THE HAGUE–The Dutch Government did not make the May 1 deadline to publish the research report to set a benchmark for the social minimum in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. More time is needed to allow the Governments to share their view on the draft report.
Dutch State Secretary of Social Affairs and Labour Tamara van Ark on Tuesday informed the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament of the delay. The State Secretary didn’t provide a time as to when the draft report would be published and sent to Parliament.
The research company that has carried out the assessment completed the draft integral report late April. The report has been sent to the members of the sounding-board group, consisting of representatives of the Dutch Government and the Public Entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.
According to Van Ark, the input of the sounding-board group is important to “determine the factual accuracy, completeness and consistency.” The State Secretary said it was also possible that there were additional questions for the research office.
“I don’t want to set a hard term to the turn-around time of this final phase, especially because I want to give the representatives of the Public Entities in the sounding-board group the time that they need to review the draft report, also considering their available capacity. This is essential in light of the importance of the public support for the report’s conclusions,” Van Ark stated.
The State Secretary further informed Parliament that the research report on the benchmark for the Caribbean Netherlands social minimum would be sent to the First and Second Chambers when the Dutch Government had formulated its official reaction to the report. Parliament had asked to receive this formal reaction before June 1.
The research to set a benchmark for the social minimum has been carried out on the insistence of the Dutch Parliament, especially the First Chamber. The social welfare allowances, including the elderly pension AOV and the minimum wage, are deemed too low for people to properly sustain themselves. This in turn contributes to poverty, which has been on the rise since the islands became Public Entities of the Netherlands in 2010.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/76207-publication-islands-social-minimum-report-delayed
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