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Fund OKs re-employment of retirees
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Posted on May 13 2004
The NMI Retirement Fund Board of Trustees has approved the re-employment of three government retirees, including Cultural and Community Affairs Secretary Juan L. Babauta.
Fund administrator Karl T. Reyes said Babauta, a former public school principal, and two other retirees, Monica Lizama, and Jose R. Bermudez, can continue their work in government.
Lizama reportedly works at the Legislature while Bermudez is with the Department of Public Works.
The board, during its meeting Thursday said, that a number of government retirees have applied for exemption from re-employment restrictions.
While the board expressed no outright objection to the exemption requests, it expressed concern of it becoming an issue of “double dipping.”
Last month, the Fund said it approved the exemption request of Miriam Seman and Placido Tagabuel. Both are reportedly working at the Legislature.
Reyes said that exemption requests have not really been rampant, noting that he could only recall a total of eight retirees being granted the opportunity to return to government work ever since he assumed his position in April 2002.
“I’d say it’s minimal,” said Reyes.
He also said that the Fund board’s approval of such requests is a mere formality since they have been prior-approved by the governor.
Concerned retirees usually submit their petition to the governor who would then forward his decision and recommendation to the Fund’s board.
Exemption for re-employment of government retirees is usually allowed for teachers, doctors, nurses, and other professionals in the fields that have limited pool of personnel.
Other government retirees need to get the governor’s approval to get exemption.
Earlier, Fund board member Bertha Deleon Guerrero said the approval of the three retirees recently would not be a case of double dipping since their pensions would be suspended as soon as they resume work.
Double dipping drains the funds of the local retirement system since it allows the government to pay the Fund member twice in terms of pension benefits and salaries.
