Minister of Finance Xiomara Maduro: CARTAC Steering Group meeting in Barbados was a success

Minister Xiomara Maduro attended CARTAC Steering Group meeting in Barbados. Since 2018, CARTAC has been providing technical assistance and training that has helped strengthen various institutes in Aruba. CARTAC is the IMF’s centre of expertise providing technical assistance and training in the Caribbean region and Aruba has been a member since 2018.

According to the minister of finance in the economic department CARTAC helped localize the macro economic model Maruba in the CBS statistics office, CARTAC helped Aruba localize the national accounts of Aruba as well as price statistics. The staff was also able to attend various seminars to expand their knowledge.
According to Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro at the Department of Customs CARTAC also provided assistance on topics such as performance management, Risk Management and the Trusted Trader Program. He also evaluated the work of the tax department and stood by the administrative function, the auditorium, customer service, objection processes, and also in the delay of the local was the processing of tax returns and refunds.

According to Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro besides all this CARTAC has also helped to evaluate the tax system and assisted DIMP for local work on the introduction of VAT for Aruba. In the finance department, CARTAC has also helped with various scenarios for locally dealing with the refinancing of the debt to the Netherlands as well as fiscal planning in which it will also improve the budget process and strengthen Aruba’s financial management.

The staff of the finance department also participated in various training seminars that CARTAC has been providing for local debt management. The central bank also receives the appropriate assistance from CARTAC. Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro is satisfied and acknowledges that the meeting was a good one.

All the countries in the Caribbean were present at this important CARTAC meeting as well as their donors. As Aruba has also given its commitment to CARTAC to continue its work in the region and for us as Aruba surely CARTAC will be able to help locally is the work that Aruba has ahead to implement the necessary reforms in the framework of this landpack.