The Government remains steadfast in its commitments to the island’s seniors, the Senate heard yesterday.

Crystal Caesar, the government spokeswoman for finance in the Upper House, spoke as senators approved the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Contributions and Benefits) Order 2025.

Under the order, seniors can expect a 2.7 per cent increase in their pensions this year after an adjustment for inflation.

She said it affirmed that their wellbeing remained the Government’s priority.

She added: “They work tirelessly, raised families, supported communities and laid the foundation of our progress.

“Now in their later years, it is our moral obligation to ensure they are cared for with dignity and gratitude.”

In Bermuda, retirees receive a combination of social insurance benefits from the Contributory Pensions Fund and a mandatory occupational pension from their employer.

Ms Caesar said that, ideally, the social insurance benefit would provide a first-tier, or basic, pension, to be supplemented by the occupational pension as a second tier.

However, she said some retirees were relying solely on the social insurance benefit.

She added: “The situation could be better, and the Government continues to work to ensure that seniors who rely heavily on the social insurance benefits have a dependable resource.”

Marcus Jones, the Opposition leader in the Senate, gave the One Bermuda Alliance’s support.

Senators then approved the Parliamentary Election Amendment Act 2025, giving the Parliamentary Registrar power to appoint staff.

Mischa Fubler, a government senator, called it a key step in the reorganisation of the registry, keeping it “appropriately resourced to fulfil its critical mandate of administering elections and maintaining the Parliamentary Register”.

Mr Fubler said it came at a time of increasing public expectations for electoral reform and modernisation.

Senators also approved the Building Amendment Bill 2025, which “amends the procedure for making regulations under the Building Act 1988 by replacing the affirmative resolution procedure with the negative resolution procedure to enable the Department of Planning to more efficiently establish qualifications and industry standards for the building trades”.