Urgently complete the National Strategy on the Elderly

(Chinhphu.vn) - On the morning of August 30, at the Government headquarters, the Vietnam National Committee on Aging held a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, Chairman of the Committee, to evaluate the work of the elderly in the first 8 months of 2024 and set out key tasks for the last 4 months of the year.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said that efforts should be made to ensure the lives of the elderly - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

According to national population data, the country currently has about 16.1 million elderly people (EC), accounting for over 16% of the population. Of these, there are about 2.6 million people over 80 years old, more than 9 million female EC, and 10.3 million EC living in rural areas.

Many policies for the elderly

Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh said that recently, the National Assembly has issued 9 laws related to the elderly. In particular, the Social Insurance Law has been issued, stipulating that the elderly aged 75 and over, who do not receive pensions or monthly social insurance benefits, are entitled to social retirement benefits. The Government has issued more than 10 decrees, including Decree 76 dated July 1, 2024, stipulating the standard level of social assistance for social protection beneficiaries at VND 500,000/month (about 1.5 million elderly people will receive an increase in the allowance level), Decree 75 dated June 30, 2024 on adjusting pension levels, social insurance benefits and monthly allowances (about 2.7 million elderly people will receive an increase in their salary)... According to the report of Vietnam Social Security, there are currently about 2.7 million elderly people nationwide receiving pensions and monthly social insurance benefits, more than 14.6 million elderly people with health insurance cards. Currently, there are 275,000 elderly people nationwide continuing to participate in social insurance to be eligible for pensions in the coming time. In 2014, 17 provinces and cities supported the purchase of health insurance cards for the elderly in their localities from local budgets with support levels ranging from 30-100%.

The Vietnam National Committee for the Elderly meets to evaluate the work of the elderly in the first 8 months of 2024 and set out key tasks for the last 4 months of the year - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

According to the representative of Vietnam Social Security, one of the most important things for the elderly is "full stomachs", that is, receiving social benefits and having health insurance for health care. The delegate proposed that there should be policies to have more elderly people enjoy these benefits. Mr. Truong Xuan Cu, Permanent Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Elderly Association, a delegate of the 15th National Assembly, said that in the first 6 months of the year, local associations at all levels visited and presented gifts to over 1 million elderly people with a total amount of over 287 billion VND. The association has coordinated with the health sector, mobilized units and philanthropists to organize medical examinations and treatment sessions, implemented the Bright Eyes Program, donated blood pressure machines to the elderly; provided guidance on the implementation of the process of monitoring, health examinations, and establishing primary care records for the elderly; proposed support to increase the rate of elderly people with health insurance cards. To date, 9,950 communes, wards and towns have established the National Fund for Elderly Care and the Fund for Elderly Care and Promotion at the grassroots level.

Mr. Truong Xuan Cu, Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Elderly Association, said that in the first 6 months of the year, local associations at all levels visited and gave gifts to over 1 million elderly people with a total amount of over 287 billion VND - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Mr. Truong Xuan Cu suggested that the Ministry of Home Affairs continue to closely coordinate with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Elderly Association to guide localities to establish provincial and district-level elder association nationwide in accordance with Conclusion No. 58 of the Secretariat. The Elderly Association proposed that the Prime Minister approve the project "Elderly people participating in start-ups, job creation, digital transformation, green transformation" submitted by the Central Committee of the Association in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. At the meeting, delegates discussed solutions and policies to support the elderly in adapting to population aging, and measures to create jobs when the demand for jobs for the elderly is very high.

Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh said that recently, the National Assembly has issued 9 laws related to the elderly - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

There are increasingly better conditions for implementing policies for the elderly.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long acknowledged and highly appreciated the results that ministries, branches, agencies, and the Vietnam Association of the Elderly have achieved in recent times in implementing the consistent policies of the Party and State to care for the elderly. The Deputy Prime Minister stated that we have increasingly better conditions to implement the policies of the Party and State towards the elderly. Our policies are increasingly clear and relatively complete for the elderly. There are many programs and projects that agencies, according to their assigned tasks or from their own initiatives, have implemented. Quantifying support policies, the Deputy Prime Minister gave an example that recently the standard level of social assistance has been increased to 500,000 VND/month, an increase of nearly 40% compared to the old level. However, there are still difficulties and obstacles in the work of the elderly. The lives of a part of the elderly are still difficult. Policies to anticipate the trend of population aging are not yet timely. Resources are still limited. The Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged the opinions and recommendations of ministries, agencies, and the Association of the Elderly regarding the tasks that must be focused on from now until the end of 2024, in order to have quantifiable results, and at the same time, to consider and research long-term policies for the elderly. The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to urgently complete and submit to competent authorities for approval the National Strategy on the Elderly, striving to complete it in November 2024. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to solutions and policies for the aging population; employment policies for the elderly. The project proposed by the Association of the Elderly (on starting a business, creating jobs) is only a specific task, but in the long term, it is necessary to calculate and include it in the Strategy, the Deputy Prime Minister suggested.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long stated that we have increasingly better conditions to implement the Party and State's policies towards the elderly - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

The Deputy Prime Minister said that efforts should be made to ensure the lives of the elderly, as stated by the representative of the Social Insurance, so that "when the stomach is full, there will be someone to take care of the sick". The Ministry of Home Affairs is interested in handling the recommendations of the Association of the Elderly on the establishment of the Association of the Elderly at the provincial and district levels nationwide according to Conclusion No. 58 of the Secretariat. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment closely coordinates with the Association of the Elderly in developing the Project "Elderly people participate in start-ups, job creation, digital transformation, green transformation". The Ministry of Health strengthens the implementation of projects for the elderly, including coordinating with the Association of the Elderly, relevant agencies, banks, and sponsors to implement the humanitarian program "Bright eyes for the elderly". Ministries and branches actively and proactively implement programs to care for the elderly. Press agencies continue to promote propaganda about the tradition of caring for and protecting the elderly; detect and condemn acts of treating the elderly unfairly. Provinces and cities should improve the organization of the Association of the Elderly at the provincial and district levels based on Conclusion 58 of the Secretariat, and pay attention to allocating funds to take care of the lives of the elderly. The Central Committee always encourages comrades to do as many specific programs for the elderly as possible, such as birthday wishes, birthday celebrations, visits, or other activities and initiatives, the Deputy Prime Minister stated. The Deputy Prime Minister proposed to build a new operating mechanism for the National Committee for the Elderly in Vietnam.

Government.vn

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/khan-truong-hoan-thien-chien-luoc-quoc-gia-ve-nguoi-cao-tuoi-10224083013284515.htm