WILLEMSTAD - In a press release, Giselle Mc William, the current leader of the MAN party, stated that Curaçao is currently the poorest country in the Kingdom, with approximately 40% of the population living in poverty. 

Mc William highlighted that, on top of this dire economic situation, the people of Curaçao recently had to contribute 30 million florins over 30 years, and the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) 15 million florins over 50 years, to save the pensions of ENNIA. 

"This money could have been used to increase AOV pensions or invested in education and social development," Mc William pointed out. 

The MAN leader criticized the consideration of a 'benchmark' for the high salaries of the Central Bank's directors, noting that no similar consideration is given for increasing AOV pensions, social benefits, minimum wages, and restoring the purchasing power of the people of Curaçao. 

"There is no consideration for investing in the healthcare budget due to a supposed lack of funds, yet because the Central Bank failed in its supervisory role as mandated by law, we have to pay 1.65 billion florins!" Mc William exclaimed. 

She also mentioned that Parliament has already passed the “top incomes” law, which includes the salaries of the Central Bank directors. The law states that the maximum annual salary for directors can be 386,000 florins per year. 

"Given the poverty situation and lack of funds for people to live a dignified life, as well as the developments and supervisory failures by the Central Bank in GiRO and ENNIA, which the public has to bear the burden of, we find this indecent proposal unacceptable in a country facing so many financial challenges and household poverty," Mc William concluded. 

The statement reflects the growing discontent among the population regarding financial mismanagement and the prioritization of high salaries over essential social investments.