AVP parliamentarian John Hart says a recently presented motion in Parliament regarding the General Pension Law Aruba oversight for the private sector represents an important step toward improving oversight and ensuring proper enforcement of the legislation.
According to Hart, the motion introduced by the AVP parliamentary faction aims to strengthen supervision of the pension system that currently protects approximately 38,000 employees in Aruba who fall under the Ley di Pensioen General (LAP), which was introduced in 2011.
Importance of Pension Security
The General Pension Law was created to ensure that both employers and employees contribute to a pension fund, allowing workers to maintain financial security after reaching retirement age.
Hart explained that while the law was designed to protect workers, the supervision of the system has not received sufficient attention over the past eight years.
“If the law had received the necessary priority, an authority responsible for monitoring compliance would have already been established,” Hart stated.
He also pointed out that the Sociaal Economische Raad (SER) had previously warned the government about the lack of oversight.
Previous Warnings from SER
According to Hart, the SER informed the Wever-Croes I Cabinet in 2017 that there was no entity responsible for monitoring compliance with the General Pension Law.
This gap in oversight raised concerns about whether employers were consistently fulfilling their legal obligations regarding pension contributions.
For Hart and the AVP faction, this issue required immediate attention.
Motion Calls for Official Supervisor
The motion introduced by AVP specifically urged the government to appoint a toezichthouder (supervisory authority) responsible for monitoring the implementation of the pension law.
Hart emphasized that proper supervision is essential to ensure that workers’ pension rights are respected.
“In order to maintain a balanced labor market, employees must have confidence that their pension rights are protected,” Hart said.
Government Response
The government has since announced that the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) will take on the role of supervisory authority for the General Pension Law.
Hart welcomed the decision, stating that he is pleased the government responded to the motion presented by the AVP faction.
He stressed that workers who wake up every morning to work long hours deserve the certainty that their pension contributions will result in the benefits they are legally entitled to receive once they retire.
Focus on Structural Labor Issues
Hart concluded by stating that the AVP faction in Parliament believes it is time to focus on addressing structural issues affecting Aruba’s labor market.
Strengthening pension oversight, he said, is a key step toward protecting workers’ interests while also reinforcing public trust in the country’s governance and economic systems.
