Lack of knowledge on procedures blamed for delay in settling retirement entitlements

LACK of knowledge about formal procedures is one issue that delays the settling of teachers’ retirement entitlements, says Teaching Service Commission chairman Baran Sori.
Sori told The National that there were appropriate procedures taken in order for retirement entitlements to be settled on time.
“If it is taking too long, it’s a matter of documents going through processes,” he said.
Sori said teachers should write to the commission six months before the retiring date advising that they had reached the retiring age which is 60.
“Or when they want to voluntarily retire upon reaching the voluntary retiring age which is 55.”
Sori said this gave ample time for the commission to follow the procedures of settling retirement, which included:

•  Making sure that the teacher did not have issues with respective provinces; and
•  making sure that there was someone to replace him/her when he/she left.
  The retiree will have to fill all the appropriate documents that includes the separation authority form from Nambawan Super to get them to do the payout as well as the TSC Form 38.
  “Sometimes the documents that come to us have missing information so we go through the files, cross-check information.”
  Principal adviser industrial relations Esben Karo said that another reason would be the location of where the teachers were teaching; whether in a centralised or a decentralised province.
  “Another reason is when teachers move from one province to another and the files are not transferred with them.”