WILLEMSTAD - During the first round of the public meeting, which was finally convened after 114 days regarding the indexation and financing of the AOV (General Old Age Pension) and was suspended again today, the Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP) faction demonstrated how the Pisas-III Cabinet is committing an injustice against the elderly of Curaçao. Under the pretext of a 'National Covenant' signed last December, the Government is attempting to buy off the legal rights of our pensioners with a lump sum that does not cover the 23% loss in purchasing power. According to PNP parliamentarians, the Government is playing with words to confuse the public and is leaving our elderly behind, while others receive benefits.
PNP faction in Parliament
Faction Leader Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia pointed out the unacceptable contradiction within the Government itself. "The Minister of SOAW admits that indexation is in the law and must be paid, but the Minister of Finance denies this and sends our elderly to fight in court. If a government cannot put their heads together to understand an article of the law, how can they run a country?" Larmonie-Cecilia asked. The PNP emphasized that Article 7 of the National Ordinance on AOV is not an option, but a legal mandate that requires indexation whenever there is economic growth.
Member of Parliament Ornelio 'Kid' Martina questioned the priorities of the MFK Cabinet. "When the 20,000 policyholders of ENNIA had to be saved, all taxpayers were made to contribute for 30 years. Why can't we now help our elderly, who for years were the pillars of our community? Civil servants are given a 'bashi premie' (bonus), but our pensioners do not get what they are rightfully entitled to." Martina demanded to know what measures the Government will take to generate money for the pension funds.
Member of Parliament Ruisandro Cijntje described the covenant signed by the Government as extremely cruel, referring to it as a "stranglehold contract". "Setting a condition that there must be 2% economic growth in order to index in the future is cruel. We have barely seen this level of growth since 2013, which means our elderly will stagnate."
Cijntje requested an expansion of the 'makutu básiko' (basic shopping basket) to help seniors cope with the high cost of living. He also questioned why the Government tells pensioners to go to court for a difference of 55 guilders, while the Minister of Finance claims there is plenty of money. "If indexed according to the law, the amount should be 1055 guilders," Cijntje emphasized.
Members of Parliament Ornelio 'Kid' Martina and Ruisandro Cijntje strongly condemned the moral hypocrisy of this Cabinet. While telling pensioners and civil servants that there is no money, ministries are spending public funds on luxurious parties at the WTC and large resorts.
"Our elderly are struggling to survive on 1000 guilders, which is far below the poverty line of 1549 guilders established by the IMF. At the same time, leaders of this country are partying with the people's money. We have entered an era where the government takes from the most vulnerable, even borrowing from the 'onderstand' (welfare) fund, to cover up their own mistakes. This is unacceptable," Larmonie-Cecilia declared in Parliament.
Larmonie-Cecilia questioned how it can be guaranteed that the SVB (Social Insurance Bank) is not running a massive legal risk by executing payments based on a covenant without a corresponding legal amendment approved by Parliament.
The PNP leader also recalled the Cft (Board of Financial Supervision) warning that there is no structural coverage and that the swing fund (schommelfonds) could be depleted by 2029. She defended her previous policy as Minister of SOAW: "In the MFK-PNP Government, we sat down with the SVB and SOAB. When the conclusion was that there was no money to index, we did not create fantasies; instead, we increased the allowance for the most vulnerable by 30%."
"AOV is a sensitive topic. We have an aging population and a pay-as-you-go system that is unbalanced. We cannot just sign a covenant to ignore the reality of the funds. The PNP continues to stand for integrity, transparency, and genuine support," the PNP Faction concluded.
The PNP Faction does not accept the covenant as a "favor." The PNP demands:
1. Immediate execution of Article 7 of the AOV for the years 2021-2024.
2. Clarity from the Minister of Finance on how the Swing Fund will be saved without raising taxes.