ROSEAU, Dominica – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has called for a national debate on the age of retirement in Dominica.
Skerrit said that the country has had to deal over the years with the issue of Social Security and the retirement payments with a five year bridge between the two.
“I believe that this is something that the private sector people would want to look at, a bridge between their retirement (at 60) and 65. I believe that the bigger question we have to ask ourselves in Dominica is whether we should not cut to the chase and take the age of retirement to 65.
“What I am funding out in the public service is that a number of people have come to me and it is something we are starting to look at, is that people were given an option back in the days to retire at either 55 or 60.”.
Skerrit said that while many people chose to retire at age 55, some still have mortgages to pay, and some may have taken residual funds to ensure the education of their children.
“Some people come to me …saying Prime Minister I do not want no gratuity, I just want you to let me work until I am 65 and when I am 65 you give me my gratuity. What we have done is that we have placed those persons on contract.
“But I believe the time to have a national retirement age of 65 because the 60 and 65 is creating serious challenges for many individuals,” Skerrit added.
In 2021, the Dominica Social Security (DSS) announced that as of January that year, the pensionable age had now been established and settled at age 65.
The then DSS deputy director, Augustus Etienne, said then it means for someone who has contributed to social security to receive a full pension in 2021 the person would need to be 65 years of age.
He explained that now that the pensionable age has settled at 65, if a person was to take their pension as soon as they turn 60 that individual will be taking their pension five years earlier than it is due to them.
