ORANJESTAD (AAN) – CAft Issues Positive Advice on Aruba’s 2027 Budget, with the College Aruba Financial Supervision (CAft) recognizing the government’s fiscal progress while offering recommendations to further strengthen the proposed budget before its final submission.
Minister of Finance Geoffrey Wever announced that the Government of Aruba submitted the 2027 national budget to CAft last week. In accordance with the Aruba Financial Supervision Act, CAft reviewed the proposal and issued a positive advisory opinion.
“I am pleased to read that CAft’s advice on the 2027 budget is positive and recognizes the improvements we have implemented since the AVP-FUTURO Cabinet took office,” Wever said. He added that the government will incorporate CAft’s recommendations before submitting the finalized draft budget to the Council of Advice (Raad van Advies).
According to CAft, Aruba projects a collective sector surplus of Afl. 203 million in 2027, equivalent to 2.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The financial outlook for 2028 through 2031 also forecasts annual surpluses of at least 1.5 percent of GDP.
CAft concluded that the draft 2027 budget currently complies with the fiscal rules and compensation requirements established under Aruba’s financial supervision legislation.
The advisory body also noted that the General Investment and Development Fund (AIOF) has not yet become operational. Although allocations for the fund are included in the budget, CAft has not yet received the AIOF budget or the accompanying Investment Agenda.
Minister Wever stated that preparations are underway to finalize the process and formally present the first AIOF budget to the Parliament of Aruba for consideration.
CAft recommended submitting both the AIOF budget and the Investment Agenda based on the government’s policy priorities and implementation capacity. It also advised using the latest definition of the collective sector when calculating Aruba’s financial balance and public debt for the 2025–2028 period.
According to Minister Wever, the positive opinion aligns with the AVP-FUTURO Cabinet’s fiscal management strategy. He noted that, like the 2025 and 2026 budgets, the 2027 budget complies with the legal requirement of maintaining a minimum 1 percent financial surplus for the collective sector under the Aruba Financial Supervision Act.
The minister added that CAft’s recommendations play an important role in strengthening Aruba’s public finances and demonstrate that the country continues to make progress in implementing responsible fiscal policies. Many of the recommendations, he said, are already in the process of being implemented.
