ORANJESTAD, ARUBA — The Ombudsman of Aruba, ms. Jurima Bryson LL.M. has published the report “Het Luisterend Oog, In kader brengen van instellingen” (Dutch for “The Listening Eye”) on March 9th, 2026. In this report 564 institutions on Aruba, that fall under the National Ombudsman Ordinance, have been identified.
The four utility companies are NV Elmar, Setar N.V., Web Aruba N.V. and Serlimar Sui Generis. These were also part of the group that was identified. Because these companies offer essential services and citizens depend on these essential services, it is very important that these companies provide careful and transparent service including complaints handlings.
This report “Het Luisterend Oog” concerns an investigation conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman in the third quarter of 2025. The main objective of the investigation was to identify institutions that fall under the National Ombudsman Ordinance.
The research shows that all utility companies offer general contact options and customer service, but that a clearly defined and publicly known complaints procedure is missing.
For citizens, it is essential that it is clear how a complaint can be submitted, how it is handled, and within what time frame a response can be expected. Such a procedure contributes to trust, legal certainty, and quality of service.
The Ombudsman has sent a letter about this to all utility companies and the ministers involved, and calls upon them to introduce and publish a clear and accessible complaints procedure in the short term.
“A good complaints procedure is not a formality, but an essential part of reliable service to citizens”, said the Ombudsman.
In addition to the general recommendations in the report, the Ombudsman advised the utility companies to take a number of steps in the short term:
- Define and publish a clear and accessible complaints procedure (for example via the website or customer portal);
- Outline the steps, such as deadlines, registration, responsibilities and feedback;
- Choose one clear contact person or place for customers;
- Describe what customers can do if they are not satisfied with how their complaint has been handled and within the processing time frame;
- If applicable, define and publish the general terms and conditions, keep them up to date and easy to find;
- Ensure internal awareness and monitoring of complaints, following the recommendations in the report.
Also, there should be more clarity about how the organizations work and which laws they follow, so people can better understand how they work and who is responsible.
Also, there should be more clarity about the structure of organizations and which laws are applicable, so people can better understand how they function and who is responsible. These are concerns which the Ombudsman already raised in her letter of concern sent to prime minister Mike Eman in February of 2026.
The full report “The Listening Eye” (“Het Luisterend Oog – in kader brengen van instellingen”) and the letter of concern are available on the Ombudsman’s website, www.ombudsman.aw/en/publications/ .
The Ombudsman will continue to monitor and do follow-ups on these recommendations.
