Pension Funds of the Netherlands Antilles not treating islands equally

President of the Saba Civil Servants Social Association Mr. Dave Levenstone said that on Monday morning he forwarded a letter to the Minister of Finance of the Netherlands Antilles, Drs. Ersillia de Lannoy informing her that he has taken note that a representative of the General Pension Funds of the Netherlands Antilles (APNA) will be conducting a information session on St. Maarten on Monday evening.

Levenstone said that he pointed out to the Minister that civil servants on Saba and also St. Eustaius are also members of the APNA and if any information is being shared that civil servants on both islands should be also incorporated in the discussions. Any changes whatsoever that will be implemented will also affect civil servants on both islands. 

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He said that he is calling on the Minister to also have Saba and Statia included in any discussions regarding the APNA. He also pointed out to the minister that some may want to believe that Saba is not part of the Netherlands Antilles any longer, but up until now many civil servants on Saba still consider themselves to be proud Antilleans and we will demand that we be treated equally until that day comes when we are no longer part of the Netherlands Antilles.

I have also called on the Minister to have someone from the FZOG visit Saba as there are many questions that the retired civil servants will have for the FZOG and how these retired people are being treated. Levenstone said that there are many complaints about the FZOG and it seems that nobody cares about our senior civil servants that has served the country and the island for many years.

Levenstone said that he will now await a response form the Minister and he do not intend to keep this matter unsolved. If they could visit St. Maarten to gave information why hasn’t they included Saba and Statia? We contribute just like the civil servants on St. Maarten. Furthermore I don’t think that we should have to beg for them to visit Saba on a regular basis. On their own they should visit the islands at least twice a year to meet with their members, after all we make our contributions on monthly basis, although we are aware that our monies are not being transferred in the manner that it should be, but that does not take away the fact that we are contributing. I have been contributing for nearly 30 years to the APNA and has never had the opportunity to sit down with them on Saba to discuss any matters pertaining to my future pension. I didn’t even know that there is a Representative on the island of St. Maarten until today Monday.