AVP-Futuro Government Lacks Urgency in Solving Bubali Issue :
During the weekly press conference of the MEP faction in Parliament, Parliamentarian Evelyn Wever-Croes addressed the ongoing situation at the Bubali Water Purification Plant and the company Aruba Wastewater Sustainable Solutions (AWSS N.V.). She expressed that, during her administration, this was one of the most urgent issues that the Wever-Croes Cabinet needed to address immediately.
The water level at the Bubali plant had caused significant disturbances, as well as an unpleasant odor that spread across a large part of the area. According to Wever-Croes, her government allocated a significant budget to try to address the situation, including 16 million florins to fix the issue in depth. However, this did not involve a new plant, which would have cost much more.
According to the Parliamentarian, during that time, the CAFT (Central Bank of Aruba) forced the government to stop the project to pay off the debt. The government was even threatened with an injunction, and under this pressure, it stopped the plans to resolve the problem. As a result, the government looked for alternative solutions.
During that time, as Prime Minister, Wever-Croes set up a commission of professionals from Aruba, guided by former ministers Ursell Arends and Glenbert Croes. Within three months, they presented a project with a solution to the Aruba government. According to the Parliamentarian, this was an expensive solution, but it was a much-needed resolution after waiting for so long with urgency.
Meanwhile, the CAFT did not allow the government to proceed with other options. A proposal to privatize the purification plant was introduced. AWSS N.V. was established in 2024 after the Parliament approved it with a majority and endorsed the funding that would generate revenue from tourism in the country.
AWSS N.V. presented a plan to immediately address the odor issue and, in the medium to long term, provide a new plant, ensuring that the problem would be permanently solved. However, Wever-Croes pointed out that after the government changed, the current administration did not continue with the project.
She emphasized that the CAFT had recommended the government not continue with such an expensive solution, as AWSS wanted to complete. Nevertheless, the current government stopped the project without offering any alternative solutions. The reality is that while they are not investing in solutions, they are undermining the tourist pillar of Aruba.
She concluded by stating that the MEP faction is preparing questions to call the government into Parliament to account for the plan they have. She believes that the current government lacks a sense of urgency, as they do not show that they understand that this is an urgent situation and needs to be prioritized.
“This is what I want to change in the public meeting that will take place in Parliament. We have already met with various stakeholders to hear their thoughts and perhaps form a united front to solve this issue,” Wever-Croes concluded.
