WILLEMSTAD - During a recent parliamentary meeting on the agreement with the Klesch Group, Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath stated that the one dollar for which the refinery was sold is disproportionate to what will be invested in the refinery.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars will be invested to upgrade the refinery, money that neither the government nor Refineria di Kòrsou (RdK) has,” said Rhuggenaath. Annually, an amount of $ 15 million is paid in leasehold. This amount may also be indexed up to a maximum of two percent.

Furthermore, 15 cents per barrel of crude oil is paid that goes to the refinery via Bullenbaai. Finally, there is 200 hectares of land where Curaçao can develop a different industry. PDVSA used 700 hectares and Klesch will use only 500 hectares giving Curaçao 200 hectares to develop a different industry in the harbor.

“Symbolically, 1 dollar has been paid for the refinery, but there are millions in return. The opposition is playing politics with this one-dollar issue, they tell the population half-truths, but the agreement is not for my, benefit but for everyone in Curaçao,” said Rhuggenaath.