President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the welfare of senior citizens was necessary for the country to develop and progress as a society. Speaking at Dharubaaruge last evening, at a function to mark the 5th Anniversary of Manfaa Centre on Ageing, the President said that the development and progress that we enjoy today are the fruits of their hard labour in the past.

President Nasheed said that the government recognised the importance of ensuring the welfare of the aged, and the senior citizens’ pension introduced by the government was the beginning of the efforts to establish a social security system for the aged. Furthermore, he assured that the government would not neglect any senior citizen in need of care and all the public places built by the government would be made accessible and usable by the aged.

Speaking at last nights function, the President noted that the services provided by the Manfaa Centre on Ageing was important for the country and said the government encourages the work of all such civil society organisations.