State Minister for Public Service and National Insurance Brensil Rolle speaks in the House of Assembly earlier this year.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
RETIRED civil servants who are re-engaged by the government will have their pensions stopped in a bid by the government to “unclog” the public sector, Public Service and National Insurance Minister Brensil Rolle said yesterday.
In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Rolle said the Minnis administration made the decision to revert to the practice birthed under a former Free National Movement administration to not only add structure to the public sector, but to ensure talented people have equal opportunity for promotions.
“We just reverted to the policy established by the Free National Movement in 2007 where you could not get both [pensions and salary] if you were receiving a pension and the government needed you to work,” Mr Rolle said yesterday when contacted by The Tribune. “You had to make a decision whether you wanted to continue with your pension and not work.
“For example, if your pension is $50,000 and the position that we’re offering is $70,000, we’ll pay you the difference as opposed to someone getting a salary and a pension.
“The primary reason why we are doing that is to not only add some structure to the public service but to make sure those persons who are talented in the service would get an opportunity to be promoted.”
He also said: “People are brought back and they are brought back in the case of a few senior technical officers and permanent secretaries for example with a salary of say $70,000 and say if you had served for two terms in the public service as a PS, it means that your pension would be $70,000 and if you are brought back you are brought back to a salary equal to $70,000 or a bit more than that.
“In our view that has clogged the system because there are many serving officers who could have been promoted to that position and if we cannot do without you, the position is we will assign somebody to you to be trained for the period of the contract so that when you leave there will be somebody in the service able to take over your position.”
Last month, a memorandum was circulated announcing this policy change among others.
Officers who retired before the mandatory age of retirement maybe re-employed on a temporary month-to-month term, contract or 12 months’ probation in a post scale and salary commensurate with qualifications, experience and needs of the agency, the memo stated.
In addition, these persons would have their pensions ceased during the period of re-employment on contract, temporary month-to-month terms of 12 months’ probation and if qualified to be re-appointed to the permanent and pensionable establishment, they will have their pensions recalculation in accordance with the Pensions Act on final retirement from the public service.
These officers may be considered for promotion, it said.
Regarding officers who retire at the mandatory retirement age, they may be considered for re-employment but only in exceptional cases for nurses, medical doctors, critical allied health professionals and teachers.
Such officers may only be re-employed up to age 70 if special circumstances with permission of the minister necessitates re-employment beyond this age. Other officers are only considered in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the prime minister, the memo noted.
Additionally, the pensions of these persons will cease during the time of re-employment and they may not be promoted.
Comments
DDK 7 years, 1 month ago
A baby step in the right direction!
John2 7 years, 1 month ago
And put an end to quasi government corporation contracts where senior executives and political cronies make a salary of $125,000 per year, plus $25,000 in annual allowances, and simultaneously serve as the government selection to private companies boards where they are paid up to $30,000 as a board member thus taking home easily $170,000 every year. !
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade PM, allow me address some most recent red elephants in the room. Will no double dipping also include individuals appointed to diplomatic posts? What about those posted serve on government boards who will receive financial remuneration?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
Cap every non-managerial public officer's career at 30 years ........ Re-evaluate every manager (whose career extends over 30 years) every 3 years to ensure that there is succession planning ............. make it mandatory that NO public officer can serve beyond 40 years ............... DO NOT re-hire any retired civil servant.
Socrates 7 years, 1 month ago
the argument put forward by the Minister is flawed. if you didnt need these people, they would not be reingaged. secondly, the pension is payable for service already rendered. i dont see what being reengaged has to do with your pension. just goes to prove i suppose, why salary and benefits information is meant to be confidential...
baldbeardedbahamian 7 years, 1 month ago
I trust that this will apply across the board, from top to bottom and include the governor general who presumably is receiving a salary for the post held and also the bloated pension awarded to hher husband which has cost us, the taxpayers, three and half million dollars so far.
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! Let's not forget this is the same PM Minnis and Finance Minister KP, who heads a red regime that did the impossible. They actually propped up and appointed dead cold bodies to government boards. My question. Were any paycheques actually issued by the public purse to the dead appointees....and were any cashed? {Comrades, you couldn't just make up dead appointees walking in bank to cash they government issued paycheques }.
Porcupine 7 years, 1 month ago
If we based pay on performance we would save hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
OMG 7 years, 1 month ago
Why is the Director of Education still employed 2 years after 65 and sick. Notwithstading he has made no appreciable improvement in educational results. Pension of $50,000 ?????? try $16000 a year after 37 years???
licks2 7 years, 1 month ago
He is not yet 65. . .he is 64. . .one more year to go!!
bogart 7 years, 1 month ago
While the dead may have received, it is we the taxpaying living who must question millions of taxpayers moneys spent. As for Boatd members, yes we have seen the transparency in many entities like the Bank of the Bahamas, but what about the accountability??? Investigations are needed, into the last 162 millions injected, how much money was the appraisal value of buildings and how much was the interest??? Are we the taxpayer paying for the interest these loans accjmulated that they themselves could not recover???
TheMadHatter 7 years, 1 month ago
Once again - another good move by the PM. As a DNA, every other day now it pains me (a little bit) to have something good to say about the FNM. But as a patriot (and a DNA), I am delighted to see every good move they make which help our Bahamas.
I am sure my fellow DNA's would be happy to sit on the sidelines - out of government - and watch Minnis lead our country to success and new heights. Heck - that's the easy way to do it. Being in government, making touch decisions is hard. Nice for someone else to do it and you reap the benefits. I hope he keeps up the good work.
We need to cut expenses, or else our currency will be devalued - and this is one thing that will help. Every little bit helps, and I applaud this move.
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