Kitab Unango
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Joseph Kamilo exemplifies patriotism that can be traced to decades of diligent service to the nation.
At a time when his agemates in other countries are enjoying their retirements in their respective countries, drying the sweat accumulated from their productive ages, Kamilo is still stuck in service, albeit against his will.
At 78, Kamilo is now old and feeble, but he is still serving in one of the organised forces, and forms part of the thousands of South Sudanese citizens condemned to eternal service due to the glaring gaps that prevent an efficient retirement and pension system.
“I am convinced that I cannot deliver anything, but I am compelled to continue working because they have not pensioned me, Kamilo says with a stammer.
It is Kamilo’s 45 years in service since being employed by the then-Sudanese government in 1977. The Sudanese government terminated his service in 2011, and the South Sudan government later reinstated him and thousands of others.
The Khartoum administration is yet to pay Kamilo’s due, and South Sudan is yet to reciprocate his service with a pension plan, even though he has surpassed the retirement age by nearly 20 years.
“The Sudan government promised us that it would pay our pension and told us to open bank accounts, which we did, but up to now, nothing has happened,” Kamilo laments.
“I was thinking that the government of South Sudan would pension us, [those who are already old and give us money]; again, it is another problem.”
“I have contributed a lot and I believe my contribution time is over. I am supposed to get my dues so that I can pay my medical bill whenever I am sick and buy food because I am old, I need to eat and drink well,”, says Kamilo.
Not only is Kamilo doomed to an uncertain future; James Thon (not his real name), now 65, anticipates difficulty in receiving his pension as thousands of people who should have been pensioned continue to work despite their inability.
“What I can see happening with elderly people is likely to affect me because they should have been pensioned,” Thon says.
He adds: “My belief is that the government is alive and is working to ensure some of us who are not able to continue with the jobs will be soon pensioned so that we go and spend the rest of our lives at home with our grandchildren.’’
Why retirement?
According to the 2018 British Psychology Society study, individuals who retire and get their pensions are appreciative because of the health benefits associated with being free from work-related stress.
It is stated that retiring from work is beneficial to one’s health because retirees will have more time for exercise and adequate sleep, reducing stress and increasing satisfaction with one’s health.
The Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development, Joseph Bakosoro, admits that the lack of an effective pension scheme in South Sudan is challenging.
“We have challenges with pensions in South Sudan. One is corruption where pension money is collected but consumed by a few groups of people. At the state level, it is consumed by the state government and at the centre (national government), it is collected but not remitted to the pension fund,” said Bakosoro.
“The ministry of finance can collect the pensions instead of remitting the money totally to the pension fund block accounts and sometimes they reuse it for other purposes. That’s not a big deal because they’re the government and can pay back the money.”
“But the states that are not contributing are the big challenge because, at the end of the day, what are they going to pay the civil servants when they retire? They do not know the value of the pension; it is somebody’s right no one can consume it”, he added.
The lack of a well-functioning pension scheme affects not only productivity but the government’s inability to employ young and qualified officials.
“Somebody who is already aged about 70, what can you do? So that is why we are facing a lot of challenges in the government. You do not see the institution functioning properly because the people occupying the positions are outdated”.
According to Bakosoro, corruption has further exacerbated the government’s inability to place individuals on pensions, rendering the already established pensions department in the ministry, and the pension fund commission dysfunctional.
“As a result, you cannot pension anybody without paying his due. So, if the money has been consumed by however collected then it is going to be difficult for us to pay the pensioners and for that reason, there is no exit up to now people are not pensioned because the condition is that pension me and give me my money”.
“So they stay as a punishment to the government; that we have to stay here (in the service) until the government pays us.”So the young graduates cannot get jobs with the government because the positions they are supposed to get are occupied by people who are already aged who are supposed to go on pension”, says Bakosoro.
Another factor that affects the well-functioning of pensions, according to Bakosoro, was the irregular payment of civil servants’ salaries exacerbated by the lack of cash, which he said would be overcome soon.
“After collecting some amount that we can pay to the pensioners, then we shall come up with a pension scheme and begin to pension individuals and hire new blood (young people)”.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
