Cape Verde: Children with disabilities may now benefit from social pension

The Government of Cape Verde approved, on 8 April, changes to the social pension system which will extend coverage to disabled children, provide benefits to the surviving spouse of an acknowledged common-law marriage, as well as other changes in the delivery of disability and survivor pensions. The approved new diploma changes the Decree-Law no. 24/2006 of 6th March which institutes the non-contributory social pension system of social security and the social basic pension. Janira Hopffer Almada, spokesperson for the Council of Ministers, announced that the Government’s purpose in implementing these changes was to reinforce social protection for the people of Cape Verde as a whole and to widen its base for all those eligible to the non-contributory system.

The Government was addressing a special concern with the inclusion of children who will now acquire rights towards the social pension. According to the Youth Minister and President of the Council of Ministers «children with disabilities require special care, especially when their relatives live in poverty with little or no means to look after them. These changes will constitute a precious support for those families and children».

With respect to the surviving spouse or partner in an acknowledged common-law marriage, they will also acquire the right to a social pension, transitory if they are under 45 years of age and definite or fixed for those over 45. Furthermore, access to the basic social pension will be easier for foreigners and stateless people as the requisite period of time in the country is reduced from 15 to 10 years.  Finally, conditions of access to the disability and survival pension have been revised with the removal of the obligation of a permanent labour incapacity of 75%.

Mozambique: National Basic Social Security Strategy
approved and spread by Government

The Council of Ministers of Mozambique approved, on 27 April, the National Basic Social Security Strategy 2010–2014. The first initiative to publicize the Strategy was held from 5-7 May in Bilene, with the participation of Iolanda Cintura, Minister of Women and Social Affairs.

The Strategy aims to increase the coverage and impact of the interventions in the area; increase the efficiency of the system as whole and assure the harmonization and coordination of the different programmes and services offered to the poor and more vulnerable groups. The axes of intervention will be: Direct Social Action; Health Social Action; Education Social Action and Productive Social Action.

In order to create conditions for the implementation of the Strategy, MMAS carried out the training ''Principles and Practices of Social Protection'', with the support of the BIT/STEP Portugal Project. It was addressed to 23 MMAS Advisory Councils and 9 Provincial Directors. It allowed discussion on concepts linked to social protection, the effects of non-contributory social transfers in developing countries, social protection financing, a social protection floor and the next steps to be undertaken to proceed with the Strategy implementation plan.

Brazil: Government incentives towards the formalization of 6.3 million domestic workers

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, 6.3 million Brazilians carry out domestic work across the country – 5.6 million of whom are women. Of these, approximately 4.1 million domestic workers working informally have no social welfare protection, according to the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) of 2008.

Actions have already been undertaken by the Government to encourage the formalization of this group of workers with respect to Law No. 11324 of 19 July 2006 which, according to the Minister Eduardo Gabas in April, "... aims to encourage the registration of domestic workers and their inscription at the National Institute of Social Security”. The law allows the employer to discount employer social security contributions against income tax, in addition to recognizing the right to 30-days leave, employment security on confirmation of pregnancy until five months after the birth, and flexibility with respect to civil and religious holidays.

Angola invests in the social protection of vulnerable children

The Angola Assistance and Social Reinsertion Minister announced on 23 April in Lubango, the construction of five Regional Centers of Development and Integral Protection for children in the provinces of Huíla, Benguela, Bengo, Huambo, Kwanza-Sul e Luanda.
The centres will contribute towards achieving the 11 commitments made in favour of children, providing them with education, protection and vocational training courses. The Huíla Centre, for example, where the works should be completed by July, has four buildings, representing a total investment of $28.000.000; it will have 32 rooms, divided by five dorms, an arts and crafts workshop, a gym and three houses for school teachers.