Minister ponders old-for-young swap<\/p>\n
MANILA: Japan's finance minister proposed on Wednesday packing
\noff his country's growing army of pensioners to Philippine
\nnursing homes.<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa, a sprightly 81, said his
\nplan was a two-in-one cure for the strains on Japan's medical
\nsystem from its greying population and for high Philippine
\nunemployment.<\/p>\n
\"Japan's aging and there are so few people to care for them,\"
\nShiokawa told reporters. \"There are so many young people in the
\nPhilippines.\"<\/p>\n
The minister, who is in Manila for a meeting of Asian finance
\nministers, said he had put his idea to Philippine President
\nGloria Macapagal Arroyo.<\/p>\n
An aide said Shiokawa, who proposed that Japan would fund the
\nnursing homes, remarked to Arroyo that young Filipinos appeared
\n\"hard-working, and the women homely\".<\/p>\n
Arroyo replied that it was a good idea, but added that Tokyo
\nshould open its doors to more Filipino workers.<\/p>\n
Shiokawa agreed that Japanese immigration policies were rigid
\nbut said it was not in his powers to change them.<\/p>\n
Japan's high life expectancy and tumbling birth rate have
\nraised concerns about strains on its medical and pension systems.
\nSome estimates show that Japan will have roughly one person over
\n65 for every two of working age by 2025, a higher dependency
\nratio than any other major industrialised nation. REUTERS<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-ponders-old-for-young-swap-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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