SABA–Workers in the Caribbean Netherlands islands of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire will take home more money in their pockets from January 2020.
Income in these islands will increase as of January 1, 2020. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment will raise the minimum wage in Bonaire by 6.2 per cent, in Saba by 5.3 per cent and in St. Eustatius by 2.7 per cent. Inflation is included in this. The amounts of the various benefits will also increase.
Parents and guardians will also receive more child benefit in 2020. For Bonaire, this amount will be US $83 per child per month, for Saba $84 and for St. Eustatius $85. From 2020, there will also be a supplement for fully and permanently disabled people and for those entitled to old age pension AOV. With this supplement, their income per month will at least equal the statutory minimum wage, it was stated in a press release.
“The government has indicated in their agreement that the priority for the Caribbean Netherlands is to improve the economic perspective. To achieve this, incomes must go up and the cost of living must go down,” according to the release.
At the beginning of 2019, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment introduced a first package of measures to increase the statutory minimum wage, child benefit and social relief. Employers’ premiums were also reduced, giving them room to increase employee wages. With the measures taken as of January 1, 2020, the Ministry will be introducing a next package.
The final amounts will be published in the Staatscourant. The new amounts for benefits and minimum wages for 2020 can also be found at
www.rijksdienstcn.com.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92427-minimum-wages-benefits-in-caribbean-netherlands-to-increase-from-jan-2020
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