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Dialuna, 9 October 2023 AWEMainta
Minister Wever Presents Aruba Fair
Trade Authority Board of Directors
DURING a press conference, Minister Geoffrey Wever intro-
duced two members of the Board of Directors of the Aruba
Fair Trade Authority (AFTA) to the people of Aruba. The
selection of qualified candidates for the role of AFTA Board
member followed a transparent process, during which a
ministerial decree outlined the profile for the position (func-
tion profile) of AFTA Board member. Additionally, a selection
commission was established through a ministerial decree to
oversee the application and selection process, as well as to
recommend candidates to Minister Wever and the Council of
Ministers.
The selection commission was composed of various profes-
sionals, including a Dutch implementation manager from
AFTA, the President of the Joint Court of Justice for Aruba,
Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba,
Mr. Maurits de Kort, and a representative from the interna-
tional advisory firm Deloitte Dutch Caribbean. The selec-
tion process for AFTA Board members was transparent and
formalized. After the application process, the commission
recommended two candidates to become members of the
AFTA Board. Minister Wever approved these recommenda-
tions based on the commission’s advice.
LOCAL NEWS 25
On Friday, October 6, 2023, Minister Geoffrey Wever intro-
duced the two members of the AFTA Board. Mr. F.R. Sint Jago
was appointed as the President of the AFTA Board, and Mr.
T.M. Snoep was appointed as an ordinary member of AFTA.
For several months, Minister Wever and the implementa-
tion team have been preparing for the operationalization
of AFTA. This project is funded by both Dutch and Aruban
resources. In recent months, the implementation team has
been working on preparations, including the AFTA website,
office setup, procedures, HR policies, internal control, and
profiles for AFTA Board members, among other tasks. The
AFTA office is currently in its final stages of readiness for
the commencement of AFTA’s work for the people of Aruba.
“I am pleased that the transparent process of appointing
AFTA Board members has been successfully concluded. The
people of Aruba will be able to follow the implementation
of AFTA’s work and gain more knowledge about what AFTA
means and, most importantly, the benefits of AFTA. AFTA will
enhance competition among companies in Aruba, leading to
better prices and higher product and service quality. AFTA is
becoming a reality!” Minister Wever commented.