Retirement age of public employees.A parliamentary committee is considering decreasing the mandatory retirement age from the current 60 years to 55 years in order to give young people a chance to work in the public sector.
On Thursday, August 3, it was reported that an amendment to the planned law setting a 55-year retirement age would be tabled as part of the Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which is now being reviewed by the Labour Committee of the National Assembly.
Benjamin Gathiru, the member of parliament for Embakasi Central, plans to amend the current Act to make it so that no officer can serve in an acting capacity for longer than six months.
Retirement age of public employees.
Five Key Reasons Why Legislators Propse Retirement Age Reduced to 55 Years.
1. Creating more opportunities for young people:
MPs want to reduce the retirement age of civil servants to 55 in order to provide more employment opportunities for young people in the public sector. By retiring older employees, it allows for new job openings that can be filled by the younger generation.
2. Addressing the demands of civil servants: Some MPs believe that the jobs of civil servants are less strenuous compared to other professions, and therefore, a lower retirement age is justifiable. This would enable civil servants to retire earlier and potentially enjoy a longer retirement period.
3. Financial implications for the government: The proposal to reduce the retirement age raises concerns about increased financial pressure on the government. With more civil servants retiring earlier, it may result in higher pension payments, adding to the existing struggles of the government to meet pension costs.
4. Promoting qualified individuals in acting roles: The bill also includes provisions for acting appointments in public offices. It specifies that only qualified individuals can serve in those roles, ensuring that the right candidates are selected to temporarily fill important positions within the public sector.
5. Supporting the youth: MPs advocating for an even lower retirement age than 55 aim to further benefit the youth by creating even more job opportunities. This would allow the younger generation to enter the workforce earlier and contribute to the public sector.
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