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~ Seniors association hopes for other positive developments ~

PHILIPSBURG--President of the St. Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association (SMSPA) Patricia Flanders has shared that seniors were very thankful for GEBE NV's recently implemented Senior Relief Programme. GEBE bills, she said, were an issue worth tackling for the seniors who are faced with low pensions and high costs of living.

"The seniors were very happy; some did not have to pay a penny." She said that a few came up to her and hugged her, thanking her for pushing the issue.

The programme has had mixed reactions both before and after its implementation, because it does not benefit everyone. It was referred to as "discriminatory" by the Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU), which asserts that all consumers deserve relief. WICLU First Vice-President Claire Elshot contended during a September 4 press conference that GEBE NV's concession stipulated that it should not have discriminatory practices.

Although Flanders knows that not everyone is on board with the idea, she said she is happy that it finally happened. She is also in favour of a general relief programme that would provide a discount to consumers across the board, but the senior advocate says "we have to start somewhere." She added that many seniors are not able to depend on family members.

She hopes that the relief does not stop in January, and plans to approach GEBE's board in November to discuss future plans. She said she hopes for a smooth continuation or transition, which would be much better than a new pilot programme for another project.

Besides a general relief programme that had been proposed in July, but not yet established, Flanders says she is also looking forward to another initiative by GEBE NV, which is its plan to provide energy-saving light bulbs to seniors and carry out a community awareness programme to promote them.

Concerning other issues related to seniors, Flanders hopes that, among other things, the raising of pension can be a priority with the new government, as well as mobility issues and other forms of discount.

The SMSPA is currently working on trying to provide two forms of discounts: supermarket and telecommunications. Flanders said that Le Grand Marché and Cake House are offering a 5 per cent discount to seniors, and she hopes that other establishments will join. The association will soon follow up with the two stores on behalf of its new members.

Flanders plans to approach telecommunications companies as well, to see what kind of arrangements seniors may be able to benefit from.

The SMSPA is also looking forward to a senior transportation project, which has already run its pilot phase. Flanders said that she understood that there was some sort of bottleneck in the project, but that it should be commencing soon.

The senior activity centre at the John Larmonie Centre was described as very active, and a good place for seniors to get out of the house and enjoy each other's company. Most visitors hear about the centre through word-of-mouth. The busiest days are Monday and Friday, where the centre is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and the centre is also open Thursdays, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

She added that volunteers are hard to come by, as many are willing to work, but also need the money. Flanders herself, who has been heavily involved for some 11 years, is working on a completely voluntary basis. She repeated her gratitude towards GEBE NV for the relief, as well as the St. Maarten Development Foundation, whose support she said was very important to the SMSPA.