Aruba banks hold nearly 250 million florins more in available funds

ORANJESTAD – Commercial banks in Aruba increased their excess liquidity by nearly 250 million florins during the first quarter of 2026. According to figures released by the Central Bank of Aruba (CBA), total available funds rose to more than 1.16 billion florins.

The increase does not represent bank profits but reflects additional money deposited into the banking system by the government, public institutions, and strong tourism activity. The higher liquidity gives banks more room to lend, although it does not necessarily make loans easier to obtain.

During the first quarter, total lending increased by nearly 80 million florins, bringing the banks' domestic loan portfolio to more than 5 billion florins. However, lending grew much more slowly than the amount of new money entering the banking system.

The Central Bank kept the mandatory reserve requirement unchanged at 12.5%, helping maintain financial stability.

Aruba's international reserves also increased by more than 363 million florins, reaching nearly 5 billion florins, enough to cover 8.4 months of foreign payments and support the value of the Aruban florin.

Inflation remained low at 1.1% in March, although the Central Bank warned that tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices could affect Aruba's economy in the future.