News item | 06-10-2023 | 15:57
This is a press release from the Social Minimum Committee in the Caribbean Netherlands
Having little or no enough money to live from day to day, never being sure of your future: this is normal for many Dutch people in the special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius. To date, there is hardly an adequate social system for these islands, as we have been used to in the European part of the Netherlands for decades. This does not suit a country that has enshrined equality as a legal fundamental right for all its inhabitants.
The Social Minimum Committee of the Caribbean Netherlands has investigated how a simple and effective system for a social minimum can be introduced on these three Dutch islands. She also looked at what is needed for this. Her conclusion is that with a good budget methodology and systematic approach, a social minimum can be introduced per household type, with which the same results can be achieved as in the European part of the Netherlands. To achieve this, minimum incomes must be significantly increased. The report was presented today to Minister Carola Schouten for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions and State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen for Kingdom Relations and Digitalization.
Glenn Thodé, chairman of the Commission, says the following: “Poverty is a vicious circle. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba have approximately 11,000 inhabitants; young people, the elderly, and families with children, below the poverty line. That is a lot for a population of approximately 30,000 inhabitants. Most of them just work, but are still poor. In the event of adversity, they quickly fall to the bottom of existence, resulting in all kinds of social problems. Poverty is not normal, especially in a rich country like the Netherlands, of which these islands have been part for thirteen years. The situation has only gotten worse in recent years. That has to be different and it can be done differently.”
Solutions for a dignified social minimum
At the request of the Commission, Nibud has determined what households on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba need to make ends meet and participate in society. Price information from CBS, among others, was used for this purpose and discussions were held with experts and residents on each island. The result is a realistic representation of what a household needs as an absolute minimum in income. Wages on the islands are low, but the costs for basic needs such as housing, transport, food and clothing are high.
The difference between what currently applies and what is necessary
EA single person living in a subsidized rental home on Bonaire needs at least USD 1,517 for monthly expenses. Since October 1 this year, a single person has had 1,031 USD per month available in social assistance (comparable to social assistance). The AOV for retirees is USD 1,047. As of this year, the legal minimum wage is USD 1,236. In addition, the minimum income earners in the Caribbean Netherlands could also receive an energy allowance of the equivalent of USD 108 per month. Both working and non-working people therefore lack a lot of money every month. What makes the situation even more difficult is the lack of social housing, which means that many have to rent on the private rental market.
Cabinet commitments for next year
The committee is pleased to hear that the cabinet will allocate €30 million next year to improve the purchasing power of the residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. This money is intended, among other things, for increasing benefits in the Caribbean Netherlands in 2024. With the work of the Commission, this increase can now be determined. With this report, the Commission shows how this can be done and what other measures are needed. Since the problem of poverty in the Caribbean Netherlands is mainly a problem for the working poor, measures must also be taken to improve their position. Consider the increase in the statutory minimum wage, the reduction of certain costs and the introduction of income-related allowances.
The opportunity before us
Glenn Thodé says the following about this: “It is not complex or complicated, because there is enough room for this social minimum, as we show in our research. Poverty is a lack of basis for security. If we can lay that foundation, the opportunity for a better future will automatically arise and prosperity will increase, which is the same everywhere in the world. This is not only the concern of a Ministry such as Social Affairs and Employment or the Interior and Kingdom Relations, but it also affects other ministries, such as those of Finance, Housing, Infrastructure and the Environment and Economic Affairs and Climate and the boards of the public bodies of Bonaire. , Sint Eustatius and Saba. It is about the joint will to take steps. And finally, it should not be made more complicated than it is: there is not yet a complex system of regulations in the Caribbean Netherlands as we have in the European part of the Netherlands, so that makes simple solutions possible. And finally, in absolute terms it is not a very big problem. The population of these three islands is not even the size of an average Dutch provincial town, but for the people on the islands it is a very big problem that must be solved quickly.”
Information about the Commission:
The Caribbean Netherlands Social Minimum Committee was established in March this year following a motion by Member of Parliament Wuite (D66). The Commission’s task was to conduct research into what a number of household types need to make ends meet and to participate in society on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba respectively. They also looked at the system of the social minimum, including a possible scenario‘s and how the system can better match what a number of household types need to make ends meet and to participate in society for the broader economic context. In addition to the chairman, Dr. GAE Thodé, the committee consists of G. Berkel BSc; PRJ Comenencia MA, BF el Hage, SA Heilbron, CA Ortega-Martijn BSc, Prof. Dr. WL Roozendaal and Dr. A. Vliegenthart.