Published:Monday | March 28, 2016

The issue of the public-sector workers contributing to their own pension has indeed become a moot point. This has taken on increased significance against the background of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement geared towards reducing public-sector debt relative to Jamaica’s gross domestic product. This is part of an overall strategy to tackle and reduce the island’s massive debt burden.

Over recent months, there have been much discussion on either side of the political divide and civil society in support of the IMF’s directive and Government’s stated intention to relieve itself of public-sector pension contributions and, instead, making pension contributions the primary responsibility of public-sector workers.

Clearly, given Jamaica’s debt burden and the need to extricate itself from this untenable situation, things cannot continue along the same path. There must be changes to the current mindset and practice.

While one can appreciate and understand the logic of Government contributing in part to the pension of public-sector employees, this should in no way relieve them of their responsibility to contribute to their own pension.

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