Many older persons continue to work post-retirement as they are strapped for funds to keep themselves and their families going, says Pearce Home Trust chairman Mohammed Hassan Khan.
Mr Khan, who is also the former director of the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) and a member of the National Council for Older Persons, made the statement in an interview with The Fiji Times’ western bureau chief Anish Chand.
He also compared the lifestyle retirees abroad enjoyed with Fijians at home.
“You see nowadays, boat loads of people coming. They’re all retirees and they want to go for holiday,” Mr Khan said.
“Our people can’t even go to Deuba for holidays. A lot of people have not even seen the new Rewa Bridge, so these are the types of things we know about.”
He maintained that 55 was a very early retirement age and added that people should be able to work for however long they wanted, especially if they were in the right physical and mental state to do so.
“Those who cannot work can retire. Some have to work because they don’t have enough pensions, they have to work because they don’t have food on the table, looking after their grandchildren.
“They have to work because they’re looking after their own people, they have to work because they’re looking after people with disabilities, et cetera, in their own families and environments, so these are the reasons why they’re working.”
Mr Khan also said there was a need to have a national health policy that would work across the board for all services and sectors.
“Yes, it should be workable and that is something that has been discussed on and off, but never been put on the table and there hasn’t been anything much written to discuss that issue.
“Again, that is something that the National Council of Older Persons needs to discuss or address.
“We have a national policy on older persons, but there is no national policy on health, healthy living.”
