MP Lacroes Calls for National Assessment on Whether a minimum pension can be established on St. Maarten – StMaartenNews.com – News Views Reviews

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Member of Parliament Francisco A. Lacroes has formally
requested Government to provide a comprehensive assessment of Sint Maarten’s pension system,
raising growing concerns about whether many pensioners are still able to meet the basic cost of
living after retirement.

In a letter submitted to the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, MP
Lacroes requested detailed financial, actuarial, demographic, and legal information related to
both the pension structure administered through Social & Health Insurances SZV and the
contributory pension system managed by Algemeen Pensioenfonds Sint Maarten.

According to MP Lacroes, the request is not about attacking the current system, but about
honestly assessing and aligning the reality pensioners are facing today.

“We have people who worked their entire lives, contributed for decades, and now find
themselves struggling with groceries, electricity, medication, and rent,” MP Lacroes stated. “At
some point, we have to ask ourselves a simple question. Is the system giving our people enough
to live with dignity?”

The request seeks information on life expectancy trends, projected growth in the pensioner
population, pension adequacy, actuarial sustainability, reserve levels, and the long term
feasibility of establishing a legally guaranteed minimum pension tied to the statutory minimum
wage.

MP Lacroes explained that the issue becomes even more significant for lower income workers
whose pension outcomes are directly tied to salary levels throughout their working lives,
“Pension should not be less then our minimum wage”, he stated.

“The reality is that two people can contribute their whole lives and still retire into completely
different situations because one earned less during their working years,” he said. “This system
may be functioning as designed, but we still have a responsibility to question and challenge
whether the final outcome is enough for my people to survive.”

The parliamentary request asks Government to assess what it would cost to ensure that
pensioners do not fall below the minimum income level and whether additional Government
support mechanisms may eventually be required, clarity on whether existing laws, including the
Landsverordening Algemene Ouderdomsverzekering and the Landsverordening Algemeen
Pensioenfonds Sint Maarten, already provide mechanisms that can support stronger pension
protections, or whether legislative amendments would ultimately be required.

Importantly, MP Lacroes emphasized that this process must be based on facts, data, and proper
legal analysis before any policy direction is taken.

“This is not about making promises before understanding the numbers,” he stated. “This is about
doing the work properly, understanding where we stand, and deciding what kind of country we
want to be for the people who helped build it.”

MP Lacroes concluded by stressing that retirement should not become a period of constant
financial uncertainty for the elderly.

“At the end of the day, people are not asking for luxury. They are asking to live without fear
after giving their lives to this country. If we cannot answer whether that is possible today, then
we have a responsibility to start addressing it now.”

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