NEWS

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Governor of Aruba swears in President of the Central Bank

Datum: 23-07-2007

In the presence of Prime Minister Oduber, Minister of Finance Swaen and representatives of the Central Bank of Aruba, Mr. Hassanali Mehran was sworn in as President of the Central Bank on July 23, 2007.

The new President was sworn in Monday afternoon by Governor Refunjol at the office of the Governor in Oranjestad. With an impressive career behind him at the International Monetary Fund, IMF, i.a. as the first director of the Central Bank of Aruba, Mr. Mehran enjoys the confidence and respect of all people involved.

Governor of Aruba visits Kingdom Games

Datum: 26-07-2007

Every two years mutual respect, perseverance, sportsmanship and sociability are in the limelight during the Kingdom Games. The Games take place in The Hague this year. From July 21 through July 27, young people from Aruba, the Antilles and the Netherlands between 12 and 17 will compete with each other, Baseball, bowling, judo, softball, tennis, soccer and swimming are the seven sports on the program. Governor Refunjol will pay a visit to the Kingdom Games in The Hague during the final week of July. Governor Refunjol, baseball fan, Yankees fan, and active himself as a softball player will attend i.a. games of the Aruban soccer team and the baseball team. He will also be present at the closing ceremony.

Media campaign passports started

Date: 21-06-2007

ORANJESTAD - “Without a passport you don’t go anywhere”. This is the message of the Cabinet of the Governor of Aruba in an informative publicity campaign, which is to be seen in the media at present. The Cabinet started the campaign to make people aware of the importance of a valid passport. “What if you fall ill, and have to go abroad urgently? Or if you find out one day before your vacation that the children also must have a passport?” Director Harold Boersen indicates that the Cabinet of the Governor is swamped with applications for temporary passports. Because of strict screening, it is often impossible to comply herewith. This may lead to annoying situations. “Therefore, in order to avoid problems and extra expenses a call is made on everybody to take care of a valid passport” according to Boersen.

Not only in Aruba, but also in the Netherlands, the public is being informed at present on the importance of a valid passport. Mr. Boersen indicated during a press conference, that passports are not made in Aruba. Because of the very strict security this takes place centrally in the Netherlands, and it takes three weeks after filing an application for a passport, before the passport is in Aruba. The application is filed at the Civil Registry and Population Register.

Temporary passport
In cases of extreme emergency, however, the Cabinet of the Governor can provide a so-called emergency document. However, the application for this temporary passport will be screened by the Cabinet of the Governor in conformity with very strict rules of the Netherlands Ministry of Home Affairs. The degree of urgency plays a very important role in this matter. “For example, a family that files an application for a temporary passport for the children in connection with their vacation to the U.S., has to be disappointed by us, unfortunately. This can be very annoying, says Boersen.

However, the Cabinet notices that the applications for emergency documents is becoming more and more the rule rather than the exception. “This is not a good development. In some way or another we have to take care of it that the quantity of emergency documents is minimal, in order to keep chances of forgery as little as possible. In addition to this, the processing of the applications imposes great pressure on the operations, which is at the expense of other services of the Cabinet of the Governor”, Boersen adds.

For further information on the application for a passport, you are referred to the website www.kabga.aw or you may call to the Civil Registry, telephone 583-4400.

Governor of Aruba visits the Netherlands

Date: 26-05-2007

Governor Refunjol paid a visit to his Kingdom partners in the Netherlands during the final week of May. He spoke i.a. with the Ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice and the State Secretary of Kingdom Relations.

Governor decorates Arubans on behalf of Queen Beatrix

Date: 27-04-2007

ORANJESTAD - Young people constitute the basis of our future community. Therefore, it is very good if you work unselfishly on their welfare, and you see the positive result. These were the words of the Governor, His Excellency Mr. Fredis Refunjol, during the so-called “rain of titles” on the occasion of Queen’s Day 2007. This year, four gentlemen and for ladies could consider themselves fortunate with a Royal Decoration. Relatives and friends accompanied the decorated persons during the solemn ceremony, which, as usual, took place in the town hall. Three persons were appointed “Companian” in the Order of Orange Nassau and five “Member” in the Order of Orange Nassau. Mostly, the decorated persons were decorated because of their social or charitable merits in the fields of sports, culture, religion, welfare and education.

Persons who deserve especially well of the community are eligible for appointment in one of the knighthood ranks of the Order of Orange-Nassau. It concerns people who deserve appreciation and recognition of the community for the special way in which they shaped their activities.

Isabel Bermudes-Matos
Mrs. Bermudes-Matos was appointed Companian of the Order of Orange-Nassau because of her praiseworthy merits for the benefit of the poor in the community, both in the social, charity and spiritual fields, and in particular because of her devotion to the young. Among other things, she is founder of the foundation “Asistencia Social Oranjestad”, of which “Meals on Wheels” constitutes a part. The foundation not only helps the poor, but also guides them so that the can provide for themselves in the future. Furthermore, Mrs. Bermudes-Matos is coordinator of the project “Actividadnan pa Despues di Oranan di Scol” (after-school care) and “Ban Scol Back”. a committee which, by means of gifts of various institutions helps children of the poor to buy school uniforms.

Laurencio Adolfo Croes
Mr. Croes got the decoration Companian of the Order of Orange-Nassau for his merits in the field of ports, and his dedication as board member, trainer and counselor of the sport of judo. Mr. Croes was, among other things, co-founder and trainer of the “Vereniging Judo Center Noord” and the “Estrella Judo Club Santa Cruz”. Furthermore, he was Vice-Chairman of the “Aruba Judo Bond”.

Lilian Cecilia Prince
Ms. Prince was appointed Companian of the Order of Orange-Nassau for placing her activities at the disposal of her fellow man completely unselfishly, notably the cancer patients in Aruba, With the exception of the period that she acted as Director of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary, Ms. Price served the Aruban community for years as a member, secretary, and chairwoman of the board of the Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds.

Agrapina Croes
Ms. Croes obtained the Royal decoration of Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau for her great and unselfish dedication to many persons and organizations in Aruba, such as the church, the Blue Army and Kibra Hacha, mainly for her valuable contribution in the religious and charitable fields. For years, Ms. Croes gave her services unselfishly as a prayer in case of sickness and death. Ms. Croes is a great authority in the field of the Aruban natural cures, which she learned from her grandfather, the well-known “Curandero Buchi David Geerman-Maduro, with whom she spent her youth.

Maria Bernadina Geerman-Britten
Mrs. Geerman-Britten was appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau, because she exerted herself in an exceptional way, and for ample time, in the social and cultural fields, and for the benefit of the Aruban culture, history and the sick. Mrs. Geerman-Britten devoted herself to the Santa Anna Church in Noord for years. She is still active in leading prayer groups on the occasion of funerals, and the spiritual support of the sick. In addition to this, Mrs. Geerman-Britten has enormously devoted herself to the preservation of knowledge of the Aruban culture, history and dishes by giving lectures, courses and writing poetry and songs in Papiamento.

Nercisio Krozendijk
Mr. Krozendijk was appointed Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau for his great dedication and enthusiasm for years on end for the benefit of the world of soccer, and notably for the sports club Dakota. In addition to fervent player, Mr. Krozendijk held positions on the boards of soccer club Dos Caminos and S.V. Dakota for over 50 years.

Inocente Crisol Martes
Mr. Martes received the Royal decoration of Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau because of his great dedication and devotion in the fields of culture, education, and sports and in the social field. Mr. Martes devoted himself, among other things, to education in the field of records maintenance and was a member of several social and cultural organizations, such as Mascaruna, Vivons en Chantant and Orkesta Harmonico Arubano. In the field of sports, he was active in the fields of soccer, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

Johannes Jacobus Pieter de Vries
Mr. de Vries obtained the decoration of Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau for his praiseworthy merits, notably for the benefit of the social and charitable institutions in Aruba. Mr. de Vries was a member of several negotiating committees, such as i.a. of the Oil prospecting and negotiating committee, the committee hotel guarantee issue and the Kingdom Task Force Coast Guard Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. Mr. de Vries held several positions in the field of charity, as a board member of the Aruba Lions, the Stichting Algemene Bejaardenzorg Aruba and Lodge Hiram.

Decoration committee
Each year, both in Aruba, and in other parts of the Kingdom, members of the community are nominated for a Royal decoration. This is often done by a co-member of an entity the person dedicates himself/herself to, or by a relative. In order to qualify for a Royal decoration, citizens have to follow a certain procedure. For further information on the procedure you may call Mr. Manolo Giel, Chairman of the Decoration Committee. Furthermore information is available through the website www.lintjes.nl.

Governor gives reception on the occasion of birthday Queen Beatrix

Date: 27-04-2007

ORANJESTAD - Last Friday, in an attractive ballroom of the Westin Hotel, the Governor His Excellency Mr. Fredis Refunjol, spoke the traditional words “Biba La Reina” (Long Live the Queen) in the presence of a very mixed company. Together with the staff of his Cabinet, the Governor and his spouse Mrs. Clarette Refunjol-Lopez, welcomed representatives of all sectors of the community. The Queen’s ball is held every year in honor of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix.

Those who were present early were pleasantly surprised that they were given the opportunity to be on the photo with the Governor and his spouse. This was appreciated very much by the guests. In addition to the Members of Parliament and the Ministerial Council, the guests consisted i.a. of representatives of the employers’ organizations and trade unions, nongovernmental organizations, health care, the banking industry and business sector, the social sector, the various advisory organs and education. The 8 persons who were decorated that Friday morning during the “rain of titles” were the Guests of Honor at this occasion.

After a heartfelt word of welcome by the Governor, one enthusiastically toasted to the 69th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. The very mixed company did not only enjoy the cheerful “orange ambience”, but also made use of the occasion to make further acquaintance with the Governor, but certainly also with each other.

The Cabinet of the Governor looks back on a successful Queen’s ball 2007, and expresses thanks to each person who contributed to it. These pictures give an impression of the ambience during the Queen’s ball. Here you see the Governor and his spouse in the presence of the staff of the Cabinet of the Governor of Aruba.

Cabinet Governor takes raid of ladies seriously.

Date: 15-05-2007

ORANJESTAD - “This is very bad. Therefore, we give high priority to this affair”., says the director of the Cabinet of the Governor, Mr. Harold Boersen about the attempt of two unknown ladies who tried to force their way into the Cabinet of the Governor via the “VND” (Representation of the Netherlands) last Friday. The ladies entered by pushing down an employee of the VND, when she opened the door, and took her keys. Meanwhile, all locks have been replaced, and a meeting took place with the Chief of Police, Mr. P. de Witte.

The unknown ladies were inside for exactly one and a half minutes, before the alarm was raised, and they ran away. The security system of the Cabinet had pictures of the ladies, which have been handed to the Criminal Investigation Department. A thorough investigation shows that no damage was caused by this incident. However, the Cabinet hopes that the Criminal Investigation Department will be able to proceed to the arrest of the intruders as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet of the Governor is forced to tighten the security measures towards the public, and everything possible is done to minimize chances of such an incident in the future.

Governor Refunjol congratulates Red Cross Aruba with their 50th anniversary

Date: 09-05-2007

ORANJESTAD - “Thanks to i.a. the dedication of numerous volunteers and supporters, the Red Cross has meanwhile become the symbol for aid to people in distress. Whether they are victims of a conflict or an earthquake in a distant country, or people having hardships in Aruba: the Red Cross helps”. These were the words of praise of His Excellency Governor Fredis Refunjol on the International Day of the Red Cross on May 8, last. Himself Honorary Chairman of the Red Cross Aruba, the Governor received the complete Board of the Aruban section of the Netherlands Red Cross at the Cabinet. He congratulated the Board with the 50th anniversary, and emphasized the great value the community attaches to the work of the Red Cross.

In order to be able to guarantee the continued existence of the Red Cross Aruba, support of the Aruban community is necessary. During the many festivities and meetings in the month of May, there will be opportunities for Aruba to show its involvement in the Red Cross. Therefore, His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Fredis Refunjol, calls on the community to give the Red Cross massive support during the activities.

Solemn laying of wreaths national commemoration of the dead

Date: 05-05-2007

ORANJESTAD - “Peace is created by people, but the same applied to war. It is our duty to commemorate each year all who gave their lives for our freedom, and to always pray for the preservation of peace.” This is what Prime Minister Nelson Oduber said last Friday, May 4, during the National Commemoration of the Dead. Together with His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Fredis Refunjol, Speaker of Parliament, Mrs. Mervin Wyatt-Ras and other dignitaries, he honored the citizens and servicemen who gave their lives for peace and freedom in our Kingdom.

After a solemn ceremony of the armed guard of the Marines Barracks, wreaths were laid by Governor Refunjol, Prime Minister Oduber and Speaker of Parliament Wyatt-Ras. Furthermore, wreaths were laid by Mr. Knegt of the Representation of the Netherlands, Commander MacMootry of the Marines Barracks Savaneta, the gentlemen Emerencia and Ecury as representatives of the Militia, and finally representatives of the scouts. The ceremony was closed by the appropriate poem “Ta Keto” of the young poet Rosabelle Illis.

Naval chaplain of the Marines Barracks, Mr. Dick Pranger, called on those present to always remember the brave Dutchmen, Antilleans, Arubans and Surinamese who lost their lives during WW II, for a regime that showed no mercy.

Work on Cabinet of the Governor completed

Date: 26-03-2007

ORANJESTAD - “The building of the Cabinet of the Governor has a prominent place in the community. Not only as office of the Cabinet itself, but first and foremost as the office of already three Governors of the State of Aruba. Therefore, the Governor certainly deserves a building that is in keeping with the office of Governor”, according to the director of the Cabinet of the Governor, Mr. Harold Boersen, laist Thursday during the official completion of the brand new fence of the office of the Cabinet of the Governor. “With the new fence and a fresh paint job, the building has the elegance it had when it was built in 1986”. Artist and director of “Oranjestad Kunsthuis”, Gilbert Senchi, was inspired and made a painting of the building, which he handed to the Governor during the meeting.

The embellished building is a gain to historic Oranjestad. It now forms a better whole with the adjacent buildings, such as the old library, the Town Hall and the William III Tower, and it is actually impossible to imagine downtown Oranjestad without it. In the year of the Status Aparte, Governor Felipe Tromp took up residence in the building on Plaza Henny Eman as the first Governor. Last Friday, His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Fredis Refunjol officially opened the new gate providing access to the new parking lot of the office of his Cabinet.

Security
However, the new fence is not only meant as embellishment. It certainly also provides the necessary security of the building. Because of the Kingdom tasks that are carried out by the Cabinet, such as the issue of passports and visa, the Netherlands Ministries of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, and Foreign Affairs impose requirements on the accommodation of the Cabinet of the Governor. Therefore, at the advice of these Ministries and several other agencies, the Cabinet decided last year to make an investment in the physical security of the office building. Moreover, some situations, such as for example the enormous rush of applicants for naturalization last year in April, showed during the past years that this necessity is actually acute. Subsequently, with the consent of the Department of Public Works, the Directorate Infrastructure and Planning and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Education and Infrastructure, a start was made with the renovation project in January of this year, which took approximately three months to complete. The design is of Mr. Earon Mathew van the architect’s firm Plan D2.The construction activities were supervised by Mr. Lionel Mercalina of Plan D2 and carried out by ALBO Aruba. We already received many positive reactions to the embellishment of our office. “We are certainly proud of this!”, says Mr. Boersen.