NETHERLANDS ANTILLES: Draft Pension Law Endangers Fund

PHILIPSBURG, ST.MAARTEN,Netherlands Antilles (Daily Herald) November 25, 2005: St. Maarten Democratic Party (DP) won’t support the old age pension (AOV) draft law supported by the opposition parties on federal level, because it is “discriminatory,” said Marcel Gumbs, Member of Parliament, on Thursday. DP will work on a “responsible” proposal that won’t endanger the fund. DP leaders stressed that it was not about a difference of opinion that pensioners should or should not receive a higher allowance. “It has to do with coming to a responsible solution that will not jeopardise the survivability of the fund,” she said. “We are in favour of increasing the old age pension. We are very much aware that NAf. 536 is not enough. But if we do something, we have to do it right,” stated Buncamper-Molanus. She explained that the law proposal of PLKP MPs Marco de Castro and Philip “Fifi” Nieuw, dating back to the Parliamentary year 2002-2003 when PLKP was still part of the cabinet, was based on a sliding scale. If the pensioner’s income is under NAf. 1,000, the remainder will be added to balance the amount to that amount. Gumbs distinguished the pensioners as recipients “A” and “B.” Recipient A is the person who contributed to the AOV all his/her working life and whose AOV payment is his/her only source of income when reaching the pensionable age. That person, through the DP Executive Council, has been receiving NAf. 1,100, he said. Recipient B is the person who has contributed all his/her working life and receives NAf. 536 plus other income through work or income of rent. According to Gumbs, the supplement paid to “recipient A” by St. Maarten’s government is such a “good thing” that other islands have decided to follow St. Maarten’s example. Curaçao is introducing a supplement of NAf. 100, while Bonaire is looking at a similar construction. According to Gumbs, the PLKP proposal won’t benefit group A in St. Maarten because government is already supplementing the allowance of NAf. 536, making it NAf. 1,100 per month. Gumbs said the PLKP law proposal, supported by FOL, DP-Bonaire and National Alliance (NA), was “discriminatory” because it would only benefit “recipient A” and neglect “recipient B” who also has paid AOV premiums and who has a right to an allowance as well. “We have to look out for the elderly and make sure that pension is guaranteed for the future,” she said. She explained that while there was a surplus at this time, with more persons active in the work force and contributing to the AOV fund because of St. Maarten’s economic growth, it is “very unfortunate” that the matter was being “used in such a cheap political fashion.” Copyright ©1998-2005 The Daily Herald