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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Social Protection: Building Effective and Sustainable Systems for Equitable

Growth Perspectives, Policies and Best Practices

SOCIAL PROTECTION AGENDA IN ZANZIBAR

Mr. Salum Rashid MohamedHead of the Social Protection Unit

Department of Social Welfare, Zanzibar

Arusha, Tanzania

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Background

In April 2011, the MSWYWCD with support of ILO engaged consultant to develop social protection policy for Zanzibar. However, the process did not deliver the desired output and so abandoned.

1n October 2012, the Ministry with support of UNICEF started a new process of developing the SP policy that will safeguard the interest of poor people and all vulnerable groups in Zanzibar.

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Poverty in Zanzibar

The population of Z’bar was at 1.303,56 in 2012;

Two official measures of poverty are used in Zanzibar: Food poverty line: 13% Basic needs poverty line: 44.4%

Poverty is much higher in rural Zanzibar (BNP=51%, FP=17%) than in urban (BNP=36%, FP=8%).

Poverty is also geographically concentrated, being higher in Pemba than Unguja and higher in north than in south.

Population living in poverty in Zanzibar by District, 2010

Basic needs poverty

Food poverty

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Drivers of poverty and vulnerability in Zanzibar

Income insecurity – which is caused by several factors, including low cash income, low food production, unemployment and high levels of informal employment and self-employment.

Vulnerability to shocks – which is caused by low coverage of social security, no universal pension, high prices for imported food, and other risk factors.

Low utilization of basic services – including lack of nutrition education, low use of ante– and post–natal care services, and poor child protection services.

Government Plan on social protection

To put in place a system which facilitates a legal and institutional establishment of a comprehensive social protection system integrating both social insurance (contributory) and a rights based social assistance (non-contributory) framework, and that observes the principles of subsidiary and participatory management, and thus protects and prevents citizens’ exposure to social risks, and hence creating a more equitable society.

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Government Plan on SP…

The Zanzibar Vision 2020 and MKUZA II recognise social protection and social security as critical policy responses to poverty and vulnerability.

“Policy framework for supporting Social Protection developed and endorsed by 2015” MKUZA Operational Target 2.6.1

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Development process

The process was participatory;

— Social Protection Unit established;

— A multisectoral Technical committee was established take part in policy development process;

— Steering Committee of PS was also established to supervise the process;

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Development process…

Conduct situation analysis on poverty, vulnerability and social protection in Zanzibar;

Capacity building;

Development of the Communication strategy

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Zanzibar definition of SP

Social protection is a set of actions by government and non-government actors, that aim to improve the quality of life in Zanzibar by reducing poverty, vulnerability and deprivation, providing protection against shocks, improving access to essential services, enhancing social inclusion, and promoting equal rights and opportunities for all.

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The policy

The policy issues have been divided in to two main parts: Cross-cutting social protection policy

interventions: 4 main issues – financing, coordination, food insecurity and Unequal distribution of economic growth benefits.

Social protection policy interventions by life-cycle stage: 7 groups – pre-school age children, School-age children, Adolescents, Working-age adults, pregnant and lactating women, older persons and PWDs.

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Financing social protection in Zanzibar

ZSPP identifies four ways of financing SP in Zanzibar: General taxation; Employee contributions; Zakat (alms) and Sadaka (charity) - finance

social assistance programmes and delivered by faith-based organisations;

Donor fund, notably in provision of social services such as education and health care.

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What were the challenges?

Poor knowledge and understanding of stakeholders on SP;

Inadequate financial resources to accomplish the process;

Absence of appropriate organisation arrangement;

Awareness of people on SP was also very low;

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How they were overcame

Outsource resource persons to develop the policy;

Formulate local team to work with resource persons and take part in the policy development process;

Build capacities of stakeholders on SP; Engage development partners to support

the process; Sensitize stakeholders and the

community.

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Implementation arrangements Develop an implementation roadmap; Disseminate and building capacity of

stakeholders at all levels; Develop a legal framework to support

social protection policy implementation; Create coordination mechanism and

strengthen cross-ministerial coordination; Design and implement social assistance

programmes;

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Areas of further development Improving coordination of social

protection interventions; Building knowledge of stakeholders on

SP, pension and other interventions is still low in both national and local level;

Developing a legal framework to enforce policy implementation;

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Universal pension idea

Zanzibar is determined to introduce universal pension for all older people of 65+;

The government through the MESWYWC is currently assessing the feasibility;

Initial assessment has indicated that the government can provide the pension;

The agenda is still under discussion on how to go through the process;

The OP identification is previewed for Jan 2015, together with issuing ID cards to access health care and transport;

Designing is expected before the end of this fiscal year.

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Thank you for your attention