Finance Minister Geoffrey Wever has announced that the AVP-Futuro cabinet has submitted its second amendment to the 2026 budget to Parliament, projecting a financial balance of Afl. 112 million — equal to 1.4 percent of gross domestic product, above the statutory minimum surplus of 1 percent laid down in law.
The Afl. 112 million figure is a budget projection, not a final financial result, and the amendment still requires Parliament’s approval. It follows the first supplementary budget approved earlier this month, which projected a surplus of Afl. 80.8 million. The cabinet first presented its autumn memorandum (Najaarsnota 2026) on September 1, giving Parliament a preview of the second amendment before the draft law was formally submitted.
Purchasing-power measures
According to the minister, the budget continues the cabinet’s policy of returning the benefit of the economy to the community. Under the 2026 budget, some 22,000 AOV and AWW beneficiaries receive Afl. 400 per month in reparatietoeslag. The cabinet has introduced a new salary structure for education staff and improved the legal position of administrative support personnel.
Social assistance has been raised from Afl. 450 to Afl. 600. Excise duty on gasoline and diesel carries an extra reduction through the end of the year, and NoticiaCla reported that the amendment also includes a cut in the income-tax rate from 10 percent to 0 percent, a measure that began earlier. Support for school costs has been increased: the subsidy for buying school materials rises to up to Afl. 250 per child, with a maximum of Afl. 1,000 per family, alongside increases in the parental contribution toward school fees and in the monthly school supplement.
San Nicolas, De Vuyst and Bushiri
In the second amendment, the cabinet also asks Parliament’s authorisation to finalise the agreement with Stichting Onroerend Goed Aruba for the construction of an MFA multifunctional centre in San Nicolas, transferring the leasehold (erfpacht) right to the country of Aruba. It further requests authorisation for Afl. 2.3 million to renovate homes and common areas in De Vuyst and Bushiri, with the aim of improving social facilities and the quality of the living environment in San Nicolas, De Vuyst and Bushiri.
“Complying with the budgetary norms remains essential. At the same time, we continue to use the resources of the country of Aruba to improve the purchasing power and quality of life of our community,” Wever said.
The submission includes the advice of the CAft and the Council of Advice (Raad van Advies), together with the government’s formal responses. With the formal filing, the minister said, the government has completed a legislative part of the budget process, and he thanked the Council of Ministers, the Finance Department, the Department of Legislation and Legal Affairs and the other departments and institutions that contributed.
Sources: 24ora | NoticiaCla (November 13, 2026)
