Proposals delivered to the Netherlands: Letter dated February 7, 2023 to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen proposals: UNDERLINGE REGELING and CHANGE in the LAFT
At a press conference of the Government of Aruba on Monday morning, Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes once again gives a very extensive explanation about the state of negotiations with the Netherlands. The prime minister referred to the reason and need for Aruba tawatatin to reach words with the Netherlands after the Covid 19 pandemic knocked on our door in 2020.
The Government of Aruba since June 2022 has started talks with the Netherlands on the words on how to start repaying the money lent to the FIA. The Government has made several proposals on the level of ambtenaar (ambtelijk) and on the level of Government, (bestuurlijk). The Prime minister explained in more detail about the proposals at the Government level, bestuurlijk, presenting evidence of these proposals made in the Netherlands of the way the Government proposes to get out of this debt with the Netherlands.
FEBRUARY 7, 2023 LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE ALEXANDRA VAN HUFFELEN:
This letter is not addressed to any field but to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen. In this letter, the Prime Minister summarizes that already in June 2022, the Government has made 2 proposals to the Netherlands after in May 2022, the Parliament of Aruba as a whole expressed not to agree with the raft as it was at that time. On this, all the factions in Aruba were critical and all asked for changes to be made. And it could also be taken forward that the majority in Parliament did not support a Rijkswet while the minority did support it with adaptations.
First proposal: Underlinge regeling:
Because the majority did not hold a Rijkswet, already in June, the Government proposed that the raft should become an underlinge regeling. This was also indicated by the Government in the letter of February 7 of that year. Also in April, it started to be talked about that COHO is not a rijkswet anymore either but becomes an underlinge regeling. And that RAft becomes an Underlinge Regeling also like bribery, it would have more flexibility and would become clear also faster and would avoid all the months of discussions. However, the Netherlands indicated that they did not want it.
Second proposal: LAft
At the same meeting in June 2022, which was also repeated in the letter sent by State Secretary van Huffelen, the Government made a second proposal. The Government has proposed to leave the Landsverordening LAft as it is but will add some clauses to let the Netherlands feel more comfortable, which is what the Netherlands is looking for because they do not want Aruba to unilaterally change the LAft.
Since 2014, Aruba has had supervision after former Prime Minister Mike Eman went to the hunger welga and since 2015 this is anchored in the law (landsverordening), the LAft. The Netherlands does not want Aruba itself to make changes to the LAft. The Netherlands expressed during a meeting that the Netherlands has confidence in the Prime Minister of Aruba Evelyn Wever-Croes and her cabinet because this Government showed how well and responsible it is in compliance. Holland however, there is no trust with others who come then cease to be fulfilled.
Putting more clauses in the law
The Government of Aruba, in order to bring this tranquility that the Netherlands seeks in the governorship in Aruba, in the letter of February 7 proposed to put more clauses in the law in order to prevent any government and Parliament from changing this law.
Proposals rejected
The Netherlands rejected both proposals that the Huelva Government had proposed in the letter dated February 7, 2023.
July 17, 2023 Letter to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen:
PROPOSAL: TO ANCHOR THE INTEREST IN THE LENINGSVOORWAARDEN
Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes at the Press Conference of the Government of Aruba on Monday morning explained extensively all the letters that the Government of Aruba sent to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen and the proposals and conversations on the level of Government, bestuurlijk. The Prime Minister implied that the Government of Aruba sent several proposals to the Netherlands after talks began on how Aruba would repay the debt it made to the Netherlands through the pandemic in order to fulfill all obligations to the people of Aruba in the difficult pandemic season.
The Government of Aruba, leading the negotiation on the level of ruler, sent several letters addressed to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen with different proposals.
JULY 17, 2023 LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE ALEXANDRA VAN HUFFELEN:
In a following letter from the Government of Aruba on the level of Government, dated July 17, 2023 that was addressed to Secretary of State van Huffelen, the Government refers again to a meeting held in Aruba on July 4, 2023 with Secretary of State van Huffelen. It was attended by Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes, Deputy Prime Minister Ursell Arends, Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro, and Economic Affairs Minister Geoffrey Wever.
Proposal: to anchor the interest in the leningsvoorwaarden
In the letter of July 17, the Government indicated on paper, what is the proposal that the Government made on July 4. The Government of Aruba, to calm the concerns of the Netherlands about whether Aruba could change the law on its own, proposed that the Netherlands lend the money to it at a lower interest rate and if in the future a Government or Parliament decided to change unilaterally, the interest automatically goes up and goes to high interest. This also gives way to an encouragement so that no one is going to touch that zomaar law.
This proposal to anchor the interests in the leningsvoorwaarden and let them count while you have the debt, is the same principle as a mortgage in the bank, the conditions must be met and if they are not met, the bank will act.
Proposals rejected
At the meeting itself, this proposal was also rejected by the Netherlands. And the Government of Aruba However, on July 17, considered it important that toch be elaborated a little more extended on it. And then the Government had replies from the Netherlands that this proposal had been rejected for the second time.
Meanwhile, the Government of Aruba continued to look for alternatives in order to reach an agreement with the Netherlands on how Aruba would begin to repay the debt and continue negotiations with the Netherlands.
August 31, 2023 Letter to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen:
PROPOSAL: HYBRID SOLUTION
The Prime minister has already explained on several occasions how the negotiations with the Netherlands were developing. At the Press Conference of the Government of Aruba on Monday morning, the prime minister explained at length about the various proposals that Aruba sent to the Netherlands through letters addressed on the level of ruler to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen.
AUGUST 31, 2023 LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE ALEXANDRA VAN HUFFELEN:
In the letter from the Government of Aruba on the level of Government, dated August 31, 2023, sent to Secretary of State Alexandra van Huffelen, the Government presented a new option, a “hoofdlijnen agreement”.
In this letter also, the Government showed that on the dates of August 29, 30 and 31, there had already been discussions on this latest proposal that the Netherlands also rejected at the level of scope. However, later, in a letter dated September 16, 2023, Secretary of State van Huffelen indicated that he was willing to conduct discussions with the Government of Aruba on this proposal.
This is the hybrid solution. This proposal is currently on the table and has been on the discussion table for longer while all the others have been rejected very quickly. Although this proposal was initially rejected at the level of scope, it was not rejected at the governmental level, Bestuurlijk.
This option, a hybrid direction, in which there are some aspects in the landsverordening, and some in a rijkswet. With this, the Netherlands would have a cold in some things and the Parliament would have its autonomy within the landsverordening. On September 7, Parliament came up with motions and indicated that the raft be taken off the table and that the Government continue negotiating in the hybrid direction.
“There is a team of serious negotiators there. During the negotiations since June 2022, Aruba has made several proposals, some at the field level, and later some at the government level. Whatever the case, the people of Aruba can be sure that the Government will continue to look for the best alternative for Aruba. The gust law is not good for Aruba, and all the advice about gusts is negative. The Government of Aruba continues to seek the best balance for the entire community,” the Prime Minister said.
