Folks,
This is something from the Daily Observer. I am not an expert on the civil service in the Gambia but you wonder what impact it would have on the rate of recruitment at a time when our newly created University and the many vocational training centers are churning out hundreds of young kids for the workforce each year.

Malanding Jaiteh

Official: retirement age now 60
By Alhagie Jobe & Sanna Jawara
Apr 5, 2004, 09:08

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Members of the National Assembly Thursday unanimously amended the Retiring Age Bill tendered under a certificate of urgency. The primary purpose of the bill was to raise strategy retirement age from 55 years to 60 years.

In tabling the bill before the House, the Vice President said the bill is very timely because of the high attrition rate and the eroding skills and expertise particularly in the management, administration and technical domains.

These, she said, are major concerns in civil service reforms. She said adjusting the retirement age from 55 to 60 years will to a large extent address the apprent deficiency in manpower requirements of the civil service.

She said Senegal and Ghana have increased the retirement age to 60 years and that major international bodies such as the United Nations, “have fixed their retirement age at 62 years and 65 years as well with the consideration of the maturity, sex and experiences of middle age persons in organisational decision-making, social, political and economic accuracy and other geo-political considerations.”
After the passage of the bill, the vice president said the Personnel Management Office, (PMO) responsible for human resources management issues in the public service, will fully implement the requirements of the law.

In supporting the motion, the National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum, Hamat Bah, said the bill was non-controversial and since it was issued under a certificate of urgency, called on members to amend it. He continued by appealing to government to make those civil servants who are to be retired but are not tired to be retained.

Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Member for Serrekunda East, in his contribution, said “We should make our elderly people to plan well for their retirement when they are in service. Old people working now should have planned so that after retiring, they can sustain themselves.”

Halifa Sallah, Member for Serrekunda Central said in many societies, reducing the working hours and retirement are taken for granted. “As a result, many of the people have the capacity to be productive. Provision should be made to make sure that those retiring at the age of 50 years go with something,” the former Social Welfare official said.
© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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