New pension scheme for senior citizens

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

COLOMBO: A new pension scheme will be launched especially for senior citizens on International Elders Day 2007 which falls on October 1, Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Vijayalakshmi Jegarasasingam told the Daily News yesterday.

She said the National Secretariat for the Elders and the Sri Lanka Social Security Board which functions under the purview of the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministers will jointly launch this new pension scheme.

The main objectives of this pension scheme are to uplift living conditions of senior citizens over 70 who have become destitute due to economical hardships, identifying isolated senior citizens ignored and neglected by their children, creating awareness on the rights of senior citizens in the society and obtaining contributory involvement of public sector, private sector and NGOs for the pension scheme.