Ombudsman requests clarification on pension laws for ministers in Faroe Islands

The Ombudsman for the Parliament of the Faroe Islands has requested a clarification from the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the pension laws for government ministers.

The Ombudsman received a complaint stating that the Prime Minister’s Office misinterpreted the rules concerning pensions for ministers at the age of 60. The complaint indicated that the office’s interpretation led to the conclusion that the complainant was not entitled to a pension at that age.

The Ombudsman pointed out that the pension scheme for ministers was altered in 2015, changing from a civil servant-style system to one resembling that of regular public employees who are not civil servants. Concurrently, a transitional arrangement was established for current or former government ministers.

However, the amendments to the law, the subsequent regulations, and the preparatory work for the legal changes did not provide clear guidance on how the rules regarding this transitional arrangement should be understood, according to the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman has urged the Prime Minister’s Office to review the matter again and to provide an update on the outcome of this reconsideration.