ORANJESTAD – The former Wever-Croes II government has saddled Aruba with an estimated financial burden of nearly 200 million Aruban florins, according to an assessment by the College Aruba financieel toezicht (CAft), the Dutch-appointed financial oversight board. 

This striking figure is detailed in a confidential “unsolicited advice” report issued earlier this year to former Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes. The report never saw public release, but it has now come to light following a disclosure by CAft chairperson Lidewijde Ongering during a recent session with the Dutch Senate’s Committee on Kingdom Relations. 

According to Ongering, the massive financial blow stems from the rushed and problematic privatization of the Bubali wastewater treatment plant (RWZI), a project devised by Wever-Croes and then-Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro, both of the MEP party. The facility was transferred from the Department of Public Works (DOW) to a hastily established government-owned company, Aruba Wastewater Sustainable Solutions (AWSS), a subsidiary of Utilities Aruba NV. 

“AWSS has been set up at arm’s length from the government, but the way it’s structured raises governance concerns,” Ongering told Dutch lawmakers. “This setup forces AWSS to seek expensive loans on the open market, which we calculate will cost the country nearly 200 million florins in additional debt.” 

Ongering stressed that the government could have financed the project at far lower costs using its existing budgets. “Instead, AWSS is incurring high-interest debt with major long-term consequences. Is that efficient?” she questioned. Ultimately, the financial impact will fall on Aruban taxpayers via the national budget. 

This is not the first time CAft has raised alarms over the fiscal practices of the Wever-Croes administration. Just before leaving office following an electoral defeat, the cabinet implemented a surprise tax cut without parliamentary approval—creating an annual budget shortfall of 50 million florins. The measure largely benefited higher-income earners, while retirees—many living below the poverty line—received only a modest monthly allowance of 30 florins in “compensation.” 

The revelation regarding the wastewater plant privatization emerged almost by coincidence, as unsolicited CAft advisories are typically confidential. Whether additional financial missteps will surface remains to be seen. 

Photo captions: 

AWSS logo – the newly established government-owned company now at the center of a controversial 200 million-florin debt. 

The “million-florin team”: Former Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes and ex-Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro.