Change the law if you think retirement age should be 80 – Auditor-General

Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo has rubbished suggestions requiring government to increase retirement age from 60 to 80 years.

According to him, increasing the retirement age would worsen Ghana’s already dire unemployment situation as the aged will still be occupying posts that must be reserved for the youth.

He expressed worry over how old people who are supposed to be on retirement still compete with young ones for the same jobs adding that the practice has resulted in severe youth unemployment in the country.

Mr Domelevo said until the law is amended, mandatory retirement age still remains 60 as entrenched in the constitution.

“Our Constitution said when you’re 60 years go home so others can also come and work. People are over 70 and are still around. When I ask them to go home they are fighting me. Change the law if you think the retiring law should be 80. The disturbing part is that our graduates are on the street and we think we must remain in the office,” he stressed.

He also raised concerns about how some workers due for retirement in most cases have had their birth certificates forged so as to remain young and “relevant” in the job market.

“At times you would see some public servants and you wonder how many times they would be 60 years. They falsify birth certificates so to remain young. It is only when they die that you know their true age. The man retires at 60, he dies next year and he is 82. That is what happening in our country is,” he added.

The Auditor General has, therefore, threatened to remove names of the aged from the pay roll in accordance with article 187 clause 7a of the 1992 constitution adding, the old workers can only win against him by filing a case at the high court which he is convinced, will be a fight in futility.

“Until we have changed the law, I will continue disturbing them. We are doing a payroll audit and at the end of it you would see my report on over aged people. I promise that I would activate article 187 clause 7a on them and disallow their existence on the payroll. Constitution says if I disallow you have to go to the high court, win against me before you come back. If you don't like it, beat me,” he maintained.