Government portal causes confusion with outdated driver’s license information

ORANJESTAD — During a Noticiacla investigation into the procedure for renewing a driver’s license in Aruba, it became clear that an official government portal is still publishing outdated information, while Censo already provides the correct and updated details.

The government portal still states that, after applying for renewal of a driver’s license, citizens must wait three to four weeks before receiving the new document.

However, the current information from Censo is different: when a person renews a driver’s license, the document is issued the same day.

The difference between the two official portals creates unnecessary confusion for citizens who rely on the government’s own online information to understand how the procedure works.

More seriously, according to information obtained by Noticiacla during its investigation, the situation is not new. Several years ago, a department head reportedly already warned that the information on the portal needed to be updated. Apparently, that did not happen, and the outdated information remained online.

The result is that the government itself is giving two different versions of the same public service: one portal leads citizens to believe they must wait for weeks, while Censo indicates that the process is completed the same day.

At a time when the government is encouraging citizens to make greater use of digital services, the accuracy of online information is essential. An official portal should not create more confusion than clarity.

The case also raises a simple question: if the incorrect information was already flagged several years ago, why has the government still not corrected it?