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Social Safety Nets – Issues and Future Strategies

Social Safety Nets – Issues and Future Strategies. P. Sumanapala Director Department of National Planning Ministry of Finance and Planning. Social Sector at Glance. Major Safety Net Programmes Income transfers under the Samurdhi Programme

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Social Safety Nets – Issues and Future Strategies

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  1. Social Safety Nets – Issues and Future Strategies P. Sumanapala Director Department of National Planning Ministry of Finance and Planning

  2. Social Sector at Glance

  3. Major Safety Net Programmes • Income transfers under the Samurdhi Programme • Micro Credit Schemes implemented by various public institutions/ banks/ NGOs • Infrastructure development at village level (eg. Gama Neguma) • Free distribution of school uniforms and text books • Nutrition packages to pregnant and lactating mothers • Flood and drought relief programmes • Public assistance to vulnerable groups (eg. Indigent elders) • Payments to disable soldiers • Assistance to conflict affected people/ IDPs • Free treatment at Government hospitals

  4. Major Shortcomings of the Safety Nets • Overlapping programmes by various Ministries/ Institutions/ Agencies/ NGOs • Poor targeting in the Samurdhi programme • Inadequacy of income transfers • Negligence of non-income aspects • Limited payments for disable people • Insufficient quantity of dry ration to IDPs

  5. Proposed Policy Options • Re-vamping cash transfer programme - Suitable entry mechanism - Suitable exit mechanism • Helping to the poor escape poverty - Income generating projects - Skills development • Addressing individual vulnerabilities - Make people aware of benefits of preventing disability - Help reducing stigma about the disabled - Develop measures to improve safety - Promote disable people to participate fully in the socio-economic life - Ensure better coverage of the disabled in safety net programmes • Developing Comprehensive Package of Intervention for Disaster Relief - Cash grants - Livelihood programme - Work fare - Social welfare - Social integration

  6. Key Strategiesof the Government Vision : Creation of a safe, free and caring society for all through protection and empowerment of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and adoption of appropriate risk minimizing mechanisms. Policy Direction: Protecting the rights of disadvantaged groups and upgrading their skills to make them active partners of economic development.

  7. Key Elements of the New Strategy : Poverty Stricken Community Objective: Improved capacity to cope with risks and shocks • Gradual reduction of Samurdhi cash beneficiaries and directing them to engage in gainful economic activities. • Diverting more resources from recurrent items to capital items (eg. micro credit, village infrastructure, skills development, access to market). • Strengthening social insurance and other safety measures for Samurdhi beneficiaries. (eg. Payments in the event of death in the family, scholarship allowance for children etc.)

  8. Differently Able Community Objective : Better social integration and enhanced employment opportunities • Equal education – Enrolment of differently able children to normal schools • Shelter and vocational training – Rekawarana Niwasa Homes for the disabled • Financial assistance – Monthly grant of Rs. 3,000 • Employment opportunities – Reservation of at least 3% of employment opportunities in work places • Social equity – Enacting legislation to protect the social rights

  9. Children Objective : Ensuring universal access to the services that children require for their full and free development • Improving health and nutrition – Provide monthly allowance to purchase milk • Safe homes for orphans – Improvement of children’s homes with adequate financial assistance • Quality pre-school education – Improvement of standards of pre- schools/ day care centres

  10. Senior Citizens Objective : Improved quality of life with social dignity and independence • Improving living standards – Upgrading homes for aged • Ensuring adequate income – Increase the pensions/ EPF benefits • Providing in-kind assistance – Provision of spectacles at free of charge Free railway warrants Subsidized transport

  11. Destitute Women Objective : Empowered women in a discrimination free society • Undertaking in-kind transfer– Nutrition package for pregnant programmes and lactating mothers • Promoting gainful employment – Financial assistance through Lanka Putra Bank • Providing legal and counseling – Assistance to affected women assistance (eg. tortured, sexually abused) • Enacting new laws – Removing inequalities relating to salaries, property rights, etc. Enacting Women’s Charter of Rights • Fair political representation – Increased representation at provincial and local level

  12. Thank You

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