Government raises civil service retirement age from 65 to 70, maximum years service from 20 to 30

The government has increased the retirement age for civil servants with effect from January 01, 2025 to seventy years.

Previously, members of the civil service were required to retire from the civil service at 65.

These changes are detailed in Statutory Instrument 197 of 2024, which is cited as the Public Service (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No. 3). The regulations state:

IT is hereby notified that the Public Service Commission, in terms of section 31 of the Public Service Act [Chapter 16:04] and with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, has made the following regulations:-

1. These regulations may be cited as the Public Service (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No. 3).

2. These regulations shall come into effect on the 1st January, 2025.

3. The Public Service Regulations, 1992, published in Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000, are amended by the repeal of sections 17 and 18 and the substitution of-

“Pensionable age, retirement and mandatory retirement

1. (1) Subject to section 18, a member appointed on pensionable terms of service-

(a) before the effective date, may have a pensionable age of sixty-five years with option to retire at seventy- years on full pension:

Provided that any retirement after the year of sixty-fifth anniversary and before the seventieth anniversary shall be deemed to be early retirement; or

(b) on or after the effective date, shall have a pensionable age of seventy years.

(2) A member’s pensionable age shall be recorded on the member’s record of employment for pension purposes.

(3) The Paymaster shall, on the 1st June each year, provide all heads of Ministry or department with a list of members who will reach the age of sixty, sixty-five or seventy years during the ensuing year.

Retirement before reaching pensionable age

1. (1) A member may, on giving three months’ notice of retirement, be permitted by the Commission to retire before pensionable age at any time after attaining the age of sixty.

(2) The Commission may, on giving the equivalent appropriate period of notice prescribed under section 15(2) for the resignation of a member, require a member to retire on or after the date on which such member attains the age of sixty:

Provided that a member who having been a member on pensionable conditions of service immediately before the effective date, has had continuous service as such member since that date, may not be required in terms of this subsection to retire before attaining the age of seventy years.”

Meanwhile, the government has also raised the years of service to 30 up from 20 years.