In a significant move impacting civil service employees, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced on Wednesday that a civil servant’s period of service at government-owned companies will now be included in the calculation of their retirement benefits.
The decision, formalised in a circular issued by the commission, is set to benefit a large portion of the public workforce.
The new policy amends the calculation of a civil servant’s overall length of service, now integrating prior employment at various state institutions, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The CSC specified that this includes major SOEs like the State Trading Organisation (STO), Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), and Road Development Corporation (RDC) among others.
For employees transitioning from these firms to the civil service, their service history will now be fully recognised upon retirement.
To implement the change, the CSC has instructed all civil servants who have worked at these government-owned institutions to declare their prior service.
This information must be submitted by the employee's current agency, which will use the "Experience" section of the CSC's ‘Viuga’ online portal to update records.
In addition to the retirement policy change, the commission also announced new digital initiatives to improve accessibility and transparency. The CSC has launched an online complaint submission system, allowing anyone to file grievances through the commission's MyAccount service. This system, accessible via an e-pass account, allows users to track the progress of their complaints online.
This update follows broader discussions within the government concerning retirement policies and pension schemes. The decision to recognise service in government-owned companies is designed towards harmonising service regulations across the public sector.