Aruba Worried about Financial Reputation … ha … Best Worry about your Reputation in General

Once again in Aruba … its all about the money … Can these people be any more short sighted? One would not have to worry about their financial situation, if you had taken care of business and properly investigated a crime against a tourist.

The reputation and name of Aruba on the international financial market is at stake, says minister Nilo Swaen (MEP) of Finance and Economic Affairs

Aruba, News Flash … You best worry about the reputation of your island in general. Aruba would worry about their financial reputation? Aruba’s reputation has been in question and at stake since 5/30/05. The manner in how Aruban officials showed the world that the covering up a crime was more important and a tourism at all cost vision is apparent to all. Your reputation  is already toast for the most part as seen by the continual decline in tourism since the charade known as the Natalee Holloway investigation.

It is too bad that the Aruban officials did not take the reputation of Aruba as serious as they do when it comes to the almighty florin.

Swaen indicated in a reaction that in the past five years, the Netherlands has never mentioned that there are stipulations with borrowing money in foreign countries.  Aruba participates in the international financial market and is being monitored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Fitch Ratings.  According to the minister, Aruba has better ratings this year compared to last year.

On November 1, 2006 Deepak and Satish’s attorney, David Kock, will petition the Aruban courts to have his clients taken off the suspect list in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The interview can be heard here with David Kock as too what he sets out to do for his clients.

We have said for months, hopefully Aruba will listen or they will not have to worry about any financial reputation … as their overall reputation will be gone, if it already is not beyond repair. Maybe some in Aruba would like to explain, for a legal system that relies so much on “hard evidence” like DNA and confessions why no such tests were done on the three suspects and their possessions day 1? Instead, they were allowed to get rid of any potential evidence. Think your reputation is not gone? Tourists do not go to Aruba not because they fear of safety … they fear that they will be provided no justice if heaven forbid something happens to them. That is Aruba’s legacy. There is another word Aruban officials may want to concern themselves with as well, honor.

What is good for the three suspects, Joran Van der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe … is terrible for Aruba, its people and its economy. One would have thought they would have figured this out with their non-existent tourism.

Full story below:

Amigoe, October 30, 2006: Swaen: ‘Financial reputation of Aruba at stake’ 

Minister Nicolaà ¯ is looking for alternatives, so that Aruba can still borrow money.

ORANJESTAD – The reputation and name of Aruba on the international financial market is at stake, says minister Nilo Swaen (MEP) of Finance and Economic Affairs, as a result of the conditions that the Netherlands had laid down for borrowing money abroad. 

These statements are in the report of the meeting between the Aruban and Dutch government of last Monday.  The Aruban ministers that attended this meeting were Premier Nelson Oduber, Finance-minister Swaen, Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) and minister Plenipotentiary Frido Croes (MEP), and the Dutch minister for Governmental Renewal and Kingdom Relations, Atzo Nicolaà ¯ (VVD).

It appears that Nicolaà ¯ is looking for alternatives, now that according to him, Aruba can not agree with the conditions, namely that the Federal Minister Council must also approve the local loans.  As Amigoe reported earlier, the minister wants to include a Dutch expert in the Aruban committee Public Finances that amongst others is working on the budget standard.   This committee will have to report to the Federal Council of Ministers and the federal government will also have to monitor the recommendations, said Nicolaà ¯.  He continues saying that the budget standards of the kingdom countries must be laid down in a statute law. 

Swaen indicated in a reaction that in the past five years, the Netherlands has never mentioned that there are stipulations with borrowing money in foreign countries.  Aruba participates in the international financial market and is being monitored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Fitch Ratings.  According to the minister, Aruba has better ratings this year compared to last year.   

According to the minister, there was a quick scan and the idea based on this is, that Dutch experts work together with Aruban civil servants in order to make corrections.  When necessary, Aruba has always cooperated with the Netherlands.  The two countries should not be treating each other like this, said the minister.   

With regard to the committee Public Finances, Swaen indicates that the government is already planning to suggest the Parliament to establish a budget standard via a national ordinance and not via a statute law.  However, for official reasons, he cannot agree with reporting the progress of the committee to the Federal Council of Ministers, because it is an internal matter.

He finally points out that when other interests are at stake, and with that he means the negotiations regarding more collaboration with the other islands,  they should discussed it openly.  There is no longer a mutual trust, concluded Swaen.

Nicolaà ¯ said on Wednesday during the press conference in Curacao, that Aruba does not play a part in the governmental deliberation that takes place in The Hague next week Wednesday.  Minister Plenipotentiary Croes will basically attend this meeting as observer. 

The following persons were present at the conversations for Aruba: Prime Minister Nelson Oduber, Finance-minister Swaen, Justice-minister Rudy Croes, minister Plenipotentiary Frido Croes, and the (official) employees Peter Davidse, Erwin Croes and Bano Lopez.  For the Netherlands were present: minister Nicolaà ¯, Representative of the Netherlands in Aruba Rens Knegt, and a press officer of minister Nicolaà ¯.