‘Consider raising retirement age’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:05.07.2019
Citing improved life expectancy, the Economic Survey has made a case for increasing the retirement age, raising expectations among government and private sector employees that their working years could go up.
“Given that life expectancy in India is likely to continue rising, increasing the retirement age for both men and women could be considered in line with the experience of other countries,” the document tabled in Parliament said. Although lower than other economies, in 2016, healthy life expectancy at the age of 60 in India (the number of years a 60-year-old is expected to live in good health) was estimated at 12.9 years — 12.5 for males and 13.3 for females — compared to 20 years or more in Singapore, Japan, France, Canada and Australia.
‘Higher retirement age crucial for viability of pension system’
Currently, the retirement age for most government employees is 60 years and most private companies have aligned their age of superannuation to the Centre and state governments. Teachers, doctors and high court and Supreme Court judges are exceptions as they get to work longer.
Even private bank CEOs can stay in office till the age of 70 as do a few corporate sector bosses. For a vast majority, however, working life ends between 58 and 60 years, although a large section of the urban population lives well past 80.
The Economic Survey has suggested that a higher retirement age would be crucial for the viability of the pension system, which was in a nascent stage, apart from increasing female labour force participation in older age groups.
It went on to suggest that this was “perhaps inevitable” and, therefore, recommended that it would be useful to signal the change a decade before the anticipated shift to help people in their pensions and retirement planning.
In fact, whenever the Centre constitutes a Pay Commission, there is heightened anticipation that the retirement age will be reviewed, especially because the retirement age for government employees was last revised over two decades ago. With the next pay revision due in 2026, the signalling may have to begin now.
Full report on www.toi.in
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:05.07.2019
Citing improved life expectancy, the Economic Survey has made a case for increasing the retirement age, raising expectations among government and private sector employees that their working years could go up.
“Given that life expectancy in India is likely to continue rising, increasing the retirement age for both men and women could be considered in line with the experience of other countries,” the document tabled in Parliament said. Although lower than other economies, in 2016, healthy life expectancy at the age of 60 in India (the number of years a 60-year-old is expected to live in good health) was estimated at 12.9 years — 12.5 for males and 13.3 for females — compared to 20 years or more in Singapore, Japan, France, Canada and Australia.
‘Higher retirement age crucial for viability of pension system’
Currently, the retirement age for most government employees is 60 years and most private companies have aligned their age of superannuation to the Centre and state governments. Teachers, doctors and high court and Supreme Court judges are exceptions as they get to work longer.
Even private bank CEOs can stay in office till the age of 70 as do a few corporate sector bosses. For a vast majority, however, working life ends between 58 and 60 years, although a large section of the urban population lives well past 80.
The Economic Survey has suggested that a higher retirement age would be crucial for the viability of the pension system, which was in a nascent stage, apart from increasing female labour force participation in older age groups.
It went on to suggest that this was “perhaps inevitable” and, therefore, recommended that it would be useful to signal the change a decade before the anticipated shift to help people in their pensions and retirement planning.
In fact, whenever the Centre constitutes a Pay Commission, there is heightened anticipation that the retirement age will be reviewed, especially because the retirement age for government employees was last revised over two decades ago. With the next pay revision due in 2026, the signalling may have to begin now.
Full report on www.toi.in
No comments:
Post a Comment