The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has announced the government’s decision to exempt people aged 65 years and above in the Ashanti Region from payment of National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) premium.

In line with this, an office is to be created headed by the Regional Social Welfare Director to register qualified beneficiaries.

The intervention, a social safety net for old people is already operational in Greater Accra and the Central Region.

Nana Oye Lithur made this known, when her Ministry feted about 300 old women drawn from 14 districts in Ashanti at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi.

She said the elderly deserved to be supported for their immense contribution to the nation’s development.

The Minister spoke of an arrangement to make senior citizens pay just a-half of transport fares to their destination, when they travel on the Metro Mass Transit buses.

They are also looking at the possibility of getting the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to sign on to the arrangement.

She later presented to each of the elderly women a Christmas package of rice, cooking oil and a piece of wax print.

Nana Oye Lithur had earlier joined them to dance to beautiful rendition of some popular old highlife tunes by the police band.