Myanmar junta raises retirement age to 62

By DMG 01 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
1 April 2022, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime has raised the official retirement age to 62, a move that many believe is an attempt to retain its dwindling workforce in the post-coup era.

In an announcement on March 31, the junta said the change was aimed at “conserving the human resources of the State, supporting the development of the country based on the work experience and expertise of senior civil servants and promoting skilled civil servants.”

The official retirement age was previously set at 60. The regime is requiring civil servants to work two years longer because fewer people are joining the civil service, said former lawmaker Dr. Aye Maung.

“It appears that fewer young people are joining the civil service. The regime apparently fears that the civil service might be overstretched if senior civil servants are given their pension [at 60],” he said.

The upping of the retirement age could negatively affect the promotion prospects of younger civil servants, warned Dr. Aye Maung.

“At 60, they are very experienced staff. It is good for the country to continue to have their service,” he said. “However, in some departments, junior staff can get promotions only when seniors retire. So, changing the retirement age to 62 will block the promotion of junior staff.”

A healthcare worker who asked for anonymity said: “The change might discourage some people wishing to join the civil service. At the same time, staff members who are approaching 60 might want to retire, and it won’t be convenient for them to work two more years.”

The amendment comes at a time when the regime has had difficulty finding new recruits to fill positions left vacant by thousands of civil servants, especially in the healthcare and education sectors, who have joined a civil disobedience movement (CDM) in opposition to last year’s military coup.

The change to the retirement age also applies to military personnel, who are categorised as civil servants. Since the coup, thousands of soldiers have deserted the ranks of Myanmar’s military, which has suffered heavy casualties at the front lines of anti-junta resistance in central Myanmar and ethnic minority areas.