I already reported in my column yesterday that a great number of research papers which were written by Armand Hessels and his collaborators, over the last 30 years, are now all listed together on his organization’s website, http://deugdelijkbestuuraruba.org/ons-onderzoek/
Armand is a retired PE teacher who instead of smelling the roses has been preparing long reports about public finances and the right way to run a country vs the wrong way.
You have to appreciate that. His NGO, Fundashon Gobernashon di Calidad Aruba, FGCA, holds occasional symposiums and talks, and attempts to Keep Them Honest which is difficult because nepotism and favoritism are entrenched in our culture, and no GOA has EVER showed willingness to tackle that core issue of GOA’s expenses.
Recently, the elected President of Parliament, Adi Thijsen, a lawyer by profession initiated a meeting with Hessels, and became the lucky recipient of a recommendation paper, discussing the quality of government and its functionality, during the past three decades.
After a fruitful exchange they sort of divided the work, Hessels committed to educate us, inform and enlighten the public on what needs to be done, in order to create a more aware, and better prepared community.
Thijsen committed to push legislation which promotes good governance, writing the control over political party finances into law, for example, creating an Ombudsman position, and more.
They both realize, they say, that quality government can only exist if GOA, Parliament and NGOs collaborate.
The public, more specifically our local citizens must learn to rely on their own resources instead of leaning on GOA for everything, expecting GOA to save them.
How do we teach public that the coveted job with the government means an extra burden on us all? It might be their personal salvation, but on the long run it guarantees misery, as the country collapses under the burden of its own obligations.
At the meeting, Hessel offered the President of Parliament a document he complied, and told him that the recommendation-filled paper has great importance for the future of our country, and that it has been ignore in the past by previous governments.
The recommendations, similar to the ones made by the Dutch financial supervision team are given this time by an Aruban, and should not be perceived as a threat to our autonomy but as common sense whose time has come.
Check them out yourself! http://deugdelijkbestuuraruba.org/ons-onderzoek/
