Aruban Budget Cuts Affect Building Requirements at KIA … Think the Natalee Holloway legacy is not Affecting Aruba?

Arubans, think your financial woes are not a result of a post Natalee Holloway world? You better think again. Your government officials can point to every excuse under the sun; however, all of your problems began on May 29, 2005 … “This Can’t Be Good For Tourism, Where’s Natalee Holloway”. There comes a point and time where people must stand up and demand answers. This situation is not going away. All the predictions that it would have been miserably wrong.

It first begins with a horrible injustice done to a tourist visiting Aruba and her family. Then it continues with tourists not visiting Aruba upset at the matter. It further continues with even more tourists not going to Aruba as they are outraged by the manner in how an investigation was done and how a family was treated. As tourism declines, so to does the money spent in Aruba and in turn the tax revenues generated decline to the government. The government budgets for social programs to Arubans are cut as are projects in Aruba.

As tourism dwindles, Arubans are laid off and those businesses that have always depended on tourism suffer. The government has to raise money to maintain their lofty budgets tax the people. As they tax more and more, they also cut projects and look the other way and things that are typically referred to as requirements.

Thus is the case in Aruba where the KIA is the latest to feel the hit from the lack of revenue coming into Aruba.

ARUBA – With the expansion of the KIA and in consideration of the costs, the government has decided not to comply with the building requirements.  The new wards for young prisoners and women do not have an emergency exit.  That became clear at the budget negotiations of the ministry of Justice.

The actions of the budgetary cut at the KIA is a microcosm of what the Aruban government has put forth to the world all during the Natalee Holloway investigation. Money over safety. The Aruban powers that be have learned nothing in 15 months.

The emergency exit was one of the conditions for the issuing of the building permit.  During the budget handling, minister Rudy Croes (MEP) of Justice explained that due to costs, which were 400.000 florins, the emergency exit was not put in.    

Once again … money over safety.

Amigoe, September 26, 2006: Cut back on emergency exit KIA  (full article)

ARUBA – With the expansion of the KIA and in consideration of the costs, the government has decided not to comply with the building requirements.  The new wards for young prisoners and women do not have an emergency exit.  That became clear at the budget negotiations of the ministry of Justice. 

In connection to this, Monica Kock (MPA) wonders how people can vote for the policy of the Justice-minister, when he himself violates the law.  There will be just one exit when a fire breaks out.

The fire department had demanded an emergency exit for these wards and had even marked the location on the floor plan.

The emergency exit was one of the conditions for the issuing of the building permit.  During the budget handling, minister Rudy Croes (MEP) of Justice explained that due to costs, which were 400.000 florins, the emergency exit was not put in.    

Kock cannot understand that for the minister, costs are more important than the safety of the prisoners and the prison personnel.  “The fateful consequences of the fire in the detention center at Schiphol are still fresh in our minds”, said Kock.

“Prisoners and the employees of KIA have the same right on safety.  Apparently, the MEP does not have to obey the law.   The reason why MPA didn’t vote for the policy of minister Croes is more than obvious.”   It’s a shame that it had to take a motion to urge the government to comply with the requirements of the fire department for the KIA.  The Parliament members that were present passed the motion.