Senior citizens seek welfare provisions

JAKARTA (JP): Senior citizens appealed to the government on Thursday to provide them with social insurance because of the lack of an institutional welfare guarantee for the over-65s.

They made the appeal during a discussion on senior citizens sponsored by the Ministry of Social Services in cooperation with Antara news agency and Republika daily.

In response to the request, Minister of Social Services Justika Syarifuddin Baharsyah said the government was currently in the process of preparing instructions for the implementation of Law No. 13/1998 on senior citizens' welfare.

"We are now familiarizing the law which regulates social protection. We also have prepared instructions for the implementation of the law in the form of either government regulations or presidential decrees. They are expected to be completed soon," she said.

The discussion, led by Parni Hadi, Antara's general manager, featured several speakers, including SK Trimurti, a representative of senior citizens; senior journalist Rosihan Anwar, novelist La Rose and Sunarto Prawiro Sujanto, head of the senior citizens party Sunarjo Prawiro Suanto. The party failed to meet requirements to take part in the upcoming general election.

Justika said the senior citizens were divided into those who could support themselves and those who could not.

"For senior citizens without the capability, the government is studying the possibility of giving them life insurance, while for the other group it would be in the form of discounts for medical expenses, transportation fees, etc.," she said.

Proposed provisions are still being discussed with the office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, she said.

She also explained that her office was trying to cooperate with the Ministry of Manpower to provide jobs to senior citizens as toll road ticket attendants. (01)