In July of last year, WEB and ELMAR informed the Government of Aruba that due to the increase in oil prices on the international market, the price of water and electricity must be increased as well in Aruba. The Government of Aruba verified all financial calculations and figures and approved a six-month increase in the price of electricity, under the condition that it must be reviewed by February 1, 2023. This increase was necessary to ensure the supply of water and electricity in Aruba.
“Since there is no approval from the Government of Aruba for an adjustment in the price of electricity for the period after February 1, 2023, the bills issued by ELMAR in February 2023 violate the concession conditions, and we have informed ELMAR on several occasions of this through various letters that I myself have sent on behalf of myself as the minister in charge of tariffs according to the concession, and on behalf of colleague Minister Glenbert Croes, who is in charge of energy in Aruba,” said Minister Geoffrey Wever.
Yesterday, Minister Wever sent a letter on behalf of himself and Minister Croes to ELMAR, informing them that they have until Friday, March 31, 2023, at 12:00 pm to present a financial proposal so that the price of electricity can be established per February 1st. The price of electricity is high and it affects the cost of living for every single citizen. In addition to this, it is a significant burden on the operational expenses of companies that directly lead to inflation. For this reason, a tariff cannot be charged without the approval of the Government of Aruba.
From his part, Minister Glenbert Croes has also been in continuous dialogue with Utilities, WEB, and ELMAR for several weeks, and he knows that the companies are working on a proposal for the Government and is confident that by Friday, the group of state-owned companies will comply with the Government’s demand to come up with a new proposal.
