The government’s plan to offer early retirement to public sector employees risks a flight of skills and will not free up enough funds to address understaffing in health and education, critics say.

The Treasury announced in the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday that the cabinet had approved a R11bn package to encourage early retirement among civil servants in the next two years to reduce the wage bill and make way for younger talent. It is targeting 30,000 public servants, hoping to see 12,000 retire in the first year and 18,000 in the second...

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