Mixing independent policy making and strategic international partnerships, the small island nation of Aruba is poised to become a leader in social and technological development in the Caribbean, said Prime Minister Mike Eman. Speaking at the Inter-American Dialogue on October 13, Eman engaged in a discussion on how far Aruba has come and his vision for future progress.
As a political leader, Eman attributes much of his success to Aruba’s distinct form of government. Though autonomous in domestic policy making, Aruba maintains ties to the Netherlands and other international partners with the size and strength to guarantee stability. Eman praised Arubans for balancing pride in their independence with a rational sense of the island’s limitations, which gives his government the space to cooperate with the Dutch kingdom in a way that many of Aruba’s neighbors have resisted. “Together we make ourselves strong,” he commented.
This cooperation is vital to Aruba’s security. Although many Caribbean nations are overwhelmed by drug trafficking, Aruba welcomes outside security assistance, primarily from the Netherlands and the United States, which has kept its borders strong against organized crime. Still, Eman cautioned against taking this security for granted and urged more vigilance.
The prime minister is taking advantage of Aruba’s stability, however, to focus on “smart growth.” Eman seeks “quality instead of quantity,” arguing that economic success should not be measured only by GDP growth, but what that growth represents. Though Aruba jumped from negative GDP growth in 1986 to 11 percent growth today, expansion came at a high price, creating a need for imported labor that burdened the island’s infrastructure. Now Aruba is pursuing sustainable growth that will improve the quality of life on the island by investing in its education and health care. The government is pursuing various public-private partnership projects to improve the island’s infrastructure, building new highways and expanding outdated hospitals.
The prime minister is also laying the foundations for a new “knowledge industry” focused on green technology research. Leveraging its unique position as a link between Europe and Latin America, Eman hopes to make Aruba a center of green energy innovation and a regional leader in promoting alternative, sustainable energy. Aruba is on track to fuel 50 percent of the island’s energy needs with wind and solar power by 2014, and is looking to use more natural gas to replace expensive fuel oil. This is especially important in the context of utility prices, which place a huge burden on Aruban households, accounting for 30-35 percent of expenditures. However, Eman recognized that shifting to natural gas will likely only bring modest relief, especially in the short term.
Under Prime Minister Eman’s leadership, Aruba is striving to enter a new period of prosperity and innovation. Though the island still faces many challenges, Eman is optimistic that the Aruban sense of practicality will continue to guide its progress.
