SG50 Seniors Package: Goodies for 700,000 seniors to mark SG50

SINGAPORE - Seniors in Singapore will enjoy goodies from 50 cent hotel buffet lunches to $50 worth of transport vouchers for use on the MRT or buses.

Announcing the SG50 Seniors package on Friday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also the minister in charge of ageing, said these special offers are to thank seniors for making Singapore what it is today.

More than 700,000 people aged 60 years and older can benefit from the more than 200 discounts and freebies given by over 100 organisations.

They range from discounted dining, leisure activities such as free admission to the Zoo, Bird Park and Gardens by the Bay conservatories, and offers from a free Passion card for five years to 50 per cent off travel insurance.

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Some goodies are for all Singaporeans and permanent residents 50 years and older. Others are only for smaller groups, such as those born in 1965, the year Singapore gained independence, or those of the Pioneer Generation, or Singaporeans aged at least 65 last year.

The validity period also varies from a couple of months till the end of the year.

Pointing to the "tremendous progress" made in the past 50 years, Mr Gan said: "Singapore is what it is today because of the blood, sweat and tears that our pioneers have contributed to nation building."

The Ministerial Committee on Ageing that he heads is trying to make ageing exciting, fun and delightful, he said.

Speaking to about 1,000 seniors at the Nee Soon Central Community Centre on Friday night, he said: "With good healthcare and advances in science and technology, we can not only live longer, but also live healthily for longer.

"So instead of worrying about 'getting older' as we approach a certain numerical age, we should think about how we can maximise the longer life years we will enjoy."

He urged all seniors to take advantage of the offers in the SG50 package to stay active, and for younger people to take advantage of these offers to take their parents and grandparents out.

salma@sph.com.sg

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