THE Government deserves high praise for its exceptional vigour and tenacity in promulgating its old-age pension scheme and refusing to succumb to the prophecies of doom and damnation put forward by the enemies of equal rights and well-being for the less fortunate members of the community.
However, it is reasonable and just to adopt a comprehensive 'means test', in order to ensure recipients of the pension are truly deserving and not merely the wealthy taking an added perk.
It is little known that in this highly affluent society of ours, there are tens of thousands of aged people who have next to nothing in the way of basic requirements that most of their peers take for granted.
One has only to visit an older resettlement estate or a local fishing port to witness ample evidence of serious human deprivation and obvious suffering.
It is also true that, due to the general illiteracy of the older generation of fisherfolk and a continuing lack of effective communication between this sector of the community and the administration, there are countless thousands of these senior citizens, who receive no assistance of any kind from the Government.
There could be no greater or more noble an enterprise, than for this administration to incorporate these brave and honourable people into its old-age pension scheme.
