On October 20, 2021, the Government of Aruba signed an MOU with construction company Bohama to build the new Customs building.
Over the past years, the Aruba Customs have moved their main office around and often scattered into different locations. That has led to an unwanted work environment. Such separation does not contribute to sound cooperation among colleagues. Now, Aruba Customs will finally get a new, modern building that will be centrally located and has plenty of space for everyone. This MOU entails a solution for the old abandoned building. The Prime Minister, Mrs. Evelyn Wever-Croes was present at the Infra Building for the signing ceremony. Mr. Sander Leijenaar, Director of Bohama, thanked those involved with the realization of this project. “I am thankful to the DOW, Bohama, and Customs but also the Finance Department, Minister of Finance, Department of Legal Affairs, and all who worked effortlessly to find this solution. It took a while since this is not a standard practice, where Government properties are swapped for new buildings, so it needed to be well coordinated. The fall of the government and the fact that it was demissionary made me decide not to proceed with the process, but now with the installation of the Wever-Croes II Cabinet, I am happy to sign this MOU. What Bohama plans to do with the old Customs building will bring huge development and hopefully have a big impact in the development of downtown.”, the Prime Minister said. According to the Prime Minister, they are solving the issue of empty buildings, and this is a good example. The Prime Minister thanked all who made this possible and congratulated the DOW and Bohama and particularly the Custom personnel who soon will have their new building. According to the director of DOW, Mr. Marlon Croes: “We will build a new Custom building in Barcadera, while the former Customs building will be converted into a housing project, which will give the city center an added value. With the MOU, we can jointly work and reach a consensus about the details to be presented to the Minister to move forward and start the construction.
