Govt. To Introduce Social Pension for Elderly 

Nyasa Times

September 26, 2008 

Malawi

Elderly: To get social pension

Government has disclosed that on realization of numerous social problems which aged people in the country were going through, it is introducing a social pension scheme to ease the problems effective next year. 

Addressing a news conference in Lilongwe on Thursday as one of the activities marking the International Day of the Elderly which falls on 4th October, the Minister responsible for People with Disabilities and the Elderly, Clement Khembo said the absence of a social scheme has impacted negatively on the aged in the country. 

Khembo said the scheme would benefit the aged from 60 years of age who are struggling to make ends meet. 

"Not all elderly people are struggling with life. In its initial stages, the scheme will target all those who are very poor to afford sustenance. Those in the rural areas, who have even no houses," said Khembo. 

He said the scheme was a deliberate mechanism to make sure that the aged were benefiting in all programmes under implementation. 

"We don't want to leave the aged in all our programmes. They are part of the society. They have made their contributions to this country, now it is their to rest and reap fruits of their labour," said Khembo, an elderly person himself.

He praised President Bingu Mutharika a septuagenarian (74) for having welfare of the elderly at heart.

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