A study which the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare commissioned has found that majority of older persons in the country face financial challenges as they advance in age.
The findings have shown that older persons are not empowered economically hence they find it difficult to sustain themselves when they are out of formal employment.
The Director of Programmes, Management and Evaluation in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Felix Sapala, said this in an interview during a conference that was organised to beef up the study.
The ministry, with funding from the United Nations (UN), requested HelpAge International to develop a feasibility study on universal pension in the country.
The overall objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of developing and implementing universal pension scheme.
The study was on feasibility of universal old age pension to find out how practical is it for the country implement the system.
“I am happy to say that the study findings are out, the report will be launched by the minister to ensure that a awareness begins so that the plans we want to implement are well known by Malawians,” Sapala said.
“The results of the study have revealed affordable options exist for Malawi to introduce universal pensions in the near future,” he said.
Sapala said social pensions are an increasingly popular approach being used in other African countries to ensure income security to older people and their families.
A consultant from HelpAge International, Nicodemus Chifupa, said only five percent of older persons in the country are on social security and the rest are not because they worked in the informal sector.
He said Malawi already has a partnership with International Labour Organisation (ILO) which has brought forward the idea of looking into social protection flaws.
“The ILO instrument sees the social pension as the foundation pillar to build up other social security pillars,” he said.
National Coordinator for Malawi Network for Older Persons Organisation, Andrew Kavala, said the study has been done to explore sustainable means to deal with economic challenges that older persons are facing.
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