Cabinet approves principles of the State Services Pensions Bill

Information Minister Jenfan Muswere has revealed that Cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday 21 May approved the principles of the State Services Pensions Bill.

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the State Services Pensions Act which was first enacted in 1971.

Addressing the media, during a Post Cabinet Briefing, Muswere said,  ‘’Cabinet considered and approved the State Service Pensions Bill which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, as the Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation.  

‘’The State Service Pensions Bill seeks to amend the State Service Pensions Act [Chapter 16:06], which was first enacted in July 1971.

‘’The main reason for amending the State Service Pensions Act is to reform the Public Service Pension Scheme.  

‘’Cabinet recalled that the Government Pension Fund was created in 2019 when the Government adopted the Defined Benefit Scheme. The proposed legislation would consolidate implementation of the policy,’’ he said.

The Next Steps

1-A draft Bill will be done by the Attorney General

2-The draft Bill will go to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation where it will be scrutinised

3-The Bill will now then go to the full Cabinet where the Cabinet will make comments

4-The Attorney General will tidy up the draft taking into account Cabinet input.

5-The Bill will then be gazetted

6-The Bill waits 14 days after being gazetted

7-After 14 days the Bill will be read for the First Time in Parliament and sent to Parliamentary Legal Committee

8-The Parliamentary Legal Committee will scrutinise it checking for compliance and alignment with the constitution and other existing legislations.

9-The Bill goes for public consultations

10-The Bill goes for Second Reading in Parliament where it will be debated and the citizens views are also read out

11-The Bill goes to Committee Stage, this is the stage where changes can be made to a proposed Bill

12-The Bill goes for the Third Reading

13-The Bill is sent to Senate where it goes through the same processes

The Bill is then sent to the President for assent