Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 17 16 15 14 This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. Note that The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content included in the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of the content contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. The risk of claims resulting from such infringement rests solely with you. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved.

Some rights reservedThis work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. Note that The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content included in the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of the content contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. The risk of claims resulting from such infringement rests solely with you.

The paper summarizes the main factors behind the projected increase civil service pension costs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It discusses the benefits and potential downsides to unifying civil service and national pension systems, drawing on regional and international best practices and experience. The paper pays special consideration to the differences between civil and national pension reform, emphasizing the unique challenges in civil service pension reform posed by the fact that the government is the employer, the administrator of the pension fund, and the guarantor of last resort of the pension system. Findings in the report strongly suggest that civil service pension reform needs to be on the agenda in SSA countries, as its costs are beginning to crowd out other budget expenditures. Among other conclusions and recommendations, the report also urges practitioners to focus on the overall impact on government finances and not on the finances of the pension fund when undertaking civil service pension reform separately from the national system. The paper is intended to serve as a resource in civil service pension reform efforts in the region.

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This report is a product of the staff of the World Bank Group. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the World Bank Group or the governments they represent. The World Bank Group does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank Group concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.