Taipei, April 2 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Monday that taking care of the elderly is tantamount to taking care of the general populace, and letting the elderly lead healthy and comfortable lives with dignity will allow the greater population to lead lives of the same quality.
Chen called for a concerted islandwide effort to build Taiwan into a caring society in which the government is aided by the private sector's vast resources in its efforts to raise the island's standard of living and allow all people to look forward to a good future.
Addressing an audience at the Presidential Office in honor of a group of voluntary workers who devote their money, energy and time to bolstering the well-being of the elderly, Chen said senior citizen policy is now one of the most pressing and important tasks that the government is facing. Taiwan society is increasingly graying and the elderly already constitute 8 percent of the entire population.
It is essential that the government map out proper social welfare plans to improve care for the elderly and widen senior citizen's services to raise their standards of living, Chen noted. Chen expressed respect and gratitude to the voluntary workers for their longtime unselfish and compassionate efforts to serve the elderly.