Social Minister Proposes Limitation of Old Age to 65 Years

BANDUNG (July 10, 2019) - Minister of Social Affairs Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita proposes that the age limit for elderly people is no longer 60 years but is changed to 65 years.

The age limit of 60 years old is stipulated in Law Number 13 of 1998 concerning. Elderly Welfare. The Minister saw that there were many reasons for the revision of the age limit as mandated by Law No. 13/2008.

"Many of them are 60 years old but are still productive, active and have many ideas. My parents themselves are already 78 years old but still active and productive," said the Minister, in his remarks at the commemoration of the National Elderly Day (HLUN) in 2019, in Bandung, Wednesday (10/07/2019).

Attending the event were West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, former West Java Governor Nuriana, former Head of BKKBN Haryono Suyono, senior economist Prof.DR. Emil Salim, and a number of other figures.

According to the Minister of Social Affairs, so far perceptions and insights have not developed properly in the community, which sees the elderly in the paradigm of mercy. "Though this is wrong. In fact there are still many elderly who are productive and physically in good condition. In West Java alone, life expectancy has increased," said the Minister.

Quoting the results of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) survey, the Minister said, the life expectancy of Indonesians continues to increase. "In 2014, the average was 70.1 years, increasing in 2018 to an average of 71 years," said the Minister.

Social Minister realized that it would not be easy to realize this revision. Because you have to change the law. "It must take some time, because changing the law is not short," said the Minister.

Referring to the results of the 2018 National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas), data show that the number of elderly people in Indonesia is 24 million of the total population in 2018 of 265 million people (around 9.05 percent)

"Of the 24 million people, as many as 85 percent (20.4 million) elderly individuals are known to be still potential," said the Minister.

The figure of 20.4 million people, for Social Minister, is really a very large potential number. "I say very large, because it exceeds even the total population in 2018 for each of the following countries: Cambodia (15.8 million people), Laos (6.5 million soul), Singapore (5.6 million people), and Brunei Darussalam (0.5 million people), "said the Minister.

Citing BPS data as well, the Minister said that as many as 22 percent of the elderly were known to be illiterate. Then a third of the elderly are known to have a disability.

Economically, said the Minister, the majority of elderly people live in families with the economic level being in the lowest 40 percent of the economy.

From the aspect of employment, around half the elderly population works in the agricultural work sector which is identical with income and low welfare levels.

Still quoting the BPS survey, as many as 60 percent of elderly people think low and unstable. "So they are prone to falling into poverty again. As many as more than one third of the elderly have not received health insurance services," the Minister emphasized.

"So I can easily conclude, that the condition of our elderly is still far from independent, prosperous. This is our homework together," said Social Minister

To anticipate the challenges that are developing, the Ministry of Social Affairs is taking four steps to intervene in the elderly presented by the Minister of Social Affairs. "The four steps are preventive, protective, promotive, and transformative," said the Minister.

Namely, preventive measures, said the Minister, is intended to provide economic empowerment so that the elderly can be prevented from the risk of poverty.

Then protective measures are intended by providing social assistance and basic level rehabilitation. "Then the promotion is intended to strengthen the elderly from the aspect of skills and capacity building," said the Minister.

Other interventions are transformative, namely interventions in the form of strengthening the regulatory framework or drafting legislation.

"To eliminate vulnerability and inequality towards the elderly," said the Minister.

In line with President Joko Widodo's mandate, said the Minister, the Ministry of Social Affairs provides various social protection programs, social assistance, social rehabilitation and family-based social services for the elderly.

"Social assistance for the elderly is included in one component. As for the elderly, it is one of the components in PKH. The value of the rupiah related to the elderly is the biggest," said the Minister.

Regarding the HLUN Commemoration in 2019, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation, Edi Suharto stressed the importance of the synergy of various institutional elements at the central government, regional government and the Elderly Social Welfare Institution (LKS LU).

Synergy is needed especially in implementing the mandate of Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government and Ministry of Social Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2018 concerning Minimum Service Standards (SPM) in the Social Sector. "This regulation requires the division of authority between the regional government and the central government," said Edi.

According to Edi, social rehabilitation carried out in the region is a basic social rehabilitation aimed at restoring social functioning. While what is done at the center is advanced social rehabilitation to develop capabilities and social responsibility.

"The two are clearly different. The aim of advanced social rehabilitation is not only to make it possible but also to enable it," said Edi.

HLUN 2019 took the theme "Elderly Independent, Prosperous and Dignified". The event was enlivened by an exhibition which lasted for two days on 9 and 10 July 2019 and was attended by 103 participants from relevant Ministries and Institutions, Social Rehabilitation Agencies and Agencies Ministry of Social Affairs, Provincial / District / City Regional Governments in West Java, Houses Sick in the area of ​​West Java Province, CSR from a number of companies, the Social Welfare Institution for Seniors.

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W. Manalu