VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The number of productive people in Indonesia surpasses the elderly and children. Yet, the population will undergo aging where the productive people will decrease in 2035 until 2040, and the elderly will increase. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed that the number of people 65 years old and older will increase by 25 percent or 80 million in 2050 from 25 million in 2019.

If the welfare, health, and social existence of the elderly are not taken care of well enough, the elderly will become a burden for the productive people both in familial level and national level.

The Indonesian government keeps paying more attention so that the elderly will not become a burden, namely by keeping them healthy, happy, and productive according to their capacity. One of which was the signing of the Presidential Decree on Elderly National Strategy by President Joko Widodo.

Poverty Eradication and Welfare Director at National Development Planning Ministry, Maliki has said recently that the national strategy consists of five pillars. First is social protection, income guarantee, and individual capacity. Second is elderly's health and quality. Third is elderly-friendly environment development. Fourth is elderly program institution. Fifth is elderly's rights protection and reverence.

Maliki also said those strategies are early steps in realizing self-reliant, prosperous and dignified elderly people.

The National Strategy for Elderly is very urgent. With the presidential decree, the preparation for elderly issues can be implemented sooner. In addition, all should do more efforts in optimizing the elderly population's productivity, especially when facing the oncoming demographic bonus, so Indonesian elderly can be self-reliant, healthy, and prosperous.