It appears the PS-led government of Curaçao intends to push through the so-called 80/20 law called for by that country’s Parliament several years ago after all (see Monday paper). It regards a quota
whereby only a maximum 20 per cent of a company’s workforce may be foreign.
Whether coalition partners such as PAIS and PAR will ultimately agree with this remains very much to be seen. The majority of the island’s entrepreneurs are dead-set against the idea.
When the possibility for a similar regulation was proposed for St. Maarten, it was pointed out that implementing such across the board would prove disastrous, as the situation varies considerably within the local labour market. They decided to set some targets per sector, which turned out to be quite unrealistic in most cases.
After that followed the mandatory counterpart rule which is still to be executed. The idea was that everybody requesting to bring in non-national personnel would also have to hire a perhaps-not-yet-fully-qualified or -experienced candidate along with the expatriate, to learn the ropes and possibly take over the latter’s position when his or her temporary employment permit expired.
Here again there was much concern that indiscriminate application could have a detrimental impact on the tourism economy. Moreover, no provision had been made for the extra cost companies involved would have to incur, in terms of not just salary, taxes and social premiums, but also a work station, instruments and/or equipment, etc.
The latest plan of the William Marlin Cabinet is to actively recruit young job-seekers in the districts and try to place them as apprentices in functions that suit their possible education, interests, skills and other characteristics, with the wages to be covered by a special fund for one year. The employers in question then would put them on their payrolls if all goes well during that initial 12-month period.
It must be said, the suggestion to finance this with a small increase of the electricity tariffs and/or gasoline price was not exactly welcomed, but the reality is that people rarely enjoy having to fork over more money for anything. The good part is the intention to cooperate with St. Maarten’s business community rather than impose on it.
