The Minister extended sincere thanks and appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for endorsing Law No. 58 of 2009 on elderly people’s rights, adding that article 9 of the same law stipulates the issuance of the Elderly Card slashing fees by at least 50%.
She also extended heartfelt thanks to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa for issuing directives to issue the Elderly Card during the regular Cabinet meeting he chaired on January 6th, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, for his incessant support for all projects and initiatives aiming to ensure decent living for the citizens.
The reductions of fee will include Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning: Construction (once in a lifetime); Ownership proof certificates and survey (once in a lifetime); Municipal taxes on renting houses or flats; Interior Ministry: Renewal of driving licences every five years; Annual registration of vehicles; Renewal of passports every 10 years; The Central Informatics Organisation: Renewal of ID cards every five years; Labour Ministry: House-maids’ entry visas (one each two years); Renewal of work permits (one worker every two years); Electricity and Water Authority (EWA): Reducing a sum of no more than BD 15 from the electricity bill of one house in which one elder lives and Health Ministry: Special rooms at hospitals whenever the elder needs to stay there for treatment.
Dr. Al Balushi said that elderly people represented 4.9% of the kingdom’s population, according to the 2011 census, and is expected to reach 14.2% in 2025.
She added that the Ministry will open in May this year a special office concerned with elderly services at the building of the Abdulla Fakhro Social Centre in Isa Town.
According to her, the Office will issue Elderly Cards allowing their bearers to get 50% of fees of government services reduced, employ retirees in order to benefit from their competence and expertise, provide them with psychological, social, legal and family consultations, refer requests to avail of the services of day elderly houses to the relevant sides in their areas, provide the Elderly Companion service, coordinate with mobile health units to provide health care to the elderly on hygiene and healthy nutrition, provide prosthetic devices for the elderly, provide nutrition advice to the elderly and his/her family, coordinate with companies and private companies to obtain discounted services for the elderly and contact the concerned sides to provide the elderly with decent housing.
The Office will be run by rehabilitation specialists, psychologists and social workers.