WILLEMSTAD – According to Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath, the negotiating parties have failed to reach an agreement on an addendum with amendments to the Heads of Agreement that was signed between the Curaçao government and the Chinese State Company Guangdong Zhenrong Energy (GZE).
The Prime Minister also indicated that the negotiations will continue.
Recently, representatives of the GZE were on the island to negotiate the takeover of the Curaçao oil refinery.
There were rumors that the GZE representatives left the negotiating table after certain disagreements. The Prime Minister emphatically denies that. Rhuggenaath did admit that the GZE representatives were disappointed with the absence of an agreement.
The next step is for the Government of Curaçao to put on paper all the questions it has for the Chinese company. GZE is in favor of constructing a new refinery at Bullenbaai. However, the government and parliament are advocates of modernizing the refinery at Schottegat.
GZE has undertaken to conduct a technical investigation into the possibility of renewing the refinery and its feasibility, as a feasibility study for a new refinery at Bullenbaai
The Prime Minister indicated that if the investigations show that it is better to build a new refinery and not to modernize the current one, then parliament has to decide that.
Rhuggenaath was not able to give more information about what the points of conflicts are between the parties. He did say that later this year he will travel to China to continue talks on the agreement. Meanwhile, a delegation consisting of members of the Multi-Disciplinary Project Team (MDPT) and the public company Refineria di Korsou (Curaçao Refinery) will travel to China to continue talking about the addendum to the Heads of Agreement. This delegation was invited by the Chinese government.
The government only wants what’s best for Curaçao, said the Prime Minister. The government has asked for time because once a decision has been made, it is difficult to return.
Bron: CuracaoChronicle