THE PPP/C administration has always embraced a path to development in which people are at the centre of all policy interventions. This fact has found expression in a multiplicity of ways, but moreso when it comes to the well-being of the more vulnerable segments of the population, such as the poor and the elderly.

In every society, there are those who are better off, and those who are challenged to make ends meet. This is particularly so for our senior citizens.
Unable to engage in paid labour due to advancing age, many are forced to live on their pensions. A significant number depend almost entirely on their Old Age Pension, which can be quite challenging in terms of catering for their basic survival needs.
This is why the decision taken to increase Old Age Pensions is most welcome, and speaks to the caring nature of the current PPP/C administration. According to Vice- President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the Old Age Pension will be doubled from its 2020 amount next year to $41, 000, in keeping with a Manifesto promise.

This is indeed commendable, especially when seen against the background of the non-contributory nature of the pension. The only qualifying criteria is age and citizenship. Not all countries, including some of the more advanced ones, provide their senior citizens with non-contributory benefits.
There was a time, under the previous PNC regime, when the Old Age Pensions were barely worth a loaf of bread, not to mention other essentials such as butter and cheese, so vital for a nutritious meal. On top of that was the so-called ‘means test’, to which senior citizens were subjected, in order to benefit from such pension.
The fact is that the Old Age Pension is worth much more today, in real terms, than the minimum wage paid during the period of PNC dictatorial rule. And while it is true that the Old Age Pension, as currently obtains, may not be enough to satisfy all of the basic necessities of senior citizens, it is certainly worth much more in real value than at any time in our history.

The Old Age Pension also has to be seen in conjunction with other benefits senior citizens receive such as subsidised water and electricity. According to Vice-President Jagdeo, the government has re-introduced an annual electricity and water subsidy, which forms part of a comprehensive package of benefits aimed at enhancing the disposable income of the elderly population.
It will be recalled that the water and electricity subsidies which were introduced by the previous PPP/C administration were terminated by the Granger administration, which took power in May 2015. Other subsidies and tax exemptions on a range of consumer items were also removed, which took a severe toll on the quality of life of all Guyanese, especially the elderly and vulnerable.

These are all commendable gestures on the part of the PPP/C administration, which, from its very inception, has embraced an approach to development that is people-oriented. When the PPP/C was returned to office on October 5, 1992, the then President Dr. Cheddi Jagan committed his administration to a policy framework of putting people first, and ‘development with a human face’. That philosophy of governance still continues to be the guiding principle of all subsequent PPP/C administrations.
As the economy gets stronger, more can be expected from the PPP/C administration to enhance the standard of living of all Guyanese, especially our senior citizens.