NLA set to pass Elderly Bill

A CRUCIAL draft law for government-provided elderly care looks set to sail through the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) today. 
The NLA will conduct the second and third readings of the Elderly Bill, which seeks to allocate 2 per cent of “sin taxes” to improve welfare provisions for senior citizens. The allocated funds will be capped at Bt4 billion per year. 
In the first reading, the draft won overwhelming support. 
If the bill is passed, low-income elderly people will receive an extra Bt100 every month from the government. That increase will be on top of the monthly subsidy of between Bt600 and Bt1,000 that the government currently provides to people older than 60, regardless of their social and economic status, as long as they are registered for financial support. The subsidy is scaled according to the person’s age. 
“The additional subsidy is not for everyone. It’s for the elderly who have registered themselves as low-income earners only,” Admiral Polawat Sirodom said yesterday in his capacity as the chair of the NLA ad hoc committee vetting the bill.

He said the bill when implemented would provide up to Bt4 billion for the Elderly Fund to take better care of Thailand’s growing elderly population. 
The bill will allocate 2 per cent of sin taxes capped at Bt4billion to the fund each year with proceeds exceeding the cap going to state coffers, a source said. 
“Of the Bt4 billion from the sin taxes, Bt2.6 billion will go to subsidy payments while the rest will go to elderly welfare,” the source said.
For example, the budget will be used to repair elderly people’s houses, provide care for bed-bound people and fund activities that are held for senior citizens’ benefit. 
The Cabinet proposed the bill to the NLA based on the recognition that the existing Elderly Fund does not have an adequate budget for comprehensive protection and empowerment of the elderly, particularly in light of the fact that the country has become an ageing society. 
At present, there are more than 10.3 million Thais aged more than 60 years old in Thailand. In other words, senior citizens account for about one-sixth of the total population.

It is estimated that the elderly population will grow to one-fifth of the total population by 2022. 
By 2030, it is likely that one in four Thais will be more than 60 years old. 
As a result, the government has placed a stronger emphasis on taking care of the greying population. 
Earlier this month, the government started encouraging affluent elderly people to donate their monthly subsidies to bolster the budget to take care of low-income registrants. 
Donations can be made starting on December 1, with the donors entitled to pins of honour. The donations are also tax deductible. 
The National Health Security Office (NHSO), meanwhile, has been actively promoting the Long Term Care Fund for elderly dependants. 
“We have received Bt900 million for the fund from the government this year. Next year, the budget will increase to Bt1.2 billion,” NHSO secretary-general Sakchai Kanjanawattana said yesterday during his visit to Lamphun province. 
The long-term care initiative for elderly dependants is being conducted in collaboration with local administrative bodies. 
Under the initiative, care managers and caregivers have been appointed to assist elderly people who need support.