Start universal pension now, elderly persons urge government

Dar es Salaam. Elderly people in the Mainland have asked the government to fast track the process that would enable provision of universal pension, five months after their counterparts in Zanzibar started enjoying the benefit.

Recently, the deputy minister for Labour, Employment and Youth, Mr Antony Mavunde, said that the government would start providing Sh20,000 in universal pension, however, he did not specify when this would start.

Speaking during a seminar to journalists on the role of media in promoting elderly people’s welfare, senior citizen Simon Msemembo, 85, said it was taking too long for the programme to commence.

According to Mr Msemembo, who retired in 1986 and is the chairman of Morogoro Elderly People Association,  only four per cent of over 2.5 million senior citizens in the country are in formal pension schemes, the rest, 96 per cent strive on their own.

He said that neglecting elderly persons affects not only them but those who depend on them as well, particularly the children.

Mr Msemembo cited the recent case of the Bukoba earthquake that left a great part of Kagera Region devastated saying elderly people were the ones who suffered the most.

“It has reached a point where elderly people get angry on hearing that the government will start a universal pension programme. But, these delays make us think that it is mere words,” he said.

 He urged the government to ensure the 2003 National Ageing Policy is made into law so that elderly people’s welfare would be taken care off.

“How come this matter is taking over 13 years without being implemented?” he queried.

Earlier, HelpAge International assistant country director Smart Daniel called on stakeholders to continue pushing the government to walk the talk and support elderly persons.