We welcomed the idea of having a beach policy with great enthusiasm, because there is an urgent need to regulate Aruba’s #1 attraction, the beach. But to date, we haven’t seen the new document, and I understand we have to wait patiently until it is distributed in the near future, meanwhile the MinTour already announced that it will be enforced. Really? Without letting the stakeholders read it, in its final version, first?
My friends tell me that the resorts would ask the government’s help in curbing the watersports and activity operators’ appetite, in three distinct areas: 1. Check for business permits, and licenses, from the Chamber of Commerce and from Economic Affairs. 2. Check insurance papers, and verify they carry sufficient insurance for the type of business they are in. Remember, we had an unfortunate Wave Runner incident this week, in which an older visitor drowned on Eagle Beach, falling off his ride. 3. Check the fact that they are indeed paying taxes as suggested by the government, and that they comply with all tax authority requirements.
Did I hear you laugh? Don’t laugh, we are dead serious. All businesses should be equal in the eyes of the law, the resorts regularly go to hell and back to secure permits and licenses, they pay through their noses for proper coverage and comply with all of their financial obligations. Why should the beach bums be exempt??
The above cat-out-of-the-bag announcement on behalf of the MinTour said the new beach policy includes monitoring hotel beaches, asking all hotels to conclude their permit acquisition and prepare for controls. This also counts for all beach vendors, the announcement added.
Dear Minister, you have it upside down, and inside out: The vendors are the ones in need of restraints, not the hotels. The pirates who rent chairs and endless umbrellas, and raise hell on the beach have to conclude their permit acquisition and prepare for controls. We realize that a lot of them are loyal voters of this minister or the other and that water sport licenses were granted as a form of political thank you to friends, as a classic example of small island favoritism. But we expect this beach policy to alleviate the situation for the hotels and not just empower the bums, by granting them more concessions.
I guess by now you know which side I am on. On the law and order side.
