Oranjestad:---  The Board of Financial Supervision Aruba (CAft) applauds Aruba’s intention to become the first country in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to implement a clear policy for the management of government participations and dividends. This policy, along with a new code of conduct for corporate governance, may help Aruba to identify financial risks at state-owned companies in an earlier stage, and to achieve more results and social return from these companies. Considering past experiences, in this context, the CAft emphasizes the necessity to actually implement such policy and to apply it in practice.

Participations policy

Companies in which the government holds an interest, are of importance to the Country, but they also entail financial risks, of which the CAft has experienced several examples. At Aruba Wastewater Sustainable Solutions (AWSS), the intention was to take out unnecessary expensive loans; at Utilities, dividends were paid without shareholder approval; and financing and procurement of several large projects at Refineria di Aruba (RdA) took place on unfavorable terms. In the case of the loans at AWSS, timely intervention took place, partly at the CAft's advice. Therefore, it is important that the roles are adequately distributed: the Minister of Finance acts as the owner on behalf of the government, the other Ministers issue orders, and the companies execute them, thereby making it clear who is responsible for what.

Aruba is working on the implementation of a policy for these participations, establishing rules for the payment of dividends. In addition, the country is working on a law on good governance by means of the National Ordinance on Corporate Governance. These frameworks are a solid basis for better management of state-owned companies, provided they are implemented and consistently complied with.

Aside from requesting attention for the government participations, the CAft again draws specific attention to the situation at the Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital Aruba (HoH), of which, after all, the costs are borne by the government, whilst the government cannot intervene as owner nor shareholder. This entails considerable financial risks, and the CAft urges the government to reach a solution with the hospital and the owner.

Legislative Proposal Kingdom Act on Sustainable Government Finance (RHOFA)

With RHOFA, Aruba faces an important choice. The RHOFA and its corresponding National Ordinance offer a framework for financial supervision and generate interest benefits for Aruba. The RHOFA allows for cheaper refinancing of foreign loans with the Netherlands, and Aruba can register for new loans with the Netherlands to finance investments. This may lead to an interest benefit for Aruba of up to AWG 60 million per year, which is more than AWG 500 per Aruban citizen.

Financial management

The CAft applauds the progress Aruba is making when it comes to clearing the backlog with regard to the annual accounts. The Court of Audits of Aruba has now received all annual accounts up to and including 2024. The reports on the implementation of policy are also up-to-date. Now that the backlog is cleared, the focus must be on enhancement of the reporting quality. Aruba faces considerable challenges in this regard.

On February 26 and 27, the CAft visited Aruba. During this visit, the CAft spoke to the Governor, the Ministers of Finance, Economic Affairs, Justice, Integration and Public Transportation, with the Council of Ministers, the Parliament of Aruba, the Court of Audits of Aruba and companies such as Utilities and Refineria di Aruba.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on March 2, 2026.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be in attendance.

The agenda points are:
1. Approval of travel schedule for the 1stSemester of the year 2026 in connection with Committee, General Assembly (Assamblea), Board of Directors (Junta Directiva), and Eurolat meetings of Parlatino (IS/636/2025-2026 dated February 2, 2026)
2. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels inzake het toezicht op effectenbemiddelaars en vermogensbeheerders (Landsverordening toezicht effectenbemiddelaars en vermogensbeheerders) (IS/ 065/2023-2024 d.d. 2 oktober 2023) (ZJ 2023-2024-171)
(National Ordinance containing rules on the supervision of securities intermediaries and asset managers (National Ordinance on the Supervision of Securities Intermediaries and Asset Managers) (Parliamentary year 2023-2024-171))

3. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels inzake het toezicht op betaaldienstverleners (Ontwerplandsverordening toezicht betaaldienstverleners) (Zittingsjaar 2025-2026-187) (IS/526/2025-2026 dated January 7, 2026)
(National Ordinance containing rules on the supervision of payment service providers (National Ordinance on the Supervision of Payment Service Providers) (Parliamentary Year 2025 2026–187))

4. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels inzake het toezicht op virtuele activa dienstverleners (Ontwerplandsverordening toezicht virtuele activa dienstverleners) (Zittingsjaar 2025-2026-188) (IS/527/2025-2026 dated January 7, 2026)
(National Ordinance containing rules on the supervision of virtual asset service providers (National Ordinance on the Supervision of Virtual Asset Service Providers) (Parliamentary Year 2025 2026–188))

5. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels inzake oversight door de Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (Ontwerplandsverordening oversight op systemen in het betalings- of effectenverkeer) (Zittingsjaar 2025-2026-189) (IS/528/2025-2026 dated January 7, 2026)
National Ordinance containing rules concerning oversight by the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (National Ordinance on Oversight of Systems in the Payment or Securities Settlement System) (Parliamentary Year 2025 2026–189)

6. Ontwerplandsverordening houdende regels inzake de clearing- en settlementsystemen in de monetaire unie van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (Ontwerplandsverordening toezicht beheerders FMI-systemen) (Zittingsjaar 2025-2026-190) (IS/529/2025-2026 dated January 7, 2026)
(National Ordinance containing rules concerning clearing and settlement systems in the monetary union of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (National Ordinance on the Supervision of Operators of FMI Systems) (Parliamentary Year 2025 2026–190))

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament

Philipsburg/Marigot:--- On February 26, the Department of Communication of the Government of Sint Maarten paid a working visit to their French side counterparts of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin, Communication Department, which includes the protocol section.

The working visit was to get a deeper understanding of how the French side Department of Communication functions within the Collectivité, to exchange mutual operational information and ideas, and to continue fostering the working relationship.

In their Marigot offices, the head/director of the French side Department of Communication Nathalie Longato gave a short presentation and shared an overview of the work and responsibilities. After doing so, the two departments made informative exchanges of ideas, policies, and procedures.

Following the discussions, the staff of DCOMM was given a tour of the operational section, where demonstrations of what and how takes place with respect to equipment, photo and video tapings, programs, and further discussions about their graphic designs, internet, social media products and operations.

Head of the Communication Department Maurice Lake said, "Our visit to the communications department of the Collectivité of Saint-Martin was an invaluable exercise in synergy and professional exchange.

“It provided a unique platform to align our operational protocols and compare logistical setups, ensuring that both departments are working toward a unified standard of excellence. Beyond the technical discussions on infrastructure and communication workflows, the meeting allowed us to build the interpersonal rapport necessary for seamless cross-border collaboration.

“We left with a deeper understanding of our shared challenges and a strengthened commitment to streamlining our information-sharing processes for the benefit of all our communities."

Both departments exchanged tokens of appreciation.

DCOMM head has extended an invitation to the French side Communication Department for a visit in the near future.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Service (CPS) says up to four in 10 cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and, for the first time, nine cancer-causing infections.
The analysis estimates that 37% of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes. The findings highlight the enormous potential of prevention in reducing the global cancer burden.
Drawing on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, the study identifies tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer, globally responsible for 15% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).
Three cancer types – lung, stomach and cervical cancer – accounted for nearly half of all preventable cancer cases in both men and women, globally.
Lung cancer was primarily linked to smoking and air pollution, stomach cancer was largely attributable to Helicobacter pylori infection, and cervical cancer was overwhelmingly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

According to the WHO, this is the first global analysis to show how much cancer risk comes from causes we can prevent.
The burden of preventable cancer based on the global study was substantially higher in men than in women, with 45% of new cancer cases in men compared with 30% in women.
The study revealed that in men, smoking accounted for an estimated 23% of all new cancer cases, followed by infections at 9% and alcohol at 4%.
Among women globally, infections accounted for 11% of all new cancer cases, followed by smoking at 6% and high body mass index at 3%.
CPS advises members of the community to consult with their physician to determine prevention strategies. Cancer mortality is reduced when cases are detected and treated early. There are two components of early detection: early diagnosis and screening.