DRC puts 4,000 civil servants on retirement to revamp public administration

A decree signed by President Félix Tshisekedi has put 4,000 civil servants of the public administration of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on retirement as authorities seek to revamp state institutions.

The decision was announced by Jean-Pierre Lihau, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Public Service.

Lihau was quoted by RFI as saying that 6,000 workers will be put on retirement by October this year. He added that 300,000 are expected to retire in five-year time.

The Deputy Premier also reportedly announced that positions must be filled by young people. The civil service has already announced the recruitment of 5,000 young people in November.

Authorities of Africa’s second largest country want to revamp the public administration with fresh skills and staff. The recruitment is subject to national tests. The public administration in the country is marked by the presence of thousands of ghost workers, duplicates and deceased who have not been replaced.

The gap between jobs filled and salary records shows a significant difference, Lihau indicated.