HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

On 1st April 1882 a group of civil servants formed the Mauritius Civil Service Widows’ and Orphans’ Fund Association. Ordinance No. 2 of 1886 gave legal recognition to the Association which became known as the Widows’ & Orphans’ Pension Fund. On 1st July 1969 the Widows’ and Children’s Pension Scheme came into operation under Act No. 16 of 1969; and which superseded the Widows’ and Orphans’ Pension Fund. Male public officers were required to contribute 2% of their monthly salary to the scheme against 4% under the Fund.

On 1st July 1993, with the enactment of the Widows’ and Children’s Pension Scheme (Amendment) Act No. 28 of 1993, the Civil Service Family Protection Scheme Board came into operation. The Act made it mandatory for female officers to contribute to the Scheme.

As at 31 December 2011 the Scheme reckoned some 51,784 contributors.

The number of beneficiaries receiving a pension as at 31 December 2011 was 16,523.