Social protection plays a critical role in protecting and assisting those who are less fortunate group of the community, reducing poverty and inequality, and promoting inclusive growth by boosting human capital and productivity. Social protection does not only benefits people living in poverty, but also promotes the well-being of societies at large.
In this regard, safety nets are one form of social protection and assistance programs exercised widely to lessen the levels of vulnerability, reduce severity of poverty, and empower people economically so as to improving opportunities for inclusive growth.
Ergoge Tesfaye ( Ph.d), Minister with Labor and Social Affairs said that the government has greater commitment to ensure the social protection of societies and betterment the livelihood of those people intended to benefit.
On top of this, quite a lot of people have been getting support from Urban Productive Safety Net Project (UPSNP) and Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP).
She stressed: “The social protection policy emphasizes on integrated strategy, empowering the capacity of our religious institutions and making those people intended to benefit part and agent of the solution. Thus, by using our culture of cooperation, we can address the problem of poor people.”
As injustice leads social problems, ensuring fair distribution of resource and undertaking inclusive development programs are essential to prevent the citizens from social and economic problems.
Mentioning that social protection in its nature is multi-sectoral, non- governmental organization like USAID and UNICEF have played immeasurable roles for the success of the Ministry in addressing the problem of people in need and to implement the policy accordingly.
Getahun Abdisa, Ministry’s State Minister on his part said that the country has been undertaking a lot of measures to implement national social protection policy through boosting access to quality education and health. The Ministry has been creating job opportunities for unemployed people to implement the policy accordingly thereby protect the social and economic rights of citizens.
Likewise, with the aim of benefiting employees of private organizations, various activities have been carried out in concert with different institutions. As a result, a number of private organizations have begun to cover the social security of their employees and significant amount of currency has been collected within a short period of time.
He underscored those citizens who have social and economic problems have made a way out through being included under the rural and urban safety net programs. People who are fit to do a job were benefited through job opportunities while the others got direct aid and support, Getahun remarked.
Torbjorn Petterson Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia also said that Ethiopia has been obtaining a successful result in social protection through the endorsement of National Social Protection Policy (2014) and National Social Protection Strategy (2017), as well as the design and implementation of Social Protection Action plan.
“Constructed in the right way and supported by the right policy frameworks, social protection stimulates pro-poor economic growth, results in wealth distributions, enhances productivity and livelihoods.”
According to him, social protection schemes are deemed to be inadequate in their ability to systematically respond more quickly and effectively to social crisis. In line with this, Sweden strongly supports government’s effort on the ongoing reforms of integration and linkages of social protection programs and services with other sectors.
Abebe Gebremehdin, Social Protection Specialist and Advisor to the Minister on his part said that in Ethiopia, expanding social protection landscape is part of the progressive implementation of the main economic and social rights enshrined in different articles of the Constitution.
By exemplifying Article 90 which states: “To the extent that the country’s resources permit, policies shall aim to provide all Ethiopians access to public health and education, clean water, housing, food and social security” he said that ensuring the social protection of the citizens has a constitutional foundation.
Currently throughout the country, over two million government employees have been contributing to pensions and 750,000 pensioners are benefiting from it. Regarding private organizations employees 752,342 private employees covered by social security and there are 4971 pensioners.
The Ethiopian Herald June 5/2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
