Service digitization will give understanding to the elderly regarding their own rights and help the government in providing integrated services to them.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) has launched a national strategy on silver economy through Presidential Regulation Number 88/2021 on the National Strategy for Elderly.

A silver economy is an economy where the elderly almost dominate a nation’s market.

"Indonesia is predicted to become the country with the largest silver economy after China and Japan," Bappenas head Suharso Monoarfa said while socializing the regulation on Thursday.

Thus, it is crucial to start developing more effective, inclusive, and sustainable multi-sector policies now to prepare Indonesia for facing population aging, he added.

In 2020, the elderly population in Indonesia had reached 26.4 million, he noted.

The number is estimated to increase to 61.4 million in 2045, or about 20 to 25 percent of the total population, he pointed out.

Hence, one of the board's strategies to deal with the situation is to digitize the Elderly Information System (SILANI) to update data, service referrals, and the special management of the elderly, Monoarfa informed.

The system started collecting elderly data in seven sub-districts of Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Bali in 2019, he said.

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Bappenas has also created a website-based SILANI app, which is available for download on Android-based phones in several trial areas, he informed.

In addition to improving government services for the elderly, the app is expected to increase digital literacy for the elderly , which reached just 46.68 percent in 2020, he said.

The app digitization is also expected to facilitate the implementation of Integrated Elderly Services, so the elderly can reduce physical contact and avoid exposure to COVID-19, he added.

“Integrated Elderly Services need concrete support from local governments to be included in sustainable policies on respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of the elderly,” deputy for population and employment at the board, Pungky Sumadi, said.

Under the national strategy, Bappenas is encouraging all parties to be committed to the welfare of the elderly, he added.

Meanwhile, director of poverty reduction and community empowerment at Bappenas, Maliki, said that it is necessary to improve the management of the fulfillment of elderly people's rights.

“Service digitization will give understanding to the elderly regarding their own rights and help the government in providing integrated services to them," he added.
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Translator: Sanya Susanti, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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