Update: 8:16PM ALL civil servants, including officers of the military, police force and prisons department, who are 55 years old and above must retire within 15 days, Fiji's Head of State Ratu Josefa Iloilo has decreed.
This is aligned with a decree that sets out 55 years as the mandatory retirement age for civil servants.
It is not yet known how many will retire immediately as a result of this decree which is contained in Section 15 of the 10-page 'State Services Decree' that was published in a Government extraordinary gazette dated yesterday.
"Any person employed in the civil service, Fiji Police Force and the Fiji Prisons Service, who is already over the age of 55 years, shall retire on 30 April 2009," reads section 15(3).
The decreed retirement age is a decrease from 60 years, which was upheld by the Fiji Court of Appeal earlier in the month.
Among those exempted from this decree are the Military Commander, the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of Prisons.
The decree makes allowances for public servants who have reached the retirement age but whose services "are required".
The decree also repeals the Public Service Appeal Board and has rendered all pending cases before the board terminated.
"...the permanent secretary responsible for public service shall inform all parties to the appeal accordingly, it said.
