Page 15 - ARUBA TODAY

A15
LOCAL Monday 10 June 2019

Restaurant Study Impact:

Pressure points increase challenges within the business

Continued from Page 14 Commitments made by the PM in regards to
BBO/BAVP/BAZV in Parliament and a decision
Sin tax: another cost for the operator where by the Minister of Finances differ and have
he/she did not feel that increases could be not made us very optimistic to say the least.
passed on to the consumer. In the mean- Dialogue is key!” With more rooms added to
time our customers have chosen another the island’s inventory (O condominium/ Acqua,
beverage during dinner: water. A rum Coke and gentlemen with hotel expansion: This and Embassy Suites/ Airport Hotel) to mention just
(Sugar Tax) combined with sin tax will make this next year it will not get any better. Our youth is a few and more in the pipe-line, we wonder
a luxury drink and sodas for $5, 00 considered not waiting to work evenings, weekends, and how long our Bubali water processing plant can
outrageous are becoming closer to reality holidays, working for the government means handle the current and new developments,
with the sugar tax. Consumers will not point a that they will pay a salary to even your children how will we clean the additional rooms, how
finger at the government but at the “greedy” while you are set for life. will we cook and serve, how will we fill the
F&B operations not being aware of either sin or vacancies generally requiring work in the
sugar tax. Conclusion evening, weekend and holidays. Our service
Minimum wage: one day after sitting down AGA: “Unfortunately, we are experiencing level as monitored by ATA has dropped from
in a tripartite meeting the Minister of Labor a business climate which does not entice Excellent to Very Good and Fair should not be
unilaterally increased minimum wage. Not investments…. And we need investments. acceptable but realistic in several enterprises,
many employees in our sector make minimum Investments in the way that at least comply says AGA. This may sound as a bummer at the
wage but go home with substantial salaries with government regulation and we see it in the end of a wonderful presentation of the Economic
twice, triple and more the minimum wage, yet it impact study: We see more casual businesses Impact of the UOA on the F&B Industry in Aruba,
will have a cost increasing effect on the sector. on the rise but worse we see more F&B initiatives however, AGA/ AF&BA wants to ensure at the
Other than the above the industry faces red that are driven from cars at constructions sites, same time that at the next interval of a follow
tape in almost every phase of operations like homes, food trucks, trailers, Facebook and we up study by the UOA, our industry has grown
obtaining a restaurant permit, working permits ask ourselves if these operations pay their fair and has solved the many issues the industry is
for functions. Arubans have no interest in filling share as we do. Based on several letters to the facing at this moment. It will, however, take two
(cooks, dishwashers, bartenders). Permits PM last year a multi ministerial task force will of us to tango and we hope that Private and
instead of becoming easier to obtain are soon sit down with AGA/ AHATA to see how Public sector together can convert the current
tedious and challenging to say the least in these challenges can be minimized or solved. red tape atmosphere into red carpet scenarios.
just every aspect of Aruban business life. On We have to admit we feel skeptical after the We ask this on behalf of the 7000 employees we
a regular basis the fifth or the tenth permit are installation of a tripartite caucus where decisions now know find their daily bread and butter in
denied with no proper replacement and ladies were taken ignoring the entire private sector. the F&B industry. q