11 Aug 2015

The government will continue to explore other sustainable options in addition to incentives in place to motivate officers to opt for early retirement.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said sustainability in such context was not confined to financial matters, but also extended to retention of critical skills within the public service.

Dr Venson-Moitoi, who was answering a parliamentary question on behalf of the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, said the early retirement age for public officers was 45 whilst the mandatory retirement age was 60.

Under the present dispensation, she said when officers chose to retire after reaching 45 years, they had access to one third of their pension benefit and earned a monthly pension immediately after retirement.

“The one third payment is tax free, and therefore financial gains to public officers which are embedded in the current pension system,” she said.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said the average retirement age was currently 51.5, and that for the period 2004 to date, 702 officers opted to retire early.

She said the number did not include retirement arising out of medical reasons (averaging 39 years) and abolishment of office (averaging 41.4), which she said reflected that people were already retiring earlier than the mandatory age of 60.

Ramotswa MP, Mr Samuel Rantuana had asked the minister if time was not nigh to consider offering additional incentives for early retirement to create job opportunities for the youth. ENDS