WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao government plans to reduce the benefits of Curaçao old age pension (AOV and AWW) beneficiaries who no longer live in Curaçao by 10%. That happened once in 2017.
The government (motto: “From and for the people”) wants to prevent it from having to make up for increasing deficits in the social funds from the national treasury. The argument that was put forward 5 years ago for the intervention was that former residents do not contribute to the local society.
At the time, a judge declared the discount unlawful for people living on one of the islands of the former country of the Netherlands Antilles. The measure did affect those who have always lived and worked in Curaçao and who have paid taxes and contributions for decades, but who have moved to the Netherlands after reaching retirement age, for example.
According to insiders, the deficits in the social funds are mainly caused by structural mismanagement by successive governments and public entities.