An elderly couple doing pull-ups at a Hanoi
park. Photo: Minh Hoang
The
overall health of retirees has improved and so retirement ages should be
raised, Deputy Minister of Labor, Ward Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong
Dam has said.
“The
retirement age may be raised differently for men and women and in various
sectors,” he said at the opening of a three-day conference that opened in Hanoi
Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Those
engaged in heavy and hazardous jobs would continue to retire at the current
ages of 60 for men and 55 for women, he added.
NGO
HelpAge Asia Pacific’s biennial conference, titled “The Economic Implications
of Ageing”, has attracted more than 300 officials and experts from 35 countries
and territories.
Deputy
Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, chairman of the Vietnam National Committee on
Ageing, said the average lifespan in Vietnam has increased to 76.6 from 66 in
1990.
“The
number of older people is increasing and will equal that of young people. So
the government will discuss solutions to overcome challenges and promote the
role of older people.”
According
to HelpAge Asia Pacific, the ageing population will lower economic growth in
coming decades, partly because of a shrinking and less productive workforce.
Civil
society and the private sector need to anticipate changes by adapting policies,
services and programs affecting areas such as healthcare, the labor market,
pensions, savings and consumption, it said in a statement.
Economic
growth should be shared equitably and that growth reduces poverty and
vulnerability among ageing societies, it said.
Governments
should take key steps to maintain manageable budget trends while honoring a
commitment to improve the welfare of older citizens as their numbers increase,
it added.
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