By Joseph Akim Gordon
Once an employee reaches the retirement age of 65 years, the employee is retired. In some exceptional cases, some employees apply for early retirement.
Many countries encourage early retirement to create vacancies for university graduates and those who graduated from high schools or technical institutions. Early retirement is provided with extra pension packages.
During many years of employment, their salaries are deducted to be kept for their retirement. As soon as you get retired, you are paid all your dues, but for us in South Sudan, the pension scheme is not attractive.
Imagine being paid 1000–2000 SSP per month, which is insignificant with the current market situation. That is why for many people with a poor provision of retirement cash, it would be much better if the retirement scheme was abolished and salaries were not deducted, so an individual could use the little salary to start a small business.
By the time you retire, you can still live comfortably. It must be noted that in other countries, pensioners are referred to as senior citizens and are respected because of their length of service in government employment.
In other countries, the pension money is put into an investment such that from time to time the level of payment is increased from time to time, the ministry concerned does not care about the welfare of the pensioners.
As they are elderly people and do not have any political weight and as such most of pensioners after retirement as elderly people, they have reduced immunity from diseases and have no ability or to have a medical cure which very is expensive they cannot afford the cost of diagnosis and medication.
It is worse to those who consume alcohol, most live for about two years they die with simple diseases like malaria and others die of illness that is curable, it is the poor living standard particularly if you do not have grown up children to give extra support.
The pensioners have devoted their lives to working for over 40 years and expect support from the government to live a decent life. For this reason, under the pension scheme, they should receive reasonable pay that can maintain their livelihood.
To the young people who are now working for government institutions, you should not become victims of the situation. You must learn to have one leg with the government and another leg in the market. With a small capital, you can start a small business, and gradually you will gain business experience. Most young people prefer to spend their small salary on drinking beer or alcohol.
At the time of retirement, you have nothing at hand; therefore, you become a victim of the situation. There is a situation when you are living in a government house, as such, you are required to vacate the govt. house for active government officials, and even if you do not have your own plot, you are forced to rent sub-standard accommodation “rokuba”.
Many people will despise you because former senior government officials are forced to join the poor. This is a warning to those who are enjoying government facilities: when you start employment, to be safe, whatever money you get, think of buying a plot that will serve your interests after government service.
There are those who make the wrong priority. Instead of buying a plot, rush to buy a vehicle. Where will you park this vehicle during your youth? It is time to plan your lifestyle. Make the right priority while on the job. Think about your future. You must learn to keep money for the future. Note that you will have children who will need to be educated. Note that education has become very expensive. If you fail to educate your children, it is the worst thing that you have done to your children since education will open their eyes to tackle the complicated world.
The author can be reached through e-mail: akimgordon222@gmail.com