HCM CITY – An increase in the number of jobs for seniors and women as well as higher labour productivity among youth could speed up Việt Nam’s economic growth, an official of the United Nation’s Population Fund has said.

Speaking at a conference on population policies held in HCM City yesterday, Dr Nguyễn Ngọc Quỳnh of the UN Population Fund in Việt Nam said the country’s total gross national income and total expenditures had been experiencing a downward trend, with the former expected to be equal to the latter in 2018.

In 2019, however, gross income is expected to fall under gross expenditures, Quỳnh added.

Currently, the number of people who are part of the so-called golden population (people of working age between 15 and 64 years old) accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s total population.

However, the number of people in this group will start to decline in 2042.

To prolong economic benefits, labour productivity should be raised at a time when a huge proportion of the population is of working age, Quỳnh said.

Improved education and health care services for seniors could also help spur productivity, she added.

Dr Nguyễn Văn Tiên, former deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, said the Government should develop a new plan to increase the retirement age, especially for women, and offer more vocational training for seniors.

Tiên said the health of seniors, who make significant contributions to socio-economic development, should be ensured and that social insurance should be reformed to ensure quality of life for older citizens.

Quỳnh said that everyone, including the disadvantaged and disabled, should have a right to quality services.

Nguyễn Thị Hoài Thu, former head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, urged the Government to develop new policies to address these issues. — VNS