Measures to enhance the employability and financial security of the elderly, improving the affordability of health care, enhancing a barrier-free and accessible environment for the elderly were among Singapore’s Ministerial Committee on Ageing's achievements in 2007. 

Setting up in March last year, the new committee has four strategic thrusts. They were including enhance employability and financial security, provide holistic and affordable health care and eldercare, enable ageing-in-place, and promote "active ageing" to facilitate the elderly to be well-connected and active in society. 

It said recently in a report that good progress has been made on these strategic thrusts. And they implemented well on 39 recommendations last year while the rest will be continued to be put into action this year. 

For example, the Workfare Income Supplement scheme for older low-wage workers, announced in last year's Budget, is part of a larger plan to get Singaporeans to work longer. 

This scheme, which supplements the income of older workers who have lower Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates, is a reason that has boosted employment rate among older Singaporeans, said the committee in its report. 
As of June last year, 56.2 percent of those aged between 55 and 64 were working, a 2.5 percentage point increase from the previous year. The government also plans to postpone the retirement age to 67 from 62 now. 
Singapore has been taking seriously the ageing issues in recent years, as the city state has one of the world's fastest ageing populations. By 2030, one in five residents will be 65 and above, from one in 12 today. 

Another suggestion that to make all public housing precincts barrier-free is also on schedule. As of November last year, 122 precincts were already barrier-free, with the rest to be finished by 2011. 

The committee also detailed other achievements such as Medisavetop-ups for the needy elderly, as well as this month's Silver Industry Conference and Exhibition aiming to promote a "Silver Industry" as a business opportunity and to enhance quality living for the elderly. 

The government topped up the accounts of Singaporeans aged 50 and above with amounts ranging between 67 Singapore dollars and 333 Singapore dollars (between 47 U.S. dollars and 233 U.S. dollars) last year. It will also top up their accounts in the next three years. 

The council for Third Age was established last year to champion active ageing. It will spend 20 million-Singapore dollars (about 14 million U.S. dollars) to promote community-based projects related to active ageing. 

Experts described 2007 as the year Singapore paid serious attention to ageing issues. 

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