The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has withdrawn its plan to increase the retirement age of civil servants. On Tuesday, Minister Bhagwati Nyaupane told the National Assembly’s Legislative Committee that the government will move forward according to the provisions already endorsed by the House of Representatives.
Earlier on Monday, Minister Nyaupane had proposed to immediately raise the retirement age to 59. However, following strong objections from opposition lawmakers, she reversed her stance, emphasizing that decisions should be made through consensus.
Minister’s Clarification
Minister Nyaupane clarified before the committee, saying: “My proposal was never for personal interest. It was made with the well-being of all employees in mind. Since the House of Representatives has already reached an agreement, I believe we should move forward accordingly.”
She further added: “It is the government’s responsibility to uplift the morale of civil servants. That is why I urged everyone not to break the tradition of consensus. My commitment remains that this bill will pass both houses in this very session.”
Retirement Arrangement
As per the agreement endorsed by the House of Representatives, employees will retire at the age of 58 in the current fiscal year. From the next fiscal year, the retirement age will increase to 59, and from the third year onward, it will reach 60.
Initially, the government had introduced a bill that directly set the retirement age at 60. However, after extensive debate, lawmakers agreed to gradually raise the age in three phases.
Bill Passage Timeline
The Civil Service Bill is scheduled to be presented in the National Assembly today and is expected to be passed the same day. According to CPN-UML chief whip Mahesh Bartual, the House of Representatives is preparing to endorse it on September 4 (Bhadra 19).
This marks a clear conclusion to the long-debated issue of civil service retirement age.
