WILLEMSTAD - According to the Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW) Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia, a plan is underway to introduce a system where social card users can use a bank card to do their shopping in the future. This announcement came today during a press conference in response to the news from the supermarkets that they will no longer accept the social card as a method of payment from June 19.
The minister says she also read the letter from lawyer Achim Henriquez who represents the 16 supermarkets and indicates that a system will be introduced in July to replace the social card.
The minister says it will be more like a normal bank card and indicates that this "will remedy all the objections that the supermarkets have with the current system". The minister concludes that both the supermarkets and the government should be satisfied with this solution.
The minister thanked the supermarket association for the support it has given the government over the past year and emphasizes that users should be able to use their pass anonymously and at all supermarkets on the island. "Every user of the social card has the right to use a bank card in any supermarket without anyone knowing that he or she is dependent on government support to feed himself and her family," the minister said.
Support recipients will receive the benefit on their bank account on Friday June 25 and the money for job seekers and former Red Cross card users who are registered with the Ministry of SOAW will be added on July 5.