2024 Retirement Scheme: Special Dispensation Announced for Health Workers & Teachers

The Civil Service Agency (CSA), in collaboration with the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), has ended a national pre-retirement counseling workshop and data collection exercise for government employees awaiting retirement.

The exercise, which ended on the 13th of September, recorded a total of 1,403 potential retirees across the 15 counties, including those for pre-retirement, retirement, and post-career counseling for prospective retirees.

The purpose of the exercise was to ensure that prospective pensioners/retirees phase out of active service from the government. The exercise was intended to also provide them the necessary tools and information needed for their post-retirement livelihoods.

Speaking during a press conference in Monrovia, the Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Hon. Josiah F. Joekai Jr., disclosed that as part of the 2024 retirement and pension scheme, a special dispensation will be implemented, given the difficulties in finding suitable replacements in the health and education sectors.

According to Hon. Joekai, both health workers and teachers will be given the option to retire at the mandatory age of retirement (65 years), rather than the normal age of retirement of 60 years.

“This provision aims to alleviate the stain on the two sectors and to ensure that experienced personnel can continue contributing to the well-being of society until they reach the mandatory age; the exercise covered those who were retired from the Government of Liberia (GoL) between 2017 and 2023.” Hon. Joekai added.

The CSA boss added that as part of this year’s retirement scheme, teacher retirement will occur at the end of the academic year, as prescribed by the Ministry of Education, while health workers will be notified 6 months before their retirement to provide them sufficient time for recruitment and training of replacements.

Meanwhile, Hon. Joekai said to replace the retired teachers, recruitment efforts will commence two months before the retirement dates of individuals who are scheduled to retire, while recruitment efforts to replace the retiring health workers will commence two months before the retirement dates of these individuals.

In keeping with the Standing Orders of the Civil Service, buttressed by the Human Resources Policy Manual (Revised), civil servants who qualified for retirement should be accorded the opportunity accordingly.