Monrovia — The Civil Service Agency said that the institution is putting into place a reform strategy aimed at retiring employees this year.
CSA Director-General Josiah Joekai, at the Information Ministry special press briefing over the weekend, said the entity and the National Social Security and Welfare Corporations are currently working to strengthen internal procedures to reform the retirement process of civil servants to ensure the smooth transitioning of eligible employees from the civil service payroll to the pension payroll of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP).
Mr. Joekai stressed that there are over one thousand employees who have been identified to be retired, all from 30 of the 103 spending entities.
"We have identified about 1,500 employees, representing only 30 ministries, agencies and commissions who are now eligible for retirement," CSA Director-General added.
The CSA boss noted that his team are also working with other relevant entities of the government to submit retirement listings, on or before the 17th of July 2024.
According to him, it will eventually increase the total number of the already 1,500 employees eligible for retirement in Fiscal Year 2024.
He said following the submission of retirement listings by outstanding spending entities, all impacted personnel designated for retirement in 2024 will cease to work as of July 31, 2024.
Recognizing the challenges of transitioning from a life of active service to one of far less activity and income, the Civil Service boss said the Civil Service Human Resources Policy Manual, Section 60 2(d) provides for the payment of Handshake Packages to retirees and the provision of guidance and counseling to prospective retirees to help encourage a positive attitude to retirement and to relieve the uncertainty and worries employees may have adding that the guidance and counseling session of the CSA is also intended to facilitate their planning for the future.
He noted "The payment of retirement pension by NASSCORP plays a key role in relieving them of some financial burdens. Although the payment of these benefits has worked for several years, key gaps remain with implementation."
Director-General Joekai named the disbursement of the handshake package and retirement pension benefits are often fraught with delays, and the pre-retirement counseling is seldom sufficient to address the extent of preparation that is required to transition to a completely different phase of life something he said his administration will endeavor.
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Meanwhile, the CSA boss disclosed that concerned employees will stay at home in August, September, and October 2024, but will be paid their salaries on a handshake basis for the three months.
"We plan to formally retire them and remove them from the GoL payroll beginning November 2024." He asserted.
At the same time, the CSA, in partnership with NASSCORP, plans to offer nationwide pre-retirement counseling and motivational workshops for prospective retirees by mid-August 2024.
Josiah Joekai informed the gathering that the approved timelines for the workshops and all other reform strategies on retirement will be officially communicated to the entities concerned on or before July 25, 2024.
He therefore called on all those involved in the retirement process to remain calm and ensure that their benefits and other related causes will be taken care of.
