This is a loose paraphrase of a press release sent by former MinPres Nelson Oduber, 2/25/2021.
For the first time in recent times, Nel makes sense.
He is finally stepping into the role of elder statesman, writing from his mature and respected point of view, as a national leader and influencer instead of a saber rattling hot-headed Mepista.
He says we must be flexible in our financial / economic and labor management.
Wow, for the first time, in a year, that one of the consiglieres gives such a straightforward and honest opinion.
Let go of control, let private sector take the lead, they will get us where we want to go faster than any GOA driven initiative.
We have to understand the magnitude of the global financial / monetary / economic / labor and social problem caused by a pandemic in countries around the world, says Nel, and if our income is gone, we must be flexible in every aspect that would lead to normalization.
While GOA already made some steps to alleviate the situation – he is being kind – we have no time to argue and discuss, we have to create a REALISTIC plan, ASAP.
Too much consultation, and participation, don’t help, he says, the Labor Unions have to back off. All they want is to protect their own turf they don’t have the general public’s interest at heart, only their own.
GOA and Central Bank MUST serve the general interest, we have to act in a timely manner, no ‘wait and see,’ strategy is effective.
And as if that was not enough he adds: Stop arguing.
Our conduct must be effective, not cosmetic.
And again, GOA and the Central Bank are essential for the success and the country.
OK, what’s he saying?
He is voicing what many business people are crying about. The Central Bank in its zealous fight against money laundering is looking at the wrong segment of the economy and killing whatever works.
(They should perhaps look at hardware stores, supermarkets, especially those Chinese owned and release their choke hold over the rest of the economy.)
My friends report that administrative fines are now a budget line at the central bank, marked as income, Awg 1,273,675 in 2019 and Awg 1,520,178 in 2018. Yes, the Central Bank recognizes administrative fines levied on local businesses as income since, they are irrevocable.
Nel continues asking himself if the Central Bank customary handling of the economy is too RIGID perhaps we must be more flexible, logically protecting the good name of our country and complying with international norms to help fight crime. But….
According to Nel, looking at the magnitude of the financial crisis, we should look for HELP, in the form of an objective financial / monetary expert who does not have skin in the game, to help us with each step we take, as to NOT hold back our recovery, working to REMOVE obstacles.
NEL also wants to solicit professional advice regarding the handling of the HUGE national debt and laments the fact that we owe so much, and as such, are so dependent on the Dutch.
Here he veers off course, mentioning the loss of our autonomy as a result of the crisis.
Perhaps he has forgotten, but we lost our autonomy 4 billion florin ago, even before the exponential explosion of our national debt to 6 billion.
From his heart, Nel regrets Aruba’s mega crisis, we have to be honest with ourselves, he says, and every day the Labor Unions waste in useless discussions to give or not to give, means they still do not understand the depth of the plunge we took, and the trouble still to come, and the time it will take for us to recover.
While some are still unwilling to help, stuck in their belief system, GOD will continue to protect us, he concluded.
From a reader: He is a politician. Knowing and acting two different things
