The National Assembly will be considering the Pensions (President, Parliamentary and Special Offices Amendment) Bill for passage at its next sitting on Thursday.
The Bill, which amends the (President, Parliamentary and Special Offices Amendment) Act, seeks to repeal Section 10 to remove the requirement for the payment of pensions, whereby a legislator with the requisite service must attain the age of 40. However, if a legislator has not reached the age of 40, he/she must produce a medical certificate to prove that he/she is incapable of discharging the duties of a legislator.
The Bill’s explanatory memorandum states that the Amendment is necessary, so that an otherwise qualified legislator under section 10 of the Act for pension, shall not be disqualified on the ground that he/she has not attained the age of 40.
It further states that “a young legislator should not be penalised, but given due reward for his/her service like any other legislator.”
The Bill was presented by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.