Invest in social protection for inclusive growth and poverty reduction, says ILO

ARUSHA (ILO News) – In Africa, where social security coverage remains extremely limited, countries with well-designed social protection systems have demonstrated more resilience and have been better able to respond quickly and effectively to crisis, said the Regional Director of the International Labour Office (ILO), Aeneas Chapinga Chuma.
“Considerable progress towards higher levels of social protection coverage has been achieved in a number of countries across Africa, which shows that even in situations of tight budgetary constraints some investment in social protection can be made”, Mr Chuma said in his keynote remarks at the Arusha Conference officially opened by the Second Vice-President of Tanzania, H.E. Seif Ali Iddi.

Mozambique which has extended social protection through temporary safety nets is now undertaking efforts to build social protection floors as part of more comprehensive social protection systems. National experiences from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa have demonstrated that it would in principle be possible and affordable to provide all of the poor in Africa with a minimum package of social benefits and services including access to basic health care, basic income transfers in case of need, and basic education.

“Many countries have shown that if there is political will, it is possible to enhance fiscal space to invest in expanding coverage of social protection floors as a way to prevent poverty and generate opportunities for decent work and inclusive economic growth”, the ILO Head for Africa underscored.

Challenges and Opportunities

In Africa, limited access to social protection mechanisms remains one of the main policy challenges in achieving sustainable growth, productive employment and decent work.

“About 90 percent of the African labour force, mainly those working in the informal economy, are not covered by existing social protection systems”, reiterated Aeneas Chuma calling for increased social spending in the region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, coverage by statutory social security schemes is very limited and largely confined to workers in the formal economy and their families. In North Africa, coverage tends to be substantially higher, although levels of exclusion are still very high.

In the African region, one of the main challenges to be addressed by African policy makers and social partners is to extend social protection coverage to the largest part of the
population, mainly those in the informal economy, the ILO Senior Executive explained.

The Ebola effect

While there are no comprehensive studies yet available, the adverse socio-economic effects of the current Ebola epidemic are anticipated and “we can expect them to aggravate the vulnerability of the population in the affected countries and to roll back decades of positive economic growth and investment in human development”, warned Mr Chuma highlighting “the urgent need to invest in public health”.

However, despite the looming emergency, social dialogue remains central to finding effective, equitable and sustainable answers on how to provide universal social protection floors at levels.

The Arusha Conference will adopt a policy consensus document in social protection for guiding Tanzania’s ongoing efforts in setting up a comprehensive social protection system for the poor and vulnerable.

Aeneas Chuma requested concerted efforts under the leadership of the UN Country Team to “promote a social protection floor for Tanzania as an instrument to advance inclusive and sustainable development”.

The Conference brought together more than 150 participants including policy-makers, researchers and practitioners involved in the planning, design, and implementation of social protection programmes and systems countries like Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, South Sudan and Tanzania.