Business
Business Comprehensive help at hand
Bonbini to Business Success by Susan Campbell If you’re considering investing in existing opportunities or opening a new operation on Aruba you’ll find that it’s no longer business as usual. It’s a whole lot better! Thanks to new green initiatives, improved island-wide infrastructure, and enhanced shipping logistics, doing business on One Happy Island has never been easier.
The ultimate gateway
Aruba is in an ideal location to serve as a hub for transshipment and import/ export to and from Europe and throughout the Americas. And many recent and comprehensive improvements in their port facilities will ensure more expedient and smooth flow of goods. In 2015, the Government of Aruba signed with the Port of Amsterdam an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). The ability to incorporate their expertise and skill in the movement of multi-model cargo will be invaluable. Meanwhile, access to global marketplaces via Aruba’s well-established free zone offers many economic benefits such as duty-free passage. Free Zone Aruba also caters to niche markets, such as companies needing a cost-effective distribution hub to showcase their goods. Aruba recognized as “green” leader
There’s a lot more to Aruba than meets the eye. Beyond being famous for its worldclass resorts set against gorgeous beaches, this island has also been taking the world stage for its pioneering role in environmental preservation.
68 Nights
In fact, in 2015, Aruba was named the National Geographic World Legacy Award Winner for “Destination Leadership” at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism convention for its unparalleled sustainability efforts. The World Legacy Awards recognizes the leading travel and tourism companies, organizations, as well as destinations that are transforming and promoting sustainable tourism. Oslin B. Sevinger, Aruba’s minister of integration, infrastructure and environment says, “Over the past several years, we have worked closely with the world’s most innovative thought leaders on this subject and we are proud to see our everevolving efforts paving the way for other Caribbean islands. This is just the beginning.” Aruba is also on track to be the world’s first country to fully transition off fossil fuels by 2020.
In 2015, Aruba’s government signed a contract with local utility service company N.V. ELMAR to convert all of the island’s public-road lighting to energyefficient, light-emitting diodes (LED) by 2017. And a plan for a “Green Corridor,” that would connect both ends of the island in a more efficient and cost-effective way is also in the works. The investment possibilities in this initiative are endless. And for brick and mortar operations, more green means more businesses in the black! Aruba’s government is also offering incentives in the form of tariff reductions for businesses that participate in their green sustainability mission. So, saving money and saving the environment work handin-hand when doing business on Aruba. Stable economy and high quality of life
On the tech front, Aruba is often ahead of the curve when it comes to being wired for business and personal communications. State-of-the-art secure networks and professional tech support means that there is no such thing as “island time” when it comes to the ability to easily stay in touch with workforces anywhere in the world. Connectivity on this island is as constant as Aruba’s famous trade winds. Infrastructure improvements
Opportunities and advancements in both the retail and services sectors are also opening up all over the island with recent developments paving the way to new potential markets. The Linear Park is well underway and will be the longest of its kind in the Caribbean. When completed, it will connect Oranjestad all the way down
to the end of Palm Beach. The recent rejuvenation of downtown Oranjestad also offers all types of possibilities on both the tourism and local population front, and new condominium developments and hotels are also underway, which will inevitably require more services. The San Nicolas and Savaneta areas are earmarked for great growth in the next few years as well. Some major improvements are already complete like the Carnival Village, museum, and workshop, and new major events like the Aruba Summer Carnival will join current attractions like the weekly Carubbian Festival this year. A major all-inclusive resort brand will also be one of the new offerings in San Nicolas, and many attractions and infrastructure improvements have been blueprinted for the near future all around that region.
Whatever area you might need help in when investing or starting a new business on Aruba, there’s an organization to help. For example, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is extremely active and helps enterprises to identify resources, make professional connections, and keep abreast of Aruba’s current business trends as well as new markets. The chamber also administers and supervises the Trade Registry and the Foundations Registry. Then there’s Arina, Aruba’s Investment Agency, which was set up to fast track the establishment of new ventures through exclusive permit and licensing procedures. Arina also serves as a liaison between investors and government to promote timely consideration of business proposals. There is no shortage of world-class convention spaces on this island either. Aruba is an ideal spot for corporate retreats and conventions any time of year because of its consistently perfect weather. And Aruba also benefits from an excellent schooling system. The International School of Aruba (ISA) provides an English education to its students and it is the only school accredited by both AdvancEd and the Dutch department of education. That’s a major plus for families moving here to do business as well. !
Welcoming over a million visitors per year, tourism on Aruba is booming with barely a low season as it appeals to North Americans in the wintertime, to South Americans in the summer, and Europeans all year round. Should you choose to become a fullor part-time resident when you open a business or invest in one here, the high quality of life you will enjoy is almost unparalleled in the Caribbean. Aruba’s safe, cosmopolitan culture, sophisticated infrastructure, and stable economy make it attractive to entrepreneurs from all over the globe. And staffing an operation is never a challenge either, as this island’s workforce is well educated, multilingual, and highly productive.
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