Aruba Tourism Authority contract faces conflict‑of‑interest probe

During a public parliamentary session on waste‑management policy, MP Endy Croes challenged Minister Wendrick Cicilia over a contract worth 2.1 million florin per year that the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) awarded to the company Ecotech for the permanent waste zone project “Baki den Bario” in Barcadera. Croes argued the deal violated Article 21 of the ATA law and the 2026 public‑tendering regulation, which require an open tender for projects exceeding 200,000 florin.

He also raised a conflict of interest because ATA board chair Jo‑Anne Arends, who signed the approval request, is an employee of Meta Corp, the owner of Ecotech. Croes noted that the state waste operator Serlimar was excluded and that waste‑management falls outside ATA’s core responsibilities. The minister gave no direct response to the accusations.