Guest Blog: Joining the Free Zone Aruba by Kees van Nederkassel
By Anika in Guest Blogs on 03. Dec, 2012No Comments
This blog is written by Kees van Nederkassel, a postal and legal professional. He is born and raised in the Netherlands. In 2004 he moved to Aruba and in 2012 he opened his free zone company.
Kees van Nederkassel:
Before 2004 I was working as an independent consultant in the (international) postal and legal sector. When I moved to Aruba in 2004, I start working in the postal and security sector on the island. Instead of my previous work as an independent consultant, I was only concentrating on the local market.
In 2012 I decided to continue with my precious work as international consultant. I started small and opened a company to serve the local market. When I start operating, most of my clients where not located in Aruba, but overseas. Since Aruba is promoting itself as regional hub, I thought about its financial benefits. I start contacting my legal and fiscal consultants for advice. They told me about the Free Zone of Aruba.
When I found out the possibility to open a service company in the free zone when your clients are overseas, I followed the advice of my consultants and decided to contact Free Zone Aruba (FZA). After a simple telephone call and planning a meeting with one of FZA’s account executives, I started the admission procedure.
Starting up a Free Zone company does not only involve FZA but also third parties like the tax office (SIAD) and the Central Bank of Aruba (CBA). But the account executive took my hand, and on a professional manner, step by step, we followed the ‘one-stop-shop’ process. Drafting a business plan, providing financial data, changing articles of incorporation of my current company into a Free Zone company….……. and before I knew it, my Free Zone company was established! Surprisingly, easier than I thought!
Since I knew the Free Zone legislation was changed earlier this year, I requested to keep office in my current office location instead of the designated Free Zone area. When the request was accepted I started to work at my current location.
Now, since the admission process is ended, I move forward with my consultancy work which has let me to Africa!
October 28, 2012.
Kees van Nederkassel.