Pieters(PPA): Investment is being held back by lack of political decision-making

ORANJESTAD — PPA parliamentarian Eduard Pieters is criticizing what he describes as a lack of decision-making, courage and vision by the government to facilitate development and investment in Aruba.

During a press conference in downtown Oranjestad, Pieters pointed to two properties as examples: one building in severe decline and another where local investors have invested millions of florins but, according to him, still face obstacles in making proper use of their investment.

Pieters warned that investors who follow the legal process should not be left waiting to the point that they consider moving their capital abroad. In his view, the government must avoid creating a system in which those who conduct proper due diligence and follow the rules end up being penalized.

The parliamentarian is also calling for a review of the ROPV spatial planning framework, which took effect in 2021. Among PPA’s proposals are higher residential density in Oranjestad and San Nicolas, greater possibilities for vertical construction, and a review of zoning and the boundaries between developed areas and nature.

According to Pieters, the revitalization of Oranjestad should also go beyond Wilhelminastraat. He is calling for a broader approach that combines infrastructure, housing, investment and economic activity across the wider city center.

Pieters noted that the ROPV already provides legal instruments that allow the government, under certain conditions, to facilitate projects with economic, tourism, recreational, residential or employment value.

“Aruba does not only have a problem with deteriorating buildings. The bigger problem is when investors are ready to build the future, but the government is not ready to decide,” Pieters concluded.