There has been so much talk in recent months about Malta's ageing population.

The arguments that have been made mostly centred on how this is affecting the employment sector. The fact that Malta has seen a staggering jump in the number of people who live here - with many foreigners setting up home in this country for employment purposes - is only one side of the story.

With Malta's birth rate at just over one child per couple, the problem is set to become worse in the future. It is therefore positive to note that there is consensus on efforts made to encourage more seniors to continue working even beyond their retiring age.

On Tuesday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives was flanked by the parliamentary secretary for active aging and the opposition's spokesperson for the sector at the presentation of a report drawn up by the Malta Employers Association which proposes a reform of the retirement system to encourage people to remain in employment beyond their statutory years.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia, PS Malcolm Paul Agius Galea and the PN's Paula Mifsud Bonnici all highlighted the need to create the best scenario for people to continue working, if still healthy, beyond 65 years of age.

The experience that these workers could still give to their place of work is invaluable. They might not have the energy of a 40-year-old or the technological knowhow of a 25-year-old, but they can certainly offer their knowledge and understanding. They could also serve as mentors to the younger generations, and set an example that the newer employees could follow.

One suggestion that was made in the MEA report is that there should be a flexible retirement framework to gradually transition from full-time work, including options for a part-time role, job sharing and telecommuting. Another proposal is for tax incentives - it would be pointless to encourage seniors to continue working beyond retirement age if their income from a job would affect the pension they are entitled to. It is also proposed that employers who implement age-friendly workplace modifications will also benefit.

With Agius Galea saying that only 10 per cent of those over 65 are in employment, meaning that resources are being wasted, and with Mifsud Bonnici saying her party is suggesting that workers who have paid enough national insurance contributions should begin receiving their pension even if they are in employment, it is clear that the two major political parties have a common approach to the idea.

This should make things easier for any amendments that need to be put in place.

While at it, the government should also consider changing its position on the way it thinks about people in the 61-64 age bracket. Employers and unions are of the opinion that people in this cohort - and who would have paid the necessary National Insurance contributions in full - should be allowed to remain legally active in the labour market while still receiving a pension, or at least part of it.

As things stand today, they cannot. A person who reaches 61 years of age, and who has paid the NI in full, can opt for an earlier pension entitlement only if they do not remain in any gainful occupation, part-time or full-time.

If the government really believes in the value of the contribution given by seniors, then it should listen to what employers and unions have been saying for quite some time.