In a letter dispatched to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, the Democratic Party points out what in the party’s belief is a case of misleading parliament and the people of St. Maarten.
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The decision to raise the pension age to 62 has been taken quite some time ago by the
(former) government of St. Maarten. This measure was also based on many recommendations to sustain the general pension fund.
Given this fact, the previous council of ministers engaged the unions to come to an understanding regarding the increased pension age for civil servants. This agreement with the civil service unions was eventually arrived at.
Cognizant of this fact, many civil servants who are approaching the age of sixty, were anticipating the increase in the pension age and the possibility for those who are able and willing, to continue working for 2 more years. This would have been done structurally and objectively.
“It has gone completely quiet on that front”, states DP Leader and former Prime Minister, Sarah Wescot-Williams. She is therefore requesting Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to inform the entire civil service corps where this matter stands today and what the prospects are for those persons who currently wish to make use of the pension age increase and work 2 years longer.
It is not too long ago that the CFT put the blame for this obvious procrastination at the doors of government and parliament.
The DP leader in her letter further stated: “I care to add that government’s response dated January 26, 2015 to my question on this very topic, was misleading, to put it mildly. For government to have stated in January that “draft legislation to increase the pensionable age to 62 was submitted to Parliament” only unjustly promotes the feeling that Parliament is neglecting its duties as the legislative body for this country”.
