At least 331,500 elderly people live in Kyrgyzstan. This is 5 percent of the country’s population. The Ministry of Labour, Social Development and Migration cited such figures in the draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on amendments to the law on senior citizens. The document was published for public discussion.
As the background statement says, according to the UN age classification, if the proportion of persons aged 65 years or above in the total population is below 4 percent, then the population of such a country is considered young; if it is in the range from 4 to 7 percent — the population is on the threshold of old age; if it is above 7 percent — the population is old.
This ratio has been increasing in recent years in the Kyrgyz Republic. «According to the UN forecast, the trend in the country will emerge by 2030, when the proportion of older people aged 65 and above will approach 7 percent,» the ministry said.
It is added that the problem of life extension is not only biological, medical, but also social. «In this regard, the provision and development of active longevity of senior citizens should be a priority for the state,» the ministry said.
For the purpose of active longevity of senior citizens, it is proposed to supplement the state policy in relation to them with such principles as:
- Promotion of strengthening solidarity between generations on the basis of justice and mutual assistance;
- Participation of elderly citizens in the patriotic education of the younger generation by sharing knowledge and experience with young people;
- Respect for the civil rights and dignity of older citizens, creation of equal opportunities for their self-realization, including in education;
- Support and development of entrepreneurial activities of elderly citizens;
- Elimination of negative stereotypes and discrimination against older persons.
The draft law envisages a norm on the right of state bodies to involve elderly citizens who have extensive experience in the relevant sphere in solving sectoral problems. «Taking into account the experience, knowledge and activity of the older generation, the document introduces a norm to support older citizens in entrepreneurial activities and also introduces a norm regulating the right of older citizens to state support during emergencies and natural disasters,» the Labour Ministry added.
