Civil pension code trims ministers’ financial privileges

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Monday approved the 2018 civil retirement draft law, following pledges made by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz to reconsider the law, especially items related to ministers' pensions.

Under the bill, ministers have the right to receive pensions if their service in ministries, public departments or municipalities amounts to at least seven years, while Cabinet members whose services are less than seven years can ask, after leaving office, for including their time in service to the Social Security Law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The draft law stipulates that if a retiree is appointed as minister, their pensions and disability allowances have to be halted as of the date of their re-appointment. 

In this case, the pension shall be re-calculated after the end of the resumed service, including the time spent in the new job, providing that the re-calculated pension salary does not go below the previous one.

Anyone who assumes office for jobs in the first group of the top category, and those who are appointed with the rank or salary of a minister before this amending law goes into effect, has the right of pension when they leave office, whether they resign or are sent to retirement, provided that they have completed 10 years of public service.

The bill aims at regulating issues related to the retirement of members of the executive and judicial authorities, as stipulated in the Constitution, in a way that guarantees justice and equality and serves public interest, Petra reported.

Those who are subject to the new draft law include ministers, judges, and civil employees included under the civil service retirement system (as opposed to the  social security pension system) and employees appointed by contracts that entitle them to benefit from this system.

Those who are excluded from the bill comprise civil and military retirees who return to service after the draft law goes into effect, as well as judges and employees who are appointed after the bill goes into effect, as they will be subject to the Social Security Law.

Officials said the draft law is aimed at addressing all shortcomings ensuing from recurrent amendments to the Civil Retirement Law, alleviating financial burdens on the Treasury under the current difficult economic circumstances.

The bill stipulates that the monthly disability allowance (given to pensioners who prove they have had an injury or illness related to the nature of their job) shall not exceed, under any circumstances, 20 per cent of their last monthly salary with a JD500 cap. The existing law does not set this upper limit. 

The amendments take into consideration exceptional circumstances of women, as widowed or divorced women can now have the right to get married a second time without having their shares in the pension allowances of dead husbands or fathers affected. 

Meanwhile, the bill allows either man or wife to combine their pensions and a share of the dead spouse’s retirement salary.