(2015-09) Decree Revising the 2005 Arrêté on Privileges Granted to Former Heads of State and Government
Summary — Signed by President Michel Joseph Martelly (Palais National, 23 September 2015) and published in Le Moniteur No. 193 (8 October 2015), this arrêté formalizes and expands the privileges granted to former heads of state and government since 1996, including automatic pension liquidation, a secretariat and security detail, and separation indemnities and customs exemptions for former ministers and secretaries of state.
Key Findings
- Civil pension liquidation becomes automatic for former heads of state/government the month after leaving office.
- Former ministers/secretaries-general receive a 2,500,000 HTG separation indemnity plus a customs-exempt personal vehicle and six months of security coverage.
- Former secretaries of state receive 2,000,000 HTG plus three months of security coverage.
- Officials aged 58+ with 25+ years of service get a lifetime annuity topping up to full Grand Commis emoluments.
- Head-of-state privileges last five years after the mandate; head-of-government privileges last two years.
Full Description
Adopted on the joint report of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy and Finance, this arrêté revises the 23 November 2005 arrêté on former-officials' privileges, citing the need to formalize a practice in place since 1996 and to ease reinsertion of senior officials into ordinary life. Article 1 makes civil-pension liquidation automatic for any former head of state or government the month after the transfer of power. Article 2 grants every former head of state or government a secretariat, a close-protection service and adequate transport, all funded by the State (Art. 3). Article 4 grants former ministers and Secretaries-General a 2,500,000 HTG separation indemnity, a customs exemption on one personal-use vehicle, and two State-funded security agents for six months; Article 5 grants former Secretaries of State a 2,000,000 HTG indemnity, the same customs exemption, and security coverage for three months. Article 6 provides ministers, secretaries-general and secretaries of state aged 58+ with at least 25 years of state service a lifetime annuity supplement ensuring their full Grand Commis emoluments. Article 7 caps the head-of-state privileges at five consecutive years after the mandate ends, and two years for heads of government.