THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD - The approximately 30,000 customers of the insurance company Ennia in Curaçao and Sint Maarten can rest assured about their pensions.
State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Alexandra Van Huffelen, stated this afternoon in a conversation with Caribbean media that retirees can be certain about their retirement provisions. At present, the Netherlands is working together with the governments of both countries to find a solution for the liquidity shortage at the insurer placed under the supervision of the Central Bank, the minister announced.
Van Huffelen did not provide details on how the estimated shortfall of 600 to 700 million will be covered. It is clear that Curaçao and Sint Maarten themselves do not have the means to fill the gap. The issue is part of the ongoing negotiations for the refinancing of the COVID-19 loans, which are set to expire on October 10.
The cash shortfall at Ennia occurred because the Iranian-American owner/businessman, Ansary, drained the company under the watch of the Central Bank. He has been ordered by the court to repay over one billion, but has appealed the decision. The ruling, initially scheduled for June 6, has been indefinitely postponed by the Court of Appeals.