UNLIMITED OPTIONS AVAILABLE – IMPACT OF RETIREMENT POLICY
“The impact of Government’s Retirement Policy has resulted in a more efficient and effective civil service. The engagement of more highly qualified and enthusiastic young people has seen some major changes in the human resource capacity of Government.”
Those were the comments made by the Public Service Commission permanent secretary Mr Parmesh Chand, in response to recent statements made by the General Secretary of the Fiji Public Service Association regarding government’s retirement age policy.
Mr Chand said the policy was a deliberate and well-planned policy that meticulously assessed, in the first instance, how vacancies left by retirees could be filled. Mr Chand added that the establishment of the National Employment Centre also presents opportunities to identify suitable young people who could fill in the vacuum left by retirees.
Mr Chand further emphasised that the second important objective of reducing the retirement age was to enable more experienced civil servants to venture out into activities outside the civil service. He highlighted that a while large number of retirees have joined NGOs, regional and international organisations, while others have ventured into private enterprises and businesses.
As such, their experience and expertise would not have gone to waste. Some have even joined the recently launched Fiji Volunteer Service, and indeed the opportunities available to them, when the program becomes regional, are many.
Mr Chand added, that Government also has a Re-engagement Policy which caters for scarce skills, and in situations where the gap cannot be filled, these officers are re-engaged, until such time, when the relevant expertise is available.
The ultimate result, Mr Chand says, is an efficient public service workforce, a reduction in the number of unemployed youths, and the creation of new opportunities for retirees.
While the FPSA is suggesting that it is “out of options”, the result of the Retirement Policy is actually indicating that the options available are almost unlimited. When considered in its totality, the policy has been highly beneficial for a greater number of people and for Fiji, as whole.
Mr Chand stated, that as the Retirement Policy moves into its third year of
implementation, the process has been remarkably smooth. More importantly, he reiterates, that the impact has seen the civil service become more professional, efficient and vibrant, with the engagement of young people with innovative minds.
Mr Chand stressed that before the policy was enacted into law, it had undergone a consultations process that saw the inclusion of unions around the country“The impact of Government’s Retirement Policy has resulted in a more efficient and effective civil service. The engagement of more highly qualified and enthusiastic young people has seen some major changes in the human resource capacity of Government.”
“The impact of Government’s Retirement Policy has resulted in a more efficient and effective civil service. The engagement of more highly qualified and enthusiastic young people has seen some major changes in the human resource capacity of Government.”
Those were the comments made by the Public Service Commission permanent secretary Mr Parmesh Chand, in response to recent statements made by the General Secretary of the Fiji Public Service Association regarding government’s retirement age policy.
Mr Chand said the policy was a deliberate and well-planned policy that meticulously assessed, in the first instance, how vacancies left by retirees could be filled. Mr Chand added that the establishment of the National Employment Centre also presents opportunities to identify suitable young people who could fill in the vacuum left by retirees.
Mr Chand further emphasised that the second important objective of reducing the retirement age was to enable more experienced civil servants to venture out into activities outside the civil service. He highlighted that a while large number of retirees have joined NGOs, regional and international organisations, while others have ventured into private enterprises and businesses.
As such, their experience and expertise would not have gone to waste. Some have even joined the recently launched Fiji Volunteer Service, and indeed the opportunities available to them, when the program becomes regional, are many.
Mr Chand added, that Government also has a Re-engagement Policy which caters for scarce skills, and in situations where the gap cannot be filled, these officers are re-engaged, until such time, when the relevant expertise is available.
The ultimate result, Mr Chand says, is an efficient public service workforce, a reduction in the number of unemployed youths, and the creation of new opportunities for retirees.
While the FPSA is suggesting that it is “out of options”, the result of the Retirement Policy is actually indicating that the options available are almost unlimited. When considered in its totality, the policy has been highly beneficial for a greater number of people and for Fiji, as whole.
Mr Chand stated, that as the Retirement Policy moves into its third year of implementation, the process has been remarkably smooth. More importantly, he reiterates, that the impact has seen the civil service become more professional, efficient and vibrant, with the engagement of young people with innovative minds.
Mr Chand stressed that before the policy was enacted into law, it had undergone a consultations process that saw the inclusion of unions around the country.