The City of Utrecht and the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) are willing to provide Aruba with technical support to improve its waste management, Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma has confirmed, NoticiaCla reported on October 28.
Dijksma, who is also president of the VNG, made the statement following a meeting with Prime Minister Mike Eman during his working visit to the Netherlands.
A regional Caribbean waste system
Dijksma considers cooperation between Aruba and other Caribbean islands essential to develop a regional waste-processing system, which she said could offer more efficient and sustainable solutions than each island acting alone.
Beyond technical knowledge, the VNG can also advise Aruba on the organisation, administration and financing of waste-management services, according to the report.
Costs must not fall on lower-income families
Dijksma stressed that the costs of the system should not fall mainly on lower-income families. A good waste system, she said, must protect both the environment and residents’ quality of life.
The offer adds waste management to the agenda of Eman’s Netherlands working visit, during which the Aruba prime minister has held a series of meetings on the cost of living, wages and Kingdom cooperation. No timetable or formal agreement for the waste support was reported.
The willingness Dijksma confirmed covers both practical waste-processing knowledge and the way such services are organised, administered and financed. Her emphasis, as reported, was twofold: a regional system shared with other Caribbean islands, and a fair distribution of costs, so that lower-income families are not left carrying most of the bill for a cleaner Aruba.
Sources: NoticiaCla
