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TOKYO, Sept. 20-- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday expressed his commitment to reforming the nation's social security system as the country is increasingly grappling with a demographic crisis as the population here rapidly ages and shrinks to the detriment of the economy. "Reform toward social security for all generations is the biggest challenge. We will consider sustainable reforms for the entire social security system," the Japanese leader told a panel charged with dealing with the issue at their first meeting. One of the government's aims has been to encourage senior citizens to actively contribute to society by working for longer, which means they will still be eligible to contribute taxes to help trim the ballooning social welfare costs the government is and will have to cover, more so in the years to come. One scheme under the proposed social security reforms initiative is to incentivize Japanese businesses to hire, or allow those who wish to do so, to work or to continue working up until the age of 70. Reducing or ditching the system that lowers pension allocations for people who are earning a certain amount, has also been an idea floated to encourage businesses and seniors to begin to revamp the workforce and extend participation by seniors. The proposals come as social welfare expenses, which span public pensions and medical costs among others, are set to significantly increase from 2022, as postwar baby boomers turn 75 years old or older. | 
