Pension issue of Sint Maarteners residing in Holland resolved
Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius De Weever visited the Sint Maarten House on Tuesday in The Hague and met with Minister of Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges.
Voges introduced De Weever to the staff of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentary, to Vice Minister of Plenipotentiary Hon. Richard Panneflek, and he was given a tour of the building.
Minister Voges also discussed with Minister De Weever the issue of old aged pension of Sint Maarteners residing in Holland who receive the aforementioned from SVB Curacao.
The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary received numerous phone calls from pensioners who didn’t receive their full old-aged pension, and received a letter from SVB Curacao stating that due to the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, commencing October 2011, SVB Curacao would only pay for the years the person lived in Curacao, and the years worked and lived in Sint Maarten would have to be paid by SZV Sint Maarten.
Minister Voges discussed the issue with Interim Managing Director of SZV Dennis Richardson which led to the successful resolution of the matter. It was agreed that SVB Curacao would continue to pay the full old aged pension until January 2012 and thereafter SZV Sint Maarten will pay the pensioners in Holland the portion of years they lived in Sint Maarten and SVB will pay for the years the pensioner lived in Curacao.