WILLEMSTAD – Charetti America-Francisca has requested two weeks to respond to more than 150 questions raised by members of the Curaçao Parliament during a debate on the indexation and financing of the AOV pension.
The questions were raised during a public parliamentary meeting held yesterday to discuss the controversial issue of AOV adjustments. The session was also attended by Gilmar Pisas and Charles Cooper.
The debate has become politically sensitive, with opposition parties accusing the government of failing to fully apply the legally required indexation of the AOV pension. According to Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia of the opposition Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP), the law clearly states that AOV benefits must be indexed and therefore the government is obligated to pay the full adjustment.
PNP parliamentarians Ornelio Martina and Ruisandro Cijntje also criticized the agreement the government reached with social partners regarding the pension issue. According to the opposition lawmakers, the proposed one-time payment does not adequately compensate retirees for their loss of purchasing power.
The political debate is unfolding while a court case related to the AOV indexation is also underway. In that case, a pensioner has filed a lawsuit against the government seeking enforcement of the indexation as prescribed by law.
A ruling in the case is expected at the end of April.