> PENSION COUNCIL
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Pension council member Remy Toet:
“Think carefully about the future of the fund”
How does the Bpf Koopvaardij board function? What decisions does it make, and why? What could be improved? The pension council issues an opinion or recommendation on these questions. Remy Toet is a member of the pension council and looks back on 2024.
Remy Toet (67) has been on the pension council for a year now and had to hit the ground running, with everything related to the new pension scheme. Fortunately, he is interested in the subject and is not afraid to speak his mind. “That's because I was born in Rotterdam.”
The pension council believes the board has a serious and clear approach. “We are positive about the work of the board,” said Remy. “We are kept well informed and can ask anything. We are also allowed to hire experts from outside the pension fund to provide us with explanations.”
New pension rules The most important item on the pension council's agenda? The new pension rules The fund plans to switch to those new rules on 1 January 2026. The fund's assets, now one large pot, will then be divided among all members. The pension council ensures that this distribution is fair and balanced. Remy: “We have to keep the interests of all groups in mind. And the distribution must be carried out in accordance with the law and the rules of, among others, the Dutch Central Bank.” Some groups receive extra attention, such as people who retire just before or after the switch. Advice from the pension council to the board: provide calculation examples for these groups in good time. This will enable them to make a well-informed decision about when to start claiming their pension.”
Merger or collaboration Other topics addressed by the pension council in 2024 included differences between people within the fund, communication with members and good governance. The future of the fund was also discussed. The fund's members are relatively old: there are quite a few pensioners and relatively few young seafarers. This is a problem because it means that the fund has to pay out a lot of pensions, while at the same time receiving few contributions to invest. “We advised the board to look closely at the future of the fund. This way, we can be sure that everyone will have a pension in the long term at acceptable administrative costs. A collaboration or merger would be a possibility. That could strengthen our financial position.”
The pension council's latest advice to the board is on sustainability. “We know that the board is mindful of this. Investments in funds and products that are good for the environment are always a trade-off between profit and sustainability. We advised the board to continue to pay extra attention to this. After all, you can give your pensioners a good pension, but there also has to be a world in which that pension is of any use to them.” ←
About the pension council
The pension council of Bpf Koopvaardij consists of representatives of current and former employees, pensioners and employers. The pension council reviews the board's policies and policy choices and advises the board. The pension council has enhanced advisory powers regarding the new pension rules and the Future Pensions Act.