WILLEMSTAD – The opposition Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP) has renewed its criticism of the government over developments surrounding ORYX/VIGOR and Global Oil, stating that it has been warning about potential risks since 2021 and accusing the administration of failing to deliver on promises made to the people of Curaçao.
During a public meeting of Parliament on Monday, February 9, focused on the situation involving ORYX/VIGOR and Global Oil, the PNP faction maintained a firm stance, despite the meeting being suspended until the end of March. The party is calling for greater clarity and transparency, arguing that key commitments presented to the public have not materialized.
PNP Member of Parliament Osepa reminded both the government and fellow parliamentarians that the party had repeatedly raised concerns over the process as far back as 2021. According to Osepa, those warnings were not well received at the time, referencing what he described as earlier controversies, including the CPR debacle.
“Many times we warned, we spoke, and today we are meeting again about a failure that could have been foreseen,” Osepa stated during the debate.
The PNP argues that earlier promises of a 30-year contract and millions of guilders in investments have not been fulfilled. The faction claims that workers were given high expectations, particularly in the lead-up to elections, while the government has now halted the contract itself.
A central concern raised by the party involves the role of the Ministry of Finance. According to the PNP, there are indications that the Finance department had signaled potential risks, but these warnings were allegedly disregarded. The faction is therefore requesting that the government submit the “Risk Matrix” prepared by Finance, along with relevant annual financial reports.
PNP faction leader Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia emphasized the need for financial transparency, calling for disclosure of how much money RDK/2Bays invested in the search for an operator and how much remains in 2Bays’ accounts.
“It cannot be that a small group gets rich on the back of this process, while the people remain poor,” she stated.
During the first round of the debate, which was later suspended, PNP parliamentarians Larmonie-Cecilia, Osepa, Martina, and Cijntje presented a series of questions to Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas that remain unanswered. Among them are inquiries about the current status of 2Bays following the termination of the contract with Vigor, the number of employees currently working at 2Bays, whether there is a realistic timeline for Global Oil to begin operations and asphalt production, and the present technical condition of the refinery.
The PNP expressed regret that Curaçao’s largest economic asset remains at a standstill, warning that the island’s economy is closely tied to developments in the refinery sector. The faction stated that when the parliamentary meeting resumes, it expects concrete answers and supporting documentation rather than what it described as unrealistic promises.
The party concluded that history will judge who raised the right questions at a critical moment and who chose to remain silent.