FROM CRISIS RESPONSE TO INCLUSIVE GROWTH

1. FROM CRISIS RESPONSE TO INCLUSIVE GROWTH By Chada Koketso

2. Presentation Format • Introduction • Funding mechanisms and domestic resource mobilization • Contribution of international organizations and multilateral banks • Dialogue between MFDP and DSS • Identifying the fiscal space for social protection in a productive public dialogue • Emerging evidence on the contribution of scalable social protection programmes to macroeconomic resilience • Major Challenges facing Social Safety Nets in Botswana

3. Introduction • Public policy in Botswana is aimed at reducing poverty through broad-based economic growth, specifically through employment creation initiatives • Government recognises that “economic growth is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for poverty reduction • Government developed a comprehensive regime of social safety nets

4. Existing SSNs address the risks associated with : • Malnutrition • HIV/AIDS • Unemployment • Disability and old age • SSN appear to be comprehensive over a life-cycle.

5. Botswana has nine major SSN programs as follows: • Primary school feeding program • Vulnerable group feeding program • Old age pension scheme • Destitute persons program • Orphan care program • Community home based care program • Labor based public works and drought relief programs • Remote area development program and • World War II veterans program.

6. Contribution of International Organizations and Multilateral Banks • Developing Credible Poverty Monitoring and Information Systems • Strengthening capacity to identify and develop tools and key policies that drive poverty eradication • Strengthening institutional coordination • Strengthening institutional capacity to respond to poverty

7. Funding mechanisms and domestic resource mobilization • Solely funded from Government revenues. • Social Safety Nets in Botswana target a large population • Need to refocus social safety net expenditures. • Need to strengthen data collection and analysis for SSN. • Improved data analysis and the ability to monitor and evaluate programmes • Would create fiscal space and improve financial management of social protection programmes

8. Enhancing Dialogue between MFDP and DSS • Multi-Sectoral Committee for Food Security and Poverty Reduction • MFSPR comprises all relevant Government Ministries, the pvt sector, NGOs and CBOs • MFSPR adopted the concept of inclusive growth • The MFSPR has taken a deliberate decision to promote inclusive growth through mainstreaming poverty reduction into NDPs • SSN theme will enhance dialogue

9. Identifying the fiscal space for social protection in a productive public dialogue • Efficiency in revenue collection • Involving strategic partners e.g. the private sector in financing SSN

10. Contribution of Scalable Social Protection Programmes to Macroeconomic Resilience • Promotion of broad-based economic growth • Investment in public infrastructure and social services to enhance human capability outcomes • Adoption of Social Safety Nets (SSN) to target the poor and vulnerable • Botswana has a fairly good social protection programme save for observed issues of coverage, duplication and targeting, which call for rationalization to improve efficiency.

11. Major Challenges facing Social Safety Nets in Botswana • Better information is needed to identify the poor and to assess the impact of SSN programs. • Targeting • Reaching the poor at a reasonable cost • Planning, Budgeting and Monitoring for service delivery

12. CONCLUSION • ensuring a life of dignity for poor people begins with adequate provision for their basic needs including food, health, shelter, clothing and protection from both man made and natural disasters. • Pro-growth SSN are part of the Government strategy to eradicate poverty

13. THANK YOU!