarding these of government expenses tions express their political an Expenditure Review as
penses. costs, the government al- for Aruba. opinion and do not pres- was requested from IMF
lowed IMF to have a look ent a study or analysis on will surely create an objec-
The information produced and formulate an opinion if Debate based on facts the government expenses tive account on the level of
by this investigation and the expenses of Aruba are According to a press re- showing if the level of ex- government expenses and
comparison will help every too high or they are nor- lease from the govern- penses of the Government help take the debate and
person and institution to mal. IMF’s analysis shows ment, this type of studies of Aruba is high or low. It is decision making based on
form a balanced opinion that, regarding person- and analyses on govern- time for Aruba to also carry evidence.q

Minister of Culture working on agenda to inform and create

awareness about slavery in Aruba

ORANJESTAD – Aruba also has a history of In Aruba, a lot of people do not know the
slavery. A few months ago, minister of Cul- history of slavery here, and it is time for us
ture, Xiomara Maduro presented a special to also review this difficult part of our king-
program to reflect on the topic of slavery dom. It is about reaching a moment of
in Aruba seen from the perspective of free- acceptance, apology and reparations for
dom. The program was well-received in the damage caused. For this last aspect,
Aruba as well as in sister islands Curaçao it could be the development of a network
and Bonaire. of knowledge between the University of
Aruba, Archive and Museum, a place to
The topic of slavery is current within the commemorate what happened like an
Kingdom of the Netherlands, as we are ap- artwork and investigation of the social
proaching 160 years since the abolition of and cultural inheritance that slavery car-
slavery in the kingdom. For this occasion, ries with it. It’s important to review our past
minister Maduro met with Mr. Luc Alofs in with the intention of improving as people,
order to work on the necessary awareness country and kingdom.
for Aruba on the topic of slavery.
Agenda to inform and create awareness
Knowledge for improvement Minister Maduro together with Mr. Luc
In order to avoid repeating the mistakes of Alofs is working on an agenda in order to
the past, it is important to know our history. provide more information on the subject of
As a country and as a kingdom, we must slavery in Aruba. For this, more people and
deal with what was wrong and recognize organizations will be approached within
the good parts that might resulted from the community in order to count with the
the shared history of the Kingdom of the necessary participation and knowledge
Netherlands. regarding this topic in Aruba.q