Since the end of November and during public meetings on December 15, 16, and 17, Parliamentarian Endy Croes asked several questions to Minister Dowers regarding a scandal in the tender process for the purchase of gasoline, low sulfur diesel, and jet fuel for Aruba.
According to the information and documents available to the Parliamentarian, there is a major scandal that could cost the RDA/FMSA and Aruba a lot of money and could not be prevented in court. To prevent this, Parliamentarian Croes asked the Minister of Energy several questions, including whether he is aware of what has been happening since July 25 of this year within the FMSA/RDA.
Unfortunately, Dowers did not answer and also avoided Parliament. However, after the December 17 meeting, Croes sent additional questions to Dowers on December 19 about the issue. Given the situation, Parliamentarian Croes feels that Dowers has also started avoiding Parliament. According to Croes, perhaps Gerlien Croes “infected” Dowers with the “virus” of 2025.
What happened in Parliament:
Parliamentarian Croes asked Minister Dowers on several occasions between December 15 and 17 during public meetings whether Dowers is aware of a scandal in RDA/FMSA regarding the process for purchasing clean fuels such as gasoline, low sulfur diesel, and jet fuel. He also asked if Dowers is aware of the RFP (tender) process that started on July 25, 2025, organized by FMSA experts.
He asked whether Dowers is aware that a company called “Trafigura” had been notified that it won and was scheduled to arrive in Aruba on October 13. He asked if Dowers knows that the expert commission advised canceling the contract with Citgo, which was canceled according to the FMSA council via a letter sent to Citgo on October 3, 2025. He also asked if Dowers is aware that a company called Novum, which “did not participate” in the tender process that started on July 25, was later asked to submit an offer. This offer was submitted on October 17, 2025, after the tender had closed and a winner had already been announced.
Dowers avoids answering in Parliament:
Minister Dowers did NOT answer any questions. He constantly referred to 32 questions that Croes had submitted in writing, saying he would answer them in writing and refusing to provide Parliament with information. Later, Dowers claimed that Novem only sells fuel oil and not clean fuels, while Croes explained that he has proof and a copy of Novum’s offer from October 17, 2025.
Finally, Parliamentarian Croes told Dowers that if he checks Novum’s website, he can verify that what he told Parliament is not accurate, as Novum does sell clean fuels. Friends of Dowers, who were appointed in the RDA, may be behind this.
Dowers constantly chooses not to answer:
Parliamentarian Croes warned Dowers that he would ask again whether Trafigura officially won the tender and had been informed accordingly. The MEP faction warned Dowers that if RDA/FMSA initiates another parallel process, it could have serious consequences for Aruba. On the international market, transparency and integrity are being shaken, and Aruba’s credibility is being strongly questioned. Our energy security could be at risk, and the people of Aruba may end up paying very high prices for gasoline and other products due to the manipulation by Dowers’ friends. In the end, Minister Dowers must take responsibility. We await Dowers’ answers as soon as possible. A request to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for an investigative inquiry in the first week of January is not excluded, given how serious it is that Dowers is hiding information and refusing to answer. The situation is alarming!