Welcome Back
In honor of my sister’s Octogenarian birthday, yes, she is my older sister, you missed eleven columns. I always wonder about my ability to be totally involved one day, and completely detached the following, is it normal?
My time away was intense. I experienced so much on many levels, but the following statement still stands true: It’s so nice to be home, I love my Island, garden, dogs & bed…. And in that order.
A few of the column’s readers questioned my silence, writer’s block they asked concerned? Did the cat bite your tongue? Don’t tell me you ran out of stories?!
No, to all. But a periodic break feels good.
So what happened here while I was gone? I still have to go through the papers.
Bo a tende di e $1.50 pa noche garbage tax pa e resortnan cu lo bai bin?
Otmar mester su pot pa e incinerator
AHATA. ATA. Kamber. ATSA, ta fada y nan kier sigui cu ECOTECH cu ta OK, y no lo costa Aruba mas placa.
BTW: BBO lo bira 10%.
I celebrated over cake and fire-crackers, who cares, family first, “Après moi, le deluge,” after me, let the floods come, I don’t give a hoot.
But I am back, and the messages ARE worth exploring.
I heard about the garbage tax earlier this year, apparently AHATA is fighting the additional burden, but the MinInfra is a believer. He believes in the incinerator, a wonder of technology, and will most probably shove it down our communal throats.
Fact. We must find a good solution to our garbage challenges.
Turning our trash into energy is a secondary goal, we’re too small to make it profitable, but we MUST win the battle against household and commercial trash.
And a proposed law is sitting in the in-box at RvA. It would introduce that tourist trash levy, earmarked for Serlimar. We’ll see what the wise ones decide.
BBO to 10%? Wow. That is an unsubstantiated rumor. As far as I understand, down the road, the tax WILL be reformed, but if above rumor is true, it means consumers will be paying about 30% in tax by the time goods hit shelves, all neatly hidden in the general pricing.
Unfortunately, as long as GOA refuses to focus on the crux of the matter, ITS EXPENSES, SLOPPY ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL INEFFICIENCIES, they are going to tax the living daylight out of us.
And regarding tourist levies: In stage 4 of our over-rated tax reform – remember we are at stage 2 – GOA committed to review and reform all, taking into consideration the fact that visitors are starting to consider Aruba too expensive with several different cost increases, happening at the same time.
Additionally, GOA committed to sharing thoughts and exchanging views with stakeholders PRIOR to any reform implementation, but GOA doesn’t have a great track record on that – remember the recent sneaky minimum salary increase?
What will most likely be introduced shortly, is a new sin tax, which is rumored to be a big increase on carbonated drinks (soda / refresco). Well, they are bad for us, anyway!
Welcome back!
The Fourth Edition of Aruba’s E-Aruba Business Seminar is approaching fast!
After three successful sold-out events with over 700 attendees in 2018, E-Aruba Business Seminar is hosting its fourth round, on Saturday June 8th 2019. Don’t just save the date. Buy a ticket on line, or at Super Food for the affordable Awg 125, and get one for just Awg 50 for the student in your life, no matter what age. Let them start young!
The Business Seminar is listing top international speakers, discussing Social Media & Digital Marketing, Marketing Trends, Influencer & Video Marketing, Entrepreneurship Innovation, and many more challenges which those in the marketing arena wrestle with every day.
At the end of each presentation a panel discussion with local professionals and a Q&A session, will facilitate the active participation of attendees.
The event production is led by our very own Mark Benson, Infinity Media Aruba and the tall, red maverick Diederik Kemmerling, The Lab Digital Marketing Agency, who just returned from Silicon Valley having been personally invited to attend the Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp summit, led by legendary Mark Zuckerberg, discussing the next generation of digital breakthroughs.
The gathering next weekend lists big names, with impressive pedigrees: Marciej Szczepaniak, a man with an impossible to pronounce name, in possession of a clear marketing vision and strategy, working for almighty Google; Natalia Pelaez Gomez, a super-woman in charge of Mickey D’s digital marketing strategy; Saina Shelton, of YouTube fame and keynote speaker Jess Todfeld, a media demi-god, and celebrity, blessed with a quirky sense of humor – he holds the Guinness Book of World Records distinction for having given the most media interviews in 24 hours, on radio. A total of 112. Joining the line up Mario Latham, delivering the goods on Facebook and Ivy Lacle, an authority on practically everything, from The Lab Digital Marketing Agency.
Diederik explains that by combining local and international speakers the seminar will cover important industry insights and inspire locals to succeed in business. He promises new concepts, and better business success stories to light up our future, and guarantee powerful, long-lasting inspiration. And best of all, he personally helped tweak speakers’ presentations to make sure it is 100% relevant to our market needs.
Remember June 8th, 2019, 8am to 2pm, at the Renaissance Convention Center, the only venue big enough to contain ALL interested parties, and organizers made it super affordable, again, so there is no excuse for not showing up. And bring some students along.
A lesson in history: The annual seminar was started as an initiative of Mark Benson Denz, and last year he teamed up with Diederik Kemmerling, considered Aruba’s supreme social media marketing guru. With main sponsors such as Aruba Bank and Digicel Business Solutions, Aruba Airport Authority, Renaissance Aruba Resort, Coldwell Banker Aruba Realty, BENU Pharmacy, Click Print, Sommer Web Architect and Elite Productions, the 4th edition of “E-Everything for Dummies,” is shaping up well. We are guaranteed an excellent program for the day.
