In a significant policy announcement, New National Party leader Kemar Stuart has unveiled the People’s Coalition for Progress (PCP) plan to radically reform Barbados’ retirement system and tax structure. Speaking at a Saturday night rally in Baxter’s Road, Stuart declared the coalition’s intention to reverse pension age requirements by lowering the eligibility threshold for citizens while increasing it for parliamentarians.
The proposed legislation would raise the pension age for Members of Parliament from 50 to 57 years, while simultaneously reducing the retirement age for the general public to 62. Stuart characterized this as a fundamental rebalancing toward equitable retirement policies. ‘We will be increasing the politician’s pension age from 50 to 57 as our first order of business,’ Stuart told supporters. ‘Meanwhile, we will be lowering the people’s age to 62 to ensure ordinary Barbadians enjoy the benefits of their National Insurance Scheme contributions.’
The PCP leader sharply criticized current government policies that he claimed were pushing retirement ages toward 70-72 years, emphasizing his party’s commitment to allowing citizens to ‘enjoy your retirement, your life, your hard work.’ Stuart invoked the principle of fairness with the declaration: ‘If it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander.’
In a related economic proposal, Stuart challenged Central Bank Governor Kevin Greenidge’s warnings against reducing the 17.5% Value Added Tax (VAT). Dismissing Greenidge’s concerns about economic stability as ‘a lie,’ Stuart revealed that VAT revenues between April and December 2025 reached $860 million, with projections exceeding $1 billion annually. He argued that a 2.5% reduction from an estimated $1.6 billion revenue pool—approximately $64 million yearly—would not adversely affect the national economy.
Stuart positioned VAT reform as a cornerstone of the PCP’s economic agenda, asserting that the current revenue strength provides sufficient cushion for targeted tax relief aimed at addressing cost of living pressures faced by Barbadian citizens.