Revised National Policy for Senior Citizens underway, says Samuda

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Karl Samuda, has committed to the revision and implementation of the National Policy for Senior Citizens.

The policy will ensure that senior citizens are not discriminated against and are treated with the highest level of respect.

“This will allow them to live and participate actively in a society that guarantees their rights, recognises their capabilities and facilitates their enjoyment of a life of fulfilment, health and security,” Samuda noted.

He was speaking at the media launch of Senior Citizens’ Week yesterday at the ministry’s offices in downtown Kingston.

Samuda said the Ministry is also in the process of implementing a social pension scheme, which will provide well-needed assistance for those who do not benefit from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) or the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

“This is part of Government’s move to provide a social safety net for the most vulnerable seniors in our society,” he noted.

Chairman of the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC), Dorothy Finlayson, in her remarks, welcomed the Minister’s commitment to implementing the National Policy for Senior Citizens.

She said that the policy will chart the way forward in having a rational and sustained mechanism in place, which, regardless of socio-economic background, will level the playing field in ensuring a better quality of life for all senior citizens.

Meanwhile, as the country continues to tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Finlayson called for “a renewed spirit of protection and care for seniors by members of the community and within households.”

She noted that “those who have laid the foundation should be given the opportunity to live in dignity, peace and free from abuse during the sunset years of their life.”