Public sector workers: Retirement age should be reduced from 60 to 40 years – Researcher

Mr. Tuorimuo Elvis Philip, an entrepreneur and researcher has said the current retirement age for the country which is at 60 years is not a wise stand for the country as our population and resources have increased and there is a higher demand for employment.

The constitution of Ghana requires that most workers in the public sector are expected to retire from active service at age 60 until otherwise stated by the worker to retire earlier.

Mr. Tuorimuo disagrees with this saying in his view the mos appropriate age for retirement considering our setting,is 40 years.

He added that retiring at a younger age still makes the individuals capable to contribute to they private sector.

“Retiring at 60 is not an economic decision to a country with our population and resources.The policy was available because supply of human resource was low earlier so people had to serve longer in service. Now we have high demand for employment, why don’t we let people serve in the public sector till 40 years of their age so they can retire stronger to join the private sector and be useful to society," he said in an interview with upperwestmedia.net.

He further stated that, "Knowing very well they would work for a shorter period would make them rational in spending and make them save money to start some businesses when they retire still active and fit, today with our attitude, people on retirement at 60 years, become weak, save nothing because they assume they would be old by then and end up being liabilities to society and their family rather than being good entrepreneurs, they see the public sector to be an insurance. That shouldn’t be the case," he noted.