United Party for National Development (UPND) Leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that the decision by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to stubbornly retain the retirement age at 65 years despite their promise to reverse it to 55 years once elected is another clear case of ‘continuity with donchi kubeba’ syndrome.
In a statement released to the media today, Mr Hichilema said that the arguement advanced by Government is simply an admission of poor fiscal planning and lack of vision
Below is the full statement
The decision by the PF government to stubbornly retain the retirement age at 65 years despite their promise to reverse it to 55 years once elected is another clear case of ‘continuity with donchi kubeba’ syndrome.
The argument that they have no money to pay retirees at the moment is simply an admission of poor fiscal planning and a lack of vision. It is no secret that when people have jobs, they will one day retire.
Just this week alone, the PF government admitted to spending over K200 million on by-elections since 2011, not including additional money wasted during the campaigns. This amount, along with other areas where government continues to waste revenues, such as payment of a bloated Cabinet, would have gone a long way to off-set retiree benefits.
Our argument as the UPND is that the PF government is not doing enough to address the underlying issue of high unemployment, and by maintaining the retirement age at 65 our army of unemployed youths who are energetic, qualified and ready to take up these jobs, are left standing on the sidelines.
What is even worse is the PF has failed to create a conducive environment for the young and self-employed to succeed in private business and enterprise. The current unstable and uncertain economic situation is damaging to both local businesses and would-be entrepreneurs and comes as a direct result of government mismanagement and lack of vision.
Another impact of this latest reversal of policy and betrayal of their promises to the people, is the demoralization of employees at various levels who cannot advance in their careers, with spaces above them occupied by others who want to move on to other things.
The human aspect of this policy on retirees needs to be more fully considered by the PF government. In a country where the average life expectancy is 57 and there are plenty of young Zambians looking for work it is ludicrous to have a retirement age of 65. For those reaching 55, many be too tired to continue in their position, while others should be enabled to pursue other equally important interests in reward for their time in service.
As UPND, this is one policy we shall not hesitate to reverse once in office. Employment creation is a priority for us, as well as stabilizing the economy to enable small businesses to grow and flourish.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
The are too dull to understand what you saying
Achalasia is untrusted and a crazy guy and can not enchant Zambians anymore we are fed up with his intellectual fragility. Let him retire on national interest.
More over his health is failing, he has become a pissant.
This upnd perpetual loser never ceases to amaze the nation with his warped and loathing ideas . People aged 55 are still energetic to continue working.
Reducing the retirement age is not a sustainable way of resolving youth unemployment, other than investment that creates new job opportunities.
ubupuba uleke
Shut up iwe namazai
That comment is not directed at Gen but at this Namazai called ‘Engineer’
The dull clueless just wants to appear relevant. What economist ? he is just a common privatisation white collar thief. Ichimona ubukulu
Well said Mr President. Each time you say something, it makes a ton of sense.
PF old goons are selfish. They want to hold on to jobs even when their age can not allow them to catch up with the pace at which latest technology is evolving.
Over 55 should retire gracefully instead of being in the firing line from their young educated bosses on moral grounds.
The consequences of this action by PF is that the economy is going to stagnate and work force of the future will export their skills else where, leaving Zambia with a huge skills gap year by year.
@Gen. Its not HH who told Chagwa Lungu to reduce the retirement age. He stood on the platform soon after Guy Scott ratified the Act and promised that he would reverse it. Lungu has back peddled and you see nothing wrong with that. He has also just back peddled on mineral royalty tax after telling investors to leave if they didn’t like it and I suppose you equally see nothing wrong with it. The country is rapidly collapsing economically and you are busy singing praises my foot! You are just as visionless as your boss Chagwa.
HH, you are too simplistic in your analyses of economic issues. Before it was Fuel, now this. You seem to be the “GO WITH THE WIND” kind of politician. Just yesterday we had former UNZA Students complaining about jobs, and here you are today blowing the VUVUZELA in similar terms as the students. Now, would one be wrong to NOTICE THE COINCIDENCE? Or is it really!?
If retirement age affects unemployment, it is by very small amount. Bringing down the retirement age to 55 will NOT and can NOT eliminate the amount of unemployed youths on the streets. Job creation by both private and public sectors is the only solution. And through huge and capital intensive projects by Govt is one such avenue. But has the private sector done enough to help? This is what you ought to be asking!
PROBLEM IS BOTH GRZ AND OPPOSITION DOES SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.. WHATEVER HH IS SAYING IS NOT NEW, HE HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE MAZOKA DIED, AND GRZ HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE HH TOOK OVER FROM MAZOKA.. SO JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES…
RETIREMENT AGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH UNEMPLOYMENT. ACTUALLY IT HAS JUST BEEN IN FORCE FOR 3 MONTHS. ARE U SAYING THAT THERE WHERE MANY YOUTHS EMPLOYED IN ZAMBIA BEFORE 3 MONTHS, OR HAVE YOUTHS EMPLOYMENT REDUCED ALREADY? IN USA THE RETIREMENT AGE IS 65 AND THEY GOT LARGER POPULATION THAN ZAMBIA, YET WE FIGHT TO GO THERE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WE GET EMPLOYED. IN ZAMBIA WE JUST LIKE TALKING TALKING ON EVERYTHING AND NO ACTION
Ok should we say that, there should be “no retirement age” at all so that people can work for as long as they want until they decide to quit own their own?
Is this the policy many PF youths want? If so then let Lungu scrap this retirement age altogether. Its the PF supporters who will suffer for they rely on PF for their lively hood, while us in UPND are strivers who do not need government handouts.
Along side scrapping retirement age government should make pension voluntary so that those who want their to receive their money when they have retired should opt in while those who do not want pension should opt out and receive their money together with their salaries.
@Gen 1.2: It seems you have a deficiency of understanding issues in their right context. The statement is about the retirement age and its implications on the people. HH is arguing that the policy is affecting the young people who have attained the age of being employed. Instead of being employed now they are forced to remain unemployed because you cannot afford to pay those who are due and ready to retire.
If you read and understand paragraphs 5 and 8, HH has hinted on job creation through investment. In addition, on several occasions he has laboured on how jobs would be created.
My advice to you if you have to relevant and useful to the country, be objective and realistic in your thinking.
HH should retire himself, isn’t he over 55 years old?
Retiring at 55 is ridiculous! People should work until they die! I have co workers who are almost 70 and they are healthy and contributing to the workplace positively. Sata was 74 when he was president, should he have quit his political ambitions at 55 because it was retirement age?
Secondly which Government has that kind of money to pay people free money when they can work?
If a party has no strategy, this is the end result. all PF lies / talk was campaign promises.
The retirement age should be revised to 55 years, so that younger Zambians can participate in developing the country.
When will these old people rest. at 65 still want to be in the office?? come on.. This is why there is no innovation, as they just go to work to feed themselves than serve the people.
HH come next year, change this nonsense.
..And people have already forgotten the promises Chagwa made during the campaigns because they have fuel in their cars,the 4 is @ 2 ZKW,UTH is well stocked with drugs,the cabinet has been reduced and govt has banned it’s leaders to be evacuated to SA for medical treatment.
Infintu kwena ni Lingu.
We call it kicking the can down the road. I wouldn’t be surprised if this same guy criticizing also upholds it when his time comes, if at all. My conviction is it is not as easy as signing a reversal to what was signed. Remember that most of these laws are enacted after reasonably exhaustive data crunching by the technocrats.
@ kalok
And majority of this “technocrats” are over the age of 55?
And majority of this “technocrats” are wiling to retire at the age of 65 and loose theirs “influence” and benefits?
And this “technocrats” are free of political influence?
Kalok, you either have shallow thinking on this issue, or your “status” depends on it?
Why do Zambians want to retire at a such a young age of 55 years old. I think we are in a modern world and the lifespan is increased over the years. No wonder there are so many old people in politics because that is the only place where they can work even past 65 years.
Honestly the concept of retired is old and achaic and as Zambians we just need to discard it. If somebody want to work till they drop dead , let them do. Our old grand parents do this in villages. If somebody want to retire at 25 years old let them do so, it is called resigning. Why should government legislate what you do with your life?
Let us not politicise this issue. It is about common sense. Try something else Mr HH LOSER
Only unreasonable people can’t see sense in what HH is saying. There are two things here;
1) when you are working, you contribute money to pension hses. You therefore need this money before you are too old so you can use it for your benefit while you still have energy.
2) you need to create space for the youths to be employed. If you stay long, the youths won’t be employed that long.
It’s only dull people who think this is politics. Be wise stop being tribal you st.u.p.id Zambians.
@Haajanika: No amount of retirement money can sustain anyone in Zambia today from the age of 55 until they are say 75 years old. 55 is simply too early to depend on a pension for the remainder of the retirees’ life.
Even in places like the United States where federal retirement age is pegged at 64 or 65 (I can’t remember exactly, but in that neighborhood), very few can live on retirement/pension money alone—not matter how well they saved. That is why they have what is called “Social Security” benefits. Which everyone who worked before retirement age qualifies for. A system we don’t have in Zambia.
And it is a fallacy to think that reducing retirement age to 55 will significantly bring the numbers of the unemployed youths down. Enough job creation is the only answer!
i shocked you think in reverse. !diot the life span is not increasing. why are pf minions so dull to the bone
@yambayamba, the fact that a pension cannot sustain ones living is a big failure on the part of all past and present governments. This needs to be addressed along side the retirement age. In Botswana a tetired teacher receives a lamp sum of not less K1m equivalent all because they invest people’s money with reputable international investment fund managers. In Zambia, we have bogus pension schemes that benefit only a few people in the offices. Napsa bosses are now rich fellows while the majority contributors wallow in poverty. That’s Zambia for yu.
Agreed .. theres been advancement but ask yourself … has zambia advanced? UTH is worse from Kaunda era, education is worse off, apart from ICT and infrastructure which do not contribute to living longer to a human being, theres no evidence that zambia has followed other countries in advancement.
He sounds like a dictator to me who would have no regard to other stakeholders’ views. Anyway, ECL never promised to reverse the retirement age but promised to revisit it as they are doing now. Do not project your careless promises onto others. That’s how we voters judged who was real in their promises and who was only desperate for plot 1. Take a leaf and learn to be real.
Yes I remember that “revisit”, I do not know where he is getting the “rescind.” These dictatorial tendencies are what makes him un electable. Looking at the common sense of things, a medical doctor or an engineer, a chartered accountant or Lawyer for that matter at 55 are at their prime with great knowledge and experience to advise Government, cure patients e.t.c. If you retire them they will go abroad to develop other countries and this is what was happening for the past 50 years of such a misguided policy. By retiring the job creators at 55, there has been no job creation in the past 50 years.
look at another fool, this is why this country cant develop. how can u say HH is not really and blunk punk lungu could be real. what is real with touring the world
Very ugly, dirty and scruffy person (HH) with a face which is now resembling a GUMUGUMU. Look at those ugly eyes and his smelly mouth like a stench from a cesspool
@zemunthu…..Gen…
How did you know the man’s mouth stinks? As far as pubic knowledge goes HH is not a homosexual. How did you get so close? It should be your mouth smelling whenever you hear or see that man’s face. Hey man, that language, are you human? You sound like the devil incarnate. Such hate is not ordinary. It is not even political. It can only be satanic. We proclaim Psalm 91 on HH. Don’t say he is evil. Even Paul who was persecuting the followers of Christ was delivered. As for you, with your murderous threats on HH, you will just reap the wrath of God.
He rarely smiles , so his mouth stinks and he is ever dirty ,not presidential material
Your mouth stinks you devil.
You hatred for HH is not good for yo health.
Alankhula bwino HH! Yiyeni tim’sathile chabe imwe bantu
Ndemo i agree with you. People are so carried away with political waffling. The quetion is are people ready to retire at 55 yrs. Why is it that a number of retirees want to apply to be retained on contract. Surely retiring at 65 yrs is one way of reducing poverty because at that age one is expected to have seen even the last of his children through school. As of now, how many manage to see their children at college or university level before they reach 55 yrs. There are many factors to consider and i think the Govt is on the right track on this one.
What do the youth say?
I suppose they are in agreement. Then, please do not complain. As for those UNZA graduates who were released from detention for protesting against unemployment, please thank the police. Why demonstrate against unemployment when you are very happy with government policies?
The challenges is not about the retirement age, but more to do with failure to pay retirees. There is no assurance that at 65 retirees will be paid on time. People should also take time to look at what kind of retirement benefits are associated with the proposed pension reforms. I have checked my data ordinary teachers do not benefit from extended government contracts. Get your facts correct, it is mostly Directors and Permanent Secretaries that benefit from extended contracts.
I want to retire what I do with my money is not your problem. I have worked for it. When did the government get interested in how I managed my monies. I have working for the past 29yrs, they have never come to ask me how I have been managing my finances only to get concern now. Mukafwila panchito.
Retiree think of re-applying because one they don’t prepare for their future when in employment.at the age of thirty i have prepared and furnishing my retirement place.2. if you pay a retiree all his money then he will not think of re-applying not what you are saying.Start preparing as well otherwise you will be shocked even at your age of 65 years.
65 IS MUCH BETTER
We can trash HH’s ideas but the reality on the ground is that 65 years retirement age should be coupled by a dynamic economy and education system that utilises youth skills and labour. This is not the case at the moment, hence the high levels of youth unemployment. Insulting HH will not reverse the facts on the ground. It only exposes your criminal minds. How does one go to describe another human being like that. At least we all know HH’s facial features and they are the opposite of what you ascribe to him. We have not seen your own facial features and perhaps we shall never see them as you probably only show them to those you kill. Anyway, almost 50% of people who voted on 15 February 2015 believe HH is right.
Government has realised that the burden of paying retirees is just too colosal for them.Hence the increase in retirement age.There are retirees who are joining a group that have not been paid.The only scapegoat is to increase retirement threshold age.This will result in reducing the workload as regards to paying retirees.Afterall,the government is being run on a deficit.There is a lot of obligations to be settled by the government.
By the way, the issue of not paying retirees in good time did not start with PF. It started with Chiluba’s MMD. HH should not deceive himself and think he can resolve it. Let him tell us how he can do it instead of making vague statements about things he does not know. He has no public service experience and worked for not more than 10 years in the private sector after stealing from privatization and making himself board chair of privatized companies to continue siphoning off money from these same companies. As Fr Bwalya says he is no economist worth writing home about!
This man -HH-is the answer to all Zambia’s economic woes.
Kaponyas, those from combonies and the ilitertaes are fools
ECL said when elected he was going to revisit the SI and not to arbitrary reverse…..Revisiting may mean taking it to 70years or downgrading it to 60years or bring it back to 55years with an option of getting to retire when you have served 30years and you are 55 years….
This is the reason why us Zambians voted for CHAGWAAAAAA and not you sir, Check the recording of the rally ECL never said he was going to reverse but rather revisit the law….echo twamuvotele…elo iwe….. HUKAIVOTELA ….
we don’t look at how many people are leaving employment at retirement in order to leave space for younger ones …. but we look at policies that create opportunities to created jobs…..eg construction industry……..NO WONDER YOU ARE A DULL ECONOMIST
But what policies has your Chagwa Agwa formulated from the time he came in power apart from falling and travelling? you need to understand before its too late.the kwacha is falling Edgar is travelling to China with 30 people for what? Mind you we only have one zambia.
@Alinaswe,
Can you use your brains and not the other body outlets to think.
How does the increase of working period by about 20% help an ordinary worker when even to increase a salary requires the use of a crane?
If you are a villager like Mpezeni, please keep your village thinking to the hills of Chipata. Zambian needs to move on and not be taken backwards.
@Alinaswe. You are just as thick as your boss Chagwa. Why revisit something you already agree with? Zambian workers were duped into voting for Lungu based on false pretences. Donchi kubeba again. Too dull to learn you kaponyas.
A consecus would have been reached. At least 60 yrs would have served better though it is a personal opinion. Many learned and qualified youths are roaming in the streets as their grandparents ( with all due respect) dose in offices. Lets respect the theory of ‘ tear and wear’. Desperation of the youth will do the country more harm than good. However, this issue is an international headache. From a non-aligned point, (politically), let us give credit where it is due.
Zambians are suffering, insulting HH is like telling your own mother to kiss their own a55.
Edgar Lungu is a big curse to all Zambians.
The answer to all problems that we are facing as a country is to ensure that we conduct powerfull prayers against Edgar chakolwa Lungu so that his throat cancer claims his life.
Embassy park is the only answer to the suffering of the Zambian masses.
What amazes me is reasoning of most politicians. HH is about 55years old or there about and he wants us to employ him for a minimum of 5 years & at the same time he argues that other government workers who are 55years are too old be working, does this make sense?
HH should be the first one to retire. He is 55 years old. Let him lead by example.
@ Spook & zebigge
Can you tiny pea size brain understand difference between “employed” and “elected”?
@ Gen…. you are an 1doit… you hatred for HH will consume you. Get a life you useless and good for nothing being. may you kind rot in hell where you belong. grow up and think using your brain for once … nja tu we .
You are just Sa.tanists shut the fu.ck up.
Ba HH NABENA…. ati leave space for young people… how many people retire every year and how many people are looking for jobs every year…… ndiye bu dalo ubo….. we need such pronouncements as no importation of edible oils …then more farmers will venture into production of oil seeds…….. with so much happening with road construction and building of health posts and schools and universities…..this means that at every given time someone is earning a leaving despite jobs not being long term in nature…….
Do you have to comment negatively whenever HH says some thing @ Gen … you are a fool . next time keep your stupid comments to your self . munyopi !!
The Unions are right. In conducting their work, it is not necesary for the Unions to agree with a political party. All the Unions need is express ideas, views, concerns. opinions that represent the Labor Movement in the country. I find the Plan 65 acceptable for any democrat to support the wish of individual wokers.
These are the consequences of voting for people that are graves in
waiting.
They don’t mind whether people are complaining or not.
I regret having voted for Edgar Lungu.
He is a disgrace and a very big disappointing.
@Alinaswe….
There is no economics is what you have written.
HH does not need a house to be built for him. He has his own houses. If he were voted into State House, poor Zambians would not have to built a mansion for him. I think he should retire from politics and enjoy his material blessings. I really think HH should withdraw so that Gen,,, Haleisa et al can start enjoying their sleep. Zambians do not want anlytical and honest politicians. The old adage, “politics is a dirty game” is true for Zambia till…..
less than 3% of the people in employment are between 50 and 55! if you insist on maintaining retirement age at 55 the jobs created for the youth will be negligible ‘cry baby’ will continue yet you will have thrown a lot of skill to the streets . Employment is not just about being on the payroll, its about delivering, and delivering comes with years of experience!
But when is HIV/AIDS taking away Edgar Lungu from us?
We are tired of waiting. Things are getting worse in Zambia.
I miss Micheal Sata. I wish Edgar Lungu was not born.
Amazing what bull some are posting here: a huge,young, employable population, burdened down with a low life-expectancy cannot be satiated by turning-up the retirement age – fulustop! The concept of retirees as seen in former colonies like Zambia is based on civil servants and machona from Jo’burg, times when private sector employment was meagre. At 55 you leave space for the young and can be self-made IF an enabling environment prevails – that’s all HH is saying. You CANNOT up-swing a retirement policy of the EU status where the demographic shift is full-blown, it IS STUPID! HH will create an enabling environment and drop the retirement age so it reflects the demographics of Zambia, not this ME TOO SH!T !! Retirement at 65 my foot…go to the village and see how the rotation of…
…generations works; we have experience gathered over hundreds of years and some of u mount a misunderstood “havard formula” and think 65 is THE magic number…Jesus wept !
Your Excellency President Hakainde Blessed Hichilema, please
keep on speaking on behalf of the poor masses.
Edgar Muhammad Lungu has destroyed Zambia.
Only you dear President HH will save this country from
collapsing completely.
ONLY A FOOL WILL NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HH MEANT ON THIS ONE.SOME PEOPLE WITH DIRTY MOUTHS WILL ALWAYS SAY RUBBISH EVEN WHEN HH IS HELPING POOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU.65 YEARS IS TOO MUCH,ANYWAY WE KNOW PF HAS FINISHED THE MONEY IN THESE PENSION HOUSES NO WONDER RAISING TO 65 YEARS.MUYAKUHWA BASOKWE KAMUPENGA A 65 YEARS YENU. I WILL BE THE HAPPIEST MAN WHEN HH REVERSES IT TO 55.
Edgar Lungu has made our country to collapse just like he
collapsed during women’s day.
God forbids; HH is the answer to this misery.
HH is the misery.
Only those who do not understand hh will support him. He only works on what and how Sata did, thinking people will support him because that’s what people voted for. There is no original idea hh has. He makes noise because Sata made noise, but what he does not know is that Sata tried all democratic tactics against the MMD to which he was being robed. He is counterfeit, not real., a sponsored spoilt munnion to say the least. His sponsors are evil. All he wants is to rule. hh will not rule Zambia until he apologises to me for his “Tonga only for upnd presidency” He does not know how much I loved UPND under Mazoka. Iwoud rather vote for Chakomboka than the devil hh.
Manje bigi mani atishani zoona ku barbershop twayafunyako ka afro kaili
Have peeped under his armpit?
LEARN THE REAL MEANING OF ‘ EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU’
1. EDGAR.
E= Empty and Useless President who will soon be
D= Dying of several sicknesses and his
G= Grave will also be Embassy Park and
A= Again Zambia will be morning as they say may the soul of Chagwa Agwa
R= Rest in peace.
2. CHAGWA
C= Chibuku addicted President is said to be
H= HIV Positive
A= And has Throat Cancer which will make him go in the
G= Grave at Embassy Park and the
W= World and
A= Africa will conclude that Zambians had voted for a moving
casket.
2. LUNGU
L= Lusaka and Copperbelt Residents are now regretting having voted for a
U= Useless and Sick President who is a 100%
N= None Performer but is busy
G= Gallivanting like a mad dog
U= Under the influence of rabies.
How many poor people has HH so far helped? Service to society does not only mean that you have to be in decision making position. Besides, this man said he is not a politician, what then is he doing in political arena for almost ten years now? He can contribute to the nation in other capacities where he has competencies.
Don’t sh!t here, if u have no toilet, seek a bush bwana !
Unfortunately Zambian politics are about “quantity” and not “quality”, too many illiterates, kaponyas etc etc Zambia will never ever move from the mediocrity just never…
But what if there is no money to pay retirees, is it ethical to retire people without a ngwee? Surely the answer is no. I’m a UPND supporter I will never ever change camp until they form GRZ, however, the decision for PF to change the retirement as at now is ok ,it will be beneficial for both parties.
(1) The would be retiree will continue enjoying a salary for the next 10 years and start planning where to settle after , then NAPSA pension will be paid to them while still working
(2) GRZ will have ample time to look for some money at least from now to 2025 when the final retirement for those people concerned will be due
However, I do sympathise with the new graduate ,it actually a big blow to them.
Even Edgar knows that HH would have made a better president than him
I gave up reading the rest after, he said lack of fiscal planning is behind Retirement changes.
The non payment of retiree has gone on long before PF, stop stirring g the Pot. If you disagree with the 65 year retirement age then you also surely are criticing the Silly White Man who made those changes in the time he was ‘Acting President.’ That is the colonial mind, we all know its difficult to just turn it off again once passed. It’s only been weeks since this current gov’t took over.
It has to be pointed out UPND seemed to support Scott while he was causing problems in PF.
There is nothing HH would have done different in these few weeks himself. Parliamentary changes take a while. We urge him to work with the gov’t at this time due to impending emergencies due to…
Its fo.ols like you who are not adding any value to your PF. Are you saying that there is no fiscal considerations in the way civil service pensions are disbursed to pensioners.Anyway i sometimes find it waste of time to comment on 90% of contributions by you PF carders. Just because this problem started way back then it should never come to an end,then what is the point of changing Govts you idi.ot.s. Every election time you yap dont kubeba promises and when given mandate your tails drop between you legs as a result of being clueless. Shameless liers that depend on tribal votes.
spot on patriot, HH supported Guy scot when he was busy acting and breaking the PF apart, even when he signed the law that changed the retirement age to 65, this cattle expert supported him, what is he saying now? he is just playing stupid politics, instead of causing comfusion,let him support intra party democracy in UPND by trying fresh blood. let him go for a convention and allow young blood to challenge him.
otherwise he is just a worthless political trick…..
I thought these retiries were contributing money to pension schemes.WHERE HAS THE MONEY GONE?? Just asking….
Retiring at an older age=
1. Young people missing opportunity to gain experience
2. Older folks r more likelly to have more than one souce of income,
thus wealth distribution is biased, hence when they
die money disperses among ungroomed youngstars who will for
sure lose it.
3. People are not incouraged to prepare for retirement earlier in life,
they know it is long coming so they save less till its too late
4. Older worforce works beter for managers, not technocrats,
sidelined Educated youths will seek employment in the diaspora
5. Beter have big figure retirement age when your national life
expectancy is likewise of bigger figgures
6. More unemployed youths means more crime.
7. Napsa will not even give you the full package in…
May i add a word or 2 to this discussion. To those 4 HH and those against HH; the bottom line is the ECONOMY OF ZAMBIA is SICK. If it wr a Minister or sam1 important he wud probably be in ICU at Milpark Hosp. If it were a regular citizen like myself, he was goin 2 b at UTH or some other poorly equipped government hosp. Bloggers, Vacancies for jobs r created in 2 ways; thru pipo retiring (or dying) from existing jobs, and from new jobs created thru firms that hv entered the economy. When u luk around 2day most private firms r downsizin. Luk at the construction sector 4 example, hw many projects hv stalled and wkers laid of, a lot. Now Government, the biggest employer, says it wil not retire pipo for the nxt 15 yrs. By implication it means it wil not employ for the next 15yrs. But in
But in the meantime more and youths are being offloaded, wil b offloaded on the job mket 4 the nxt 15 yrs. Employment is an indicator of the state of the economy, a worrisome scenario bloggers. THE COUNTRY NEEDS A PRESIDENT TO MANAGE THE ECONOMY n am not seein this in PF currently. Though it could be that they are working of measure to correct the situtation which they are yet to announce.
I emailed a friend in the UK I last met 15 years ago and told him I was retiring in the next 6 years at 55 and in response he told me he was retiring at 64.
Really as politician we should be talking and giving statistics of how many jobs we are going to create once we are in power. Reducing the retirement age is not the way to create jobs Mr. President. Even if we retired all those in employment today the 26th March 2015, there will still be no jobs. So the solution to our current problems is job creation not reducing retirement age boss.
Chagwa Guy warned you not to use popularist campaign messages so you see now what is happening.
Just shut up iwe chief tribalist!!!we dont like u so no matter what u say,it doesnt make sense to us majority Zambians!!!u will die in opposition!!!IN 2016 IFINTU NI LUNGU!!!GO PF GO!!
We like him sir and we will vote him enmass next year. No more clueless zombies for prezdo in zed.
HH you are truly our Moses wa nomba. You will be the next President of Zambia.
@KAS!! Get a life. Why are you involving my Chief. F**** cow dug. Talk about your ChiHH. Keep insulting other people and lets see if your Chi HH will win 2016 election with your bad language iwe Chimabisi. Sell your HH nicely dont force him down our throats!!
Ba HH bupuba bwenu you think by reverting back to 55 years as retirement age youths will vote for you NO ways my dear satanist. Even if you retire the entire Zambian nation at the age of 20 NOBODY AND I MEAN NO ONE WILL EVER VOTE FOR YOU. You are just wasting your little breath that is left before you kick the bucket. Just look after your smelly cows.
55 years for retirement is not Sustainable . Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, how will they manage to pay retirements at age 55? 65 years for retirement is not bad. I am really tired of listening to fighting politics going on in the country. How about you bring out ideas how to improve the economy, job creations, better heath systems, an education system for our children!
At Napsa they have created their own rules on how to pay retirees without consulting them. Most government institution do not remit the employee contribution. Some are in areas for as long as 3 years.
Go to UNZA and check what is happening to the retirees. Some where retired 8 year ago and have not been paid. By the time they are paid it will be peanuts. So there is really nothing to motivate people to retire.
Mwefipuba mwee…..HH is very right at 65years one has rest from employment so as for the young generation to take up JOBS from the OLD in the likes of Mr.Chikwanda. Failurers always blame HH for his positive gains where the unshamed fools keep on giving him negative comments.
?@Robin, you are not even ashamed that your CHIMONA is even bigger than HH’s. HH for me has grown up to dealing with real issues, and people like @Robin are still living in the PANGA world. These are the people with SATA hang-over. They can not notice that the current President Lungu values highly constructive criticisms. As long as we still have such uneducated poofs like @Robin Zambia will see no developement. These are the guys who just live hand to mouth type of life that is dependant on PANGALING all those opposing people who just give them money for beer and other evil habits. @Robin , you must grow out of that Zambia is changing otherwise we have no room for such insults. You like it or not HH is better than you unless you just decide to spill his blood, which the creator wont…
@Rasco, you sound bitter mwana, slow down and please don’t insult others. We are all entitled to our opinion.
Salaula
Spot on , HH and his minions are such dictators they do not want divergent views . Go on a one ticket to mars.
Rasco you are a Fo..ol
hh how old are you? are you getting tired too?
The mortality rate has gone down drastically and it is therefore right that the retirement age remains at 55years. With bad economic policies, even the retirement age was changed to 70 years, there is no way the government would be able to find money to pay all the retirees. Unless the government is banking on many people dying before their retirement.
My dad will be 90 this year and my mum 82. Life expectancy also depends on life style.
Nothing much can be said ; THE ONLY REALITY IS THAT THE PF HAS FAILED AND CONTINUES TO FAIL AT EVERY POLICY THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO IMPLEMENT.
FROM THE DPP SAGA, ROYALTY TAX, FUEL SUPPLY, STABALIZING THE KWACHA AND NOW RETIREMENT AND EMPLOYMENT. CAN ANYONE MENTION ANYTHING THE PF HAS DONE RIGHT? THESE YAHOOS HAVE FAILED AT EVERYTHING.
HH is 53 years now. Next year the man will turn 54. The same year, the man will spend millions of kwachas crisscrossing the country asking Zambians to employ him as president and, believe me you, the man intends to keep that job till after his 64th birthday yet this man is criticising PF for increasing the retirement age to 65 years. Typical of Tongas, they always see evil in everything others say or do. Let HH stop acting like he knows it all.
I think 55 or 65 is not bad if there jobs and people are paid.
But the question is who should this age apply to? Is it to the office of the president or any other sector ie civil servants, NGO workers (Zambia is an NGO- economically)? If people are working like USA president surely 55 is actually too old to be a president.
But the problem is most African leaders are not working because they have too much power that they are not accountable to the voters. Let us see if both HH and Lungu can first retire at the proposed age because being a real politician must be more demanding than being a civil servant who has not been paid for year. Someone help me please?
There he goes,U5 kwena ulapapusha why cant you start retiring william banda,syakalima and others in your party?finshi akuchita ECL kanshi?balya bakote bakubombela ku farm yobe taubamona?these babies awe mwalatushupa mwe….
TAKATEKEPO!!!!!!! HH , cry for those students, fight for them, but next year they will do you a kolopa dot com. so stop wasting your time
Mind you people, NAPSA is not giving lump sums of retiremen packages anymore. you will have a K300 per month from your Social security fund till you die if your salary was that of a policeman….
My president has spoken, so sound & objective!
@Yambayamba you are a dander head and reading you comments are share waste of time.
why work until you die, I mean you should be more ambitious and look to contribute to the nation by employing others (Job Creation).
People must start investing whilest working so that at retirement still with energy can run their businesses and employ others, that way we will see our country develop…..
HH has just made sense
For the sake of peace take HH’s assertions seriously on their merits`. But if the undertones are political, HH must be condemned for scavenging on any possible opportunity to make Edgar Chagwa Lungu unpopular. Retirement at 65 years of age may not be the best solution to evade paying pensioners. What if 3/4 of prospective pensioners die in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s? The motive of those pushing for 65 retirement age could be of selfish nature. It could be that those occupying comfortable positions in the system would want to continue enjoying uninterrupted when their 55 years ceiling hovers lower and lower. However, 65 years retirement age is not so bad if working conditions were comparable to civilized economies and job opportunities for graduates were available.
We will wait for his time to come in 2090 to come and reverse it.
So HH thinks he has no pensioners to court. Ebavota abakote
This is another most shallow argument coming out of a UPND “Think Tank.” If this is what is meant by “creating employment” in the Upnd then I would say we have one of the irrational, unintelligent opposition camp. Growing of the economy means making most of your citizens productive. You do not solve the problem by simply reversing the trends. HH must be made aware that part of a young life expectancy is due lack of employment/life necessities. Most deaths are in the younger..before employment and those retired. Both share the lack of basic wealth. Besides, most people in Zamia are employed at 27-35. At 55 they will have done only a few year yet still productive. HH should study issues before he comments. He looks so much out of touch for a so called economist!
YOU Dull PF cadres…the excuse of no money to pay retirees for now hence there being retained is *****ic to say the least…..this just shows that the Panga Family lacks competence..honestly every government knows that every year people retiree (they have records) and the have a system in place! .What was the government doing?its like they have been caught unawares by those who have reached retirement age!!! what a country
In any case, HH should not be allowed entry to the USA and UK because he is an undesirable causing political conflict that could lead to a Rwandan bloodbath in Zambia.
Both UK and USA boarder immigration chiefs should pass a do not allow in at all entry points. The man had been arrested and put on trial. He needs to be stopped. He is spreading g evil that will see a struggling Zambia turn into horror.
The Judiciary should wake up and retry him to impose criminal status to ensure he is automatically refused entry to Western countries.
He needs to work with gov’t in this time as we may be having starvation issues shortly and a war could be Ethiopian like. STOP THIS MAN.
@ Lundu
HH is dead right and he looks to me as the only persons who is thinking right now. The Goverment is the largest employer in a country and accordingly space must be created for the young ones. So, these dead woods, want to stay up to 65 so that they continue stealing goverment funds and perptrate corrutpition ,you know , the Zambian goverment is the worst system ever, because the control environment and control procedures, where public money is concerned, are nonexistant. Ne Changalilene!
But really, even in Britain the retirement age is around 65, with early retirement at 55 by personal request. That puts Zambia among other leading countries! We can’t be the worst system ever in the world. As for Nepotism and fraud by gov’t employees, here in the UK, only last week a Euro MP belonging to Nick Farage’s Party was dismissed after being filmed asking for a bigger receipt amount than she spent on expenses!
Corruption by politicians is world-wide. The thrust should be to strengthen the Judiciary to make quick decisive findings against corrupt officials and to remove them from office straight to jail ensuring their personal wealth is taken to pay for their corrupt acts. Stop attacking Zambia if you are a citizen, be Patriotic at least whatever Party you belong to.
The EU, has the worst abuse on expenses by public figures from all member states. The problem is so big and problematic that the EU can’t deal with it efficiently nor stamp it out! It makes our corrupt politicians look like they are stealing Milk Money!!
Increasing retirement age is right on course especially for council employees, they need their pension scheme to be reformed IMMEDIATELY. What is on the ground is that most council retirees from 2009 have not been paid their dues to date and more are joining the list! Is this normal mwebantu. Most former council employees are destitutes due to that. So in one way, I think this amendment can straighten things abit for them., that is clearing all those already on the waiting list before others join in the queue for paymenets.