The purchasing power of everyone on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will definitively decline as of January 1. For minimum income even up to 10%, according to Nibud’s calculations. Tonight, a large (right-wing) majority in the House of Representatives voted against the proposal of MP Don Ceder (ChristenUnie) to prevent the poverty trap.

The two amendments he had submitted to this effect received the support of GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, CDA, SP, Partij voor de Dieren, Denk, ChristenUnie and Volt. The government parties PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB voted against, as well as the factions of Forum for Democracy, SGP and JA21. With a vote of 49 in favor and 88 against, the amendments were rejected.

No extra money was needed to prevent the loss of purchasing power. The Schoof cabinet has 16 million euros for purchasing power enhancement and socio-economic structure on the shelf but does not want to decide how that money will be spent until the Spring Memorandum. By voting down the amendments, the abolition of the energy allowance for minimum wage earners and benefit recipients on 1 January cannot be compensated. On top of that, the subsidy on water and electricity will disappear for everyone.

Until the end, it was uncertain whether the NSC group would vote in favor of the amendments. That would have been obvious since Pieter Omtzigt’s party has set itself up as the guardian of livelihoods. But even with the support of NSC, there would still have been one vote too few to stop the decline in purchasing power.

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