Acting service.
Service not counting for pension.
Abolition of office and reorganiza- tion.
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22 and 31 of these Regulations to be holding a pensionable office, and where that period is taken into account under the preceding proviso, to have been confirmed therein.
20. Where an officer has performed acting service in an office in this Colony the period of such service may be taken into account as pensionable service (subject if the office is a non-pensionable office to the provisions of the preceding Regulation) if the period of such acting service-
() is not taken into account as part of the officer's own pensionable service in other public service;
(2) is immediately preceded or followed by service as the substantive holder of a pensionable office in this Colony.
21. Save as otherwise provided in these Regulations, there shall not be taken into account as pensionable service-
(1) any period of service while the officer was under the age of 18 years; or
(2) any period of service while he was on probation or agreement, unless without break of service be is confirmed in a pensionable office in the public service; or
(3) any period during which an officer shall have been absent from duty on leave without salary unless such leave sħall have been granted on grounds of public policy with the approval of the Secretary of State:
Provided that any break of service which may be disregarded under the provisions of Regulation 15 of these Regulations may likewise be disregarded in determining whether the officer is confirmed in a pensionable office without break of service.
22. If an officer holding a pensionable office and who has been confirmed therein retires from the public service in conséquence of the abolition of his office or for the purpose of facilitating improvements in the organization of the department to which he belongs, by which greater efficiency or economy may be effected,
(1) he may, if he has been in the public service for less than ten years, be granted in lieu of any gratuity under Regula- tion 5 or Regulation 12 of these Regulations, a pension under Regulations 4, 9, 10 or 11, as the case may be, as if the words "for ten years or more were omitted from Regulation 4:
+T
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(2) he may. if he retires from the service of this Colony,
be granted an additional pension at the annual rate of one-sixtieth of his pensionable emoluments for each complete period of three year's pensionable service: Provided that-
(a) the addition shall not exceed ten-sixtieths; and
(b) the addition together with the remainder of the officer's pension shail not exceed the pension for which he would have been eligible if he had continued to hold the office held by him at the date of his retirement and retired on reaching the age at which he may be required to retire without the approval of the Secretary of State, having received all increments for which he would have been eligible by that date.
reduced
23. (1) An officer to whom a pension is granted under the Gratuity Ordinance shall, if he has exercised his option as hereinafter and provided, but not otherwise, be paid in lieu of such pension a pension. pension at the rate of three-fourths of such pension together with a gratuity equal to ten times the amount of the annual reduction so made in the pension.
(2) The option referred to in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall be exercisable, and if it has been exercised may be revoked not later than the day immediately preceding the date of such officer's retirement: Provided that the Governor
may,
if it appears to him equitable in all the circumstances so to do, allow him to exercise the option or revoke an option previously exercised at any time between that date and the actual date of award of pension under this Ordinance.
(3) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this Regulation, if an officer has exercised the option his decision shall be irrevocable so far as concerns any pension to be granted to him under the Ordinance.
(4) If an officer who has not exercised the option dies after he has finally retired but before a pension has been awarded under the Ordinance, it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council to grant a gratuity and a reduced pension as provided in paragraph (1) of this Regulation, as if the officer before his death had exercised the option.
(5) The date of the exercise of the option by an officer shall be deemed to be the date of the receipt of his written notification addressed either to the Colonial Secretary or to the Crown Agents for the Colonies.