Chilima promises to start benefits pay for the eldery: To increase retirement age to 65

September 14, 2018 Wongani Chiuta -Nyasa Times 54 Comments

State vice-president Saulos Chilima   has said he will introduce a welfare benefit scheme or the state old-age pension scheme for all Malawians aged 65 years and above once he becomes the country’s president under the banner of United Transformation Movement (UTM).

Chilima showing the people UTM symbol
Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya speaking as Chilima looks on
Imbizo: Chilima during whistle-stop meetings in Lilongwe
Chilima: We will raise retirement age from 60 to 65 years in order to ensure that people fully contribute to the country’s development.

Chilima made the pledge on Friday during his Imbizo-style whistle-stop meetings in Lilongwe that took him to Ngwangwa, Chidalanda, Kafutwe and Nambuma Trading Centers where he engaged with the public in chats and question time  as he responded to people’s probing questions .

The UTM leader said  many older people are living pathetic lives with costs of goods and other expenses are rocketing and  promised that his administration will ensure they  supplement their income with a government old age grant.

He said scheme would cater for every person regardless of whether they were employed or not but  will be subjected to means testing as other eldery are cash rish to get benefits pay.

Chilima also disclosed that his administration witll increase retirement age from 60 to 65 years in order to ensure that people fully contribute to the country’s development.

“We need to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65 years. We need to put everyone over 65 years of age on pension,” said Chilima.

The UTM leader said there’s already money for the  initiatives“ within government” and he knew he would get it within the country.

Chilima said other  countries such as Lesotho, Mexico, Botswana, South Africa are doing the old-age scheme, challenging  “even if it was not being done in other countries we would still do it.”

Acooring to the Global Age Watch Index , which measures crucial aspects of well-being of the elderly, including income security, health status, capability and environment , Malawi is the worst place to grow old.

Among others, the Vice-President has already  pledged to create one million jobs, abolish the quota system of selecting students into public universities, end presidential immunity from prosecution while in office, increase teachers’ salaries and make Parliament the appointing authority of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general and other important positions, in the first year if elected president in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

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54 replies on “Chilima promises to start benefits pay for the eldery: To increase retirement age to 65”

  1. So at 65yrs uli phepheru pheru you will get 40% of your Pension.Kenako kumwalira basi 60 % yako Boma kugawira anthu ati atoyambira gain.Koma ndie akuyikochatu .Why not Make people get 60% of their pension at 60 kaya amangira nyumba ndie kuti alemba anzao ntchito,Khaya adyera kanyenya ndie kuti wa Chiwaya zake zitoyenda.Chaka chino titomva zambiri.

  2. Every time he stands on a podium and opens his mouth Chilima shows that he is childish, inexperienced and incompetent.

  3. After rebuking old people and calling them names saying that they are too old to be working, Chilima wants to increase the retirement age. UTM hsas seen that votes from young people are not adding up.

  4. Do you remember the manifesto you told the pple when u were in DPP in 2014? You said you will normalise the civil servants pay with those of the parastatals. Did it work NO!

    You waited for 4 yes to tell us that the party is full of thieves. Do u think we can believe you? NO

    Why is it that 90% of your inner circles are Catholics? Do you think pple doesn’t know that its the Catholic Church that is drumming your support?

    My simple advice, Politics should not be mixed with religion.

  5. This is contradiction at its best. The man who does not want to see old people working now wants to see old people stick to their offices. Childish thinking!!! It’s true the presidency is not for babies.

  7. Here is where people demonstrate their shallow thinking. Do you really think increase the age for state pension will affect you employment? What is the cause of unemployment now when the retirement age is at 60? Chilima has told you that he will create new jobs. he has not said youths will fill the jobs of those who have retired.

    1. I wish we had more brainy like yourself. Unfortunately we’ve got majority thick without common sense.
      Can’t agree with you more.

    2. Well, let him create the new jobs first, before he starts to raise the retirement age. The cry among Malawians is lack of jobs. Let him focus on that because so far his strategy is shady and not convincing. Mapanga awiri abvumbwitsa. Pick your priorities strategically and demonstrate results!

  9. Increasing retirement age to 65 is the worst evil and an insult to the youthful Malawian population……

    Other countries hv higher retirement age becoz their demographics are dominated by the old people…

    This is one way of milking the civil servants of their gains so that when they die u eat their monies

  10. This is great. I must also point out that job creation and revising retirement age upwards are two different concepts. To a leader who is visionary, strategic and transformative, job creation is possible, Taiwan, Israel, Singapore are good examples. In Malawi, the problem number one is leadership which lacks vision, patriotism and willingness to transform the country. In most cases their policies and development agendas are cosmetic just to score political mileage for example the FISP, malata subsidy program etc .

    1. Chilimas strategy for creating jobs is not convincing and full of loopholes. He should focus on improving that strategy before picking up another controversial issue. Nobody in Malawi complained about retirement age being too low. Drop this retirement age issue and focus on job creation #Friendly advice

  11. Creating jobs for youths by extending retirement age…..cheat those blindly following Catholics……
    Wait 21st May will put u where u belong…..

  13. abale abale abale abale, aliyese amabwera ndi zoti azapanga eti? muluzi ,bingu, joice mpaka awawa awaq. kodi cinatheka withgout probing ndi citi. pano a dpp ndomwe akuti ai pijoni pi, joisi nkesa amati amanga cipatala ca ana the best in africa, nanga nkhani ya dual citizesship, ma plesdent onse amacita kuyenda mmaiko akunja kukayankha mafuso ndi kuuza a mw ali kunja kuti zitheka. 2016 m paliament mpaka lelo. MA PROJECT OSAMALIZIKA, . Cuma ca boma cinalowa mmatumba. kodi pa dzana sikunali zocitika ndi ma eldery ankati GRAY cani paja, kumayendaa ma konvoy kukapeleka blanget limodzi aliyese, nanga n’gombe business inathela pati. awa a jioce ndiawa atinyenga kuti apita ku nigeria. osangonena kuti apita kokika nao KOFI ANNAN nanga padzana anali limodzi ,
    TIYENI TIMUSIYE CILIMA NAYE ATAONETSA ZOMWE ANGACITA. kodi mungakondwe wina kungoti ndifuna ndiime opanda manifesto? zodabwitsa simuzamuyesa openga galu wongouwa??????????????????????????????????????

  14. All very well. What this man is doing is pointing out the obvious things that Malawi needs and make promises that he will deliver by saying the money is in Malawi. He might be more convincing if he told us where the money is, how much there is? and how he plans to get to the money? Is assuming that Malawians are daft when you say ai ndlama zilipo siri momuno! tell them where the money is? all these past presidents would have done all these obvious things if the money was there. I get the impression that you are desparate to get into government and you will use any lie to get there. I am not convinced so far so you have to try harder.I agree Malawi needs all the things you are laying out but I don’t agree that you can fund all this change unless you have a surprise somewhere.
    The same way you belonged to a party of thieves for 4 years and failed to tell us that they were stealing until you were encouraged by disgruntled ex members to stand against your old party! none of this is impressive we are not stupid! you should just ave waited to become the next DPP president and I tell you you would have walked in straight!

    2. By the way, Nambewe, did the DPP he joined in 2014 and for which he accepted the vice presidency position any different from the DPP he decided to leave when it became clear that he did not belong? Did the DPP he joined any cleaner before 2014 than it was in 2018? Had it not already killed Chasowa not to mention the 20 July deaths in Mzuzu? Did he not join the ticket of the Prince of thieves knowingly when his ineptitude was well catalogued especially during the University lecturers saga that led to the closure if Chanco?
      I think this guy is a fraud 😣

    3. in the end when he gets the presidency he will come and tell us m’boma abamo zonse paja ndimakuuzani kuti ndiokuba

  16. Chilima has run out of ideas. How is he going to create more jobs for the youth while extending retirement age? Where will he get the money to pay retirement benefits when government’s purse cannont meet current demands?

  17. Also Mr President to be, will you please (if erected) get rid of Ghandis statue and replace it with our Malawi and African freedom fighters.
    Thank you in advance.

    1. Having run out of brilliant ideas of creating jobs for the youth, the previous government thought of raising down the retirement age hoping to give those jobs to the unemployed youth. That was not a solution. Retiring at 60 is, to say the least, ridiculous. Robbing the nation of the most experienced human resource. A policy that seeks to create jobs by not taking away jobs from others should be celebrated.

  18. That’s great Chilima. A message to a few comments from the THICK on here. Yes retirement age has to go up and has been overdue. Other developed countries have retirement age of up 70 years. People are living longer, hence have to contribute more towards their up keep once retired otherwise will continue to be a burden. Also you thick people, Chilima did not say he would create jobs by retiring the old but rather CREATING NEW JOBS. Malawi has had many thick and negative thinking people hence the reason it remains the WORLDS POOREST.

    1. Are people leaving longer in Malawi bright guy like in the developed countries where people are leaving longer leading to the state pension system being burdened? By the way, do we have a state pension system in Malawi? I’m sure you know the difference between state pension system and the pension scheme for civil servants bright guy.
      By the way, could it be tha you call thick anyone who criticises Chilima because you are an educated zealot or educate fool? Don’t ask me the difference between the two terms bright guy, I think I can’t tell the difference because an educated zealot seems to be an educated fool which I think is worse than us thick guys bright guy.

  19. Uku timati kusavuka kapena kuyaluka….Tinakhala tikunena ife kuti zomwe mwayambazi simuzikwanitsa, ask BJ, he tried koma sanakafike kulikonse…Moto wa mapesi ukuzimatu uwu.
    Lero kunena ichi mawa china,ife timve ziti? We thank APM for allowing Chilima to trot around Malawi freely to prove himself how clueless an devilish he is………Wauponda! APM 2019 BOMAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

  20. Yes Malawi is the worst place to grow old but raising the retirement age is like going three steps forward four steps back,I was lucky by the time I was 50yrs I had worked for 30 years,and I noticed that Who ever came up with 55yrs as retirement age in the colonial and one party era was very right, it’s even more right now when our children are looking for jobs and the aged are sticking to the same jobs way after retirement age. Reduce the retirement age to allow the youth take over,with your experience and exposure you can work independently as a consultant. Don’t raise the retirement age.

  22. Don’t give Malawians conflicting information, yesterday you told them that you want the youths to lead public offices, now you want old people to remain in office up to the age of 65.
    During Dr. Banda regime retirement age was 55 and we want it back so that we create space for the youths and make more pensioners get their money when they are alive and of sound health.

  24. Chilima is fooling Malawians.After targeting youths in 1 million jobs now you are targeting civil servants 60 years of age .No promotion from the youths for another 5 years.Life is too short nowadays.Campaign gimmick.Mfundo Zayamba kuyang’ana dazibomu.

  26. This country is loosing a lot of hard earned tax payers money through the civil service. It is high time we hear how the next Government intends to seal the loops in the civil service. We know of hefty doubious allowances being paid to civil servants, getting allowances even up to over 10000% of their salaries every month. This systematic leaks are draining our economy big time. DPP 145m kickback is nothing, DPP corruption is nothing compared to how rotten our civil service is. Each and every ministry is leaking heavily. Corruption is fast becoming part of our DNA as a country. If we are to uproots corruption in this country, changing Goverment leaderships is not the absolute solution, it is just temporal. Cllosing financial leaks in Civil Service will be a good start.
    Think of the genesis of all the famous GATES in this country- (Civil Serivce) and not the political front of governments! Iam sure if this is investigated and exposed Malawians will be shocked! I am shocked.
    SKC please tell us how you intend to block these leaks in govenrment for if DPP is flushed outcome 2019, you will not flush out a corrupt District Commissioner in XX district together with DPP he will still be there even that Director in ministry of XX will still be syphoning our money, we need proper mechanisms to hold this economy!

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Regards.
    Babayalo MTe

  30. Yes Malawi is the worst place to grow old because groupings like UTM are busy insulting and disrespecting elderly people.

  31. I have three simple questions; honest and well researched answers even by Chilima’s supporters would be appreciated.
    1. Where would the pension money come from, when the government can’t even afford to pay some of it’s employees on time?
    2. Is Chilima also going to increase the life expectancy proportionately, so that the employees can enjoy some years post-retirement?
    3. Would raising the retirement age not tie down younger employees in a rut, and also have many young people stay unemployed longer as many positions would be tied up by the aging employees?
    Countries increase retirement age due to demographics, like when the population is only increasing below a threshold, like the replacement level; and when there is a shortage of people to fill current positions. This is the case in many of the developed countries in Europe, for example. And Japan. And maybe even China, in the near future.
    NOT IN MALAWI.
    What kind of economics is this? What kind of Economics did Chilima study at Chirunga, bale inu?
    And finally, what kind of sociology is this?

  32. In case you win munthu wa zaka 6of and above asamakhale mu office when our so many youths are unemployed komanso population yathu ili ndi so many youths …ankolo iyoyo sinthani

  34. One million Jobs through factories all over and mega farms, then a K40 billion fund for business Start-up using Pension funds, and now another scheme for the elderly. Am sure there is more to come and we still have many months before elections. The more Chilima talks, the more he sounds like a hardcore socialist who has absolutely no clue of the fiscal implications of his gibberish .

  35. Chilima you are joking. How do you create jobs while keeping people in offices up to 65 years? There will be no promotions if you keep, for example, a PS, up to 65. You are using Bakili style of politics and that is making promises that are unrealistic. Please musatinamizepo apa ndipo musawononge dziko lakufa ndikale for the sake of votes.

  37. Komatu imeneyi tu bwana mukwiyitsa anthu ogwira tchito m’boma fe tu, anthu tikufuna tilandire zathu tikaone zina tikadali ndi mphamvu nde inu mukunenanso za mkutu? Aaaah wandikwiyitsa wamva?

  38. Eeeh koma chimunthu chogulisa airtime chi nchabodza heavy. Iwe Chilima at this stage u might hv already forgotten some of the promises u hv made. Each rally ikumakhala ndima promise ake ake. Wachepa Aise kunali Atcheya abodza kuposanso Bodza lakolo. Tcheya Promised us shoes, etc. Slow down ndi Bodza plz….. Koma mwati kenako siuti promiser kuti ukatilowesa kumwamba kwaMulungu???

  39. Nzeru zatha mwansanga……… ,anthu azigwira ntchito mpaka 65 years ? pamenepa job creation ija igwira ,achinyamata akagwira kuti ntchito ngati anthu sakuchita retire.Apa ndiye magufa man

  40. koma nkulu uyuyu why is he desperate like this for u pulezidenti? chilipo, ndipo tiziona pompano…mukufuna kutithandiza ifeyo kapena mukufuna mudzithandize inuyo? time will tell

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