SOCIAL PROTECTION REFORM

The Case of Belize

Belize in Context Area: 8,867 sq. miles Population: 322,100 Pop. Growth Rate : 3.4 Fertility Rate: 2.9 Life expectancy : 72.5 GDP per capita: US$4090 Multi-ethnic, Multi-lingual

society

Belize in Context 2 Poverty rate: 41% population, 32% HH Indigent Rate: 15.8% population, 11%

HH Unemployment Rate: 8.5 %

Females:13.1%,Youths: 24%

Female Headed HH: 24% External debt : 97% of GDP

Indigent HH Indigent Population

Belize spends a significant amount of resources on social protection (5.7 % of GDP),

yet this spending has not translated into results!

Evidenced by the large number of poor families that remain vulnerable in Belize.

The poor and vulnerable in Belize face a series of important risks resulting from: Macroeconomic disturbances and consequent

variations in employment, income, and consumption

Microeconomic conditions that expose the poorest families to a series of adverse situations.

Natural disasters

The Social Protection System in Belize was found to be inadequate to

address the risks these vulnerable groups face.

Key Problems

Poor resource allocation

Weak targeting

Low program effectiveness.

GOB Social Policy Goal

Promote key social sector reforms within a framework of fiscal sustainability and

macroeconomic stability in order to achieve the social sector goals set out in Belize’s National Poverty Elimination Strategy.

Specific Aims1. Maintain sound macroeconomic policies

2. Improve the quality and coverage of primary health care to the mostvulnerable population

3. Improve the quality of teachers and equity in secondary educationfinancing4. Improve the capacity to target, coordinate,

monitor and evaluate social services

5. Enhance fiscal transparency and responsibility for fiscal sustainability.

Strengthening Social Safety

Nets

Conditional Cash Transfer Programme

Cash transfer programme targeted indigent families with children, elderly and persons with disabilities

Reform started in 2008 – doubling the size of the benefit, number of beneficiaries and introducing concept of co-responsibilities.

Refocusing of the programme aims- poverty alleviation and human capital development

CCT (2) Benefit is US$22 monthly per person to a maximum of

6 persons.

Co-responsibilities : - 85% school attendance for children 5-17 years old- 100% immunization for children 0-5 years old- pregnant mothers access ante-natal service starting in the first trimester - 2 health checks per year for persons 60 years and over

Programme Upgrade in 2011 Renamed BOOST : Building Opportunities for Our Social

Transformation

Increase coverage to 6000 more beneficiaries

Introduction of a graduated benefit scheme for children attending school

Payment of benefit through credit unions

Improved targeting mechanism via refined PMT

Education Fee Waivers $300 registration fee waivers introduced

in 2008 for poor first and second year secondary school students.

All children in the poorest districts of Toledo and Stann Creek automatically qualify

Public Assistance Programme In kind assistance to poor families – food,

rent, medical services, education expenses, funeral expenses

Ceilings of benefits increased

Families can be eligible for ongoing assistance within a case management framework

The Pantry Programme Subsidized food programme Targets the working poor Families can purchase of a basic basket

of goods for half price Being piloted with 1300 families in the

largest and poorest urban center with the highest crime rates.

Administered by the Salvation Army

SISB

Pilot Project in Southern BelizeTo probe all parts of the SISB

Targeting System to reach the most poor

Beneficiary Targeting IndexWeight family poverty level

Single Beneficiary Registry To allow the identification, registration, selection and classification of the poor

population

Questionnaire Design to capture information to be

collected in each household members.

Monitoring & Evaluation of Social Programs

Evaluate the impact of social programs, in terms of changes in the quality of life of

families

Database IntegrationThe need to integrate databases for a stronger system and common benefit

Objectives of the SISB Establish a technical, objective, equitable and uniform

mechanism for selecting beneficiaries of social investment

Specific objectives:o classify applicants of social programs in a rapid, uniform

and equitable way;o strengthen institutional development of line ministries with

the establishment of a modern social information system;o support inter-institutional coordination to improve impact

of social spending and avoid duplications;o Focus efforts on the poorest and most vulnerable

Gross Weekly Income in US$

SISB WILL BE USED TO ALLOCATESOCIAL INVESTMENT

BENEFITS WILL ONLY GO TO THE FAMILIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED

AT THE LOWER RANGES OF POVERTY

General Population

Eligible HH SSN Programmes

Beneficiaries

Conditional Assistance

Food Pantry

Single Mother’s Project

Public Assistance

Education $300 Subsidy

Increasing women’s employability and

reducing the vulnerability of female headed

households.

Programme Administration Reform Modernization and streamlining of

programme administration Partnerships with non-governmental

entities to deliver services

Single Mother’s Skills Training Programmme

Single mothers with household incomes below the poverty line, who reside in south side Belize City

Focused recruitment of women: a) below the age of 30 years b) with active child abuse casesc) domestic violence survivorsd) who received public assistance in the past year

Single Mothers (2) Comprehensive programme that

provides employable and/or entrepreneurial skills, job readiness, job identification and placement, psycho social and support services.

150 women trained and employed since programme started in late 2009.

Women’s Employability

Increased support to women’s cooperative

Re-orientation of training programmes delivered by the Women's Department

Increasing youth employability

Strengthening the Educational System :Focusing on Coverage, Quality and Efficiency School finance reform Strengthening School Inspectorate Establishment of a National Teaching

Commission Increasing coverage of second chance

/alternative education Re-establishment of apprenticeship

programmes

Issues and Challenges These are early days and the work is

very much in progress Increasing the coverage of programmes Many pots on the fire – ensuring quality

and coherence in programme design, implementation and M & E

Coordination with other government Ministries