Central Government revokes
salary hike, new pension deal
WILLEMSTAD--The Council of Ministers has decided to revoke the proposed hike in salaries and new pension agreement for Members of the Island Council and Executive Council in Curaçao. The decision of the Island Council on June 28 to approve the hike is against the general interest of the Netherlands Antilles, Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage said.
Approval of the salary increase immediately sparked widespread criticism from political parties and various sectors in Curaçao. Consequently, Lt. Governor Lisa Richards-Dindial did not sign off and publish the island ordinance.
De Jongh-Elhage informed that the advice the Central Government received from the Advisory Council indicated that the island ordinance was against penal laws of the Netherlands Antilles, the Island Regulation Netherlands Antilles ERNA and the general interest.
The Advisory Council stated that impartiality must be guaranteed when dealing with issues such as salary increase and new pension regulations. Conflict of interest may not influence the decision taking.
The ERNA has provision to avoid conflict of interest, the Advisory Council stated. Based on the advice, the Central Government decided to publish a federal ordinance on Thursday in which it’s stated that the island ordinances were against several laws and the general interest, and that the decision of Dindial not to publish the ordinance was based on justified grounds.
