92 Public Servants were paid out last week their retirement benefits as the first batch of retirees for 2022. The 92 officers from 15 government agencies were paid out a cost of K5.7 million on Pay 8. The retirees are from West New Britain Provincial Health Authority, Central Provincial Health Authority, Port Moresby General Hospital, Enga Provincial Health Authority, Eastern Highlands Provincial Health authority, National Health Department, Gulf Provincial Administration, Department of Justice and Attorney General, Constitution & Law Reform Commission, Public Solicitor’s Office, National Museum and Art Gallery, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Department of Foreign Affairs AND Trade, Central Provincial Administration and Southern Highlands Provincial Administration. Department of Personnel Management Secretary Ms Sansan Taies said, the officers were identified by their respective agencies and their names submitted to DPM for validation and verification to be paid out. Secretary Ms. Sansan said, the retirement exercise has been on going since 2019 of which over 2,596 public servants have so far been paid out at a cost of K114 million. “We are continuing the retirement exercise this year. The government had allocated K200 million in the 2022 annual budget to retire aging public servants and my department will continue to coordinate with all line agencies to ensure this process is executed well this year”. Ms. Sansan said, the savings anticipated to be made out of retiring these 92 officers would be K3.1 million. DPM has coordinated the public sector retirement program following an NEC decision in 2017, which has seen the development of a ‘Whole of Government approach undertaken to ensure all public servants who have reached the compulsory retirement age of 65 or those that are required to retire on medical grounds are paid out and put off the pay roll. “The vacancies created will also mean the workforce is better positioned to implement reforms, including the engagement of a new breed of Papua New Guinean public servants out of universities and colleges.” Secretary Ms. Sansan has thanked the government for the continued support to ensure that public servants who have reached compulsory retirement age are paid out.