The implementation of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) has made little progress since its formulation in 2015 mainly because of inadequate and weak institutional capacities and lack of awareness among stakeholders, according to a new report.
The institutional capacities included the absence of a digital database, it said suggesting an effective strategy to raise knowledgebase and level of awareness among the related stakeholders to attain the targets taken in second phase of the action plan (2021-2026).
"The implementation progress of NSSS attained so far under different programmes including the national action plan has been quite low due to the lack of knowledge and awareness about the key concepts of social protection policies," the joint report read.
The lack of awareness is more acute when it comes to labour-related social protection policies namely National Social Insurance Scheme (NSIS)-sickness, maternity, injury and unemployment insurance schemes, it said.
The joint report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) was presented at a workshop titled "Social Protection Policies and Institutional Framework in Bangladesh" held on Monday at Brac Centre in the city.
Regarding implementation of National Action Plan Phase-1 of NSSS, the report showed that the progress in the consolidation of the workfare programme, urban poor and programme for elderly, disabled people and working age remained seriously off-tracked.
The NSSS envisioned establishing a National Social Insurance Scheme but the progress made on rolling out NSIS has been extremely limited.
The report identified lack of institutional capacities for collecting, analysing and disseminating data, lack of digitised and employment database and in absence of a robust monitoring mechanism to oversee the execution of the Labour Act as challenges for introducing NSIS.
Presenting the report at the workshop, RAPID chairman Dr MA Razzaque said that implementing social protection policies is a political commitment and the issue emerged as a new priority in both the developed and developing countries, especially with the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also said that adopting NSSS, 2015 was a paradigm shift for Bangladesh from ad hoc basis social safety net to lifecycle-based social security.
"Unemployment insurance could be the key in tackling labour market challenges and Bangladesh should start piloting unemployment insurance for the formal sector workers with good intention of expanding to informal sector workers within a decade or so," he said.
Significant progress has been made in direct payment of beneficiaries, he said, adding "However, developing employment database and tackling targeting errors should be seriously considered."
Speaking at the event, ILO Bangladesh country director Tuomo Poutiainen said countries across the world are now facing the daunting task of tackling Covid-19-impacts which has been further exacerbated by the adverse socio-economic situation.
Indeed, these crises have put the efforts to achieve sustainable development goals under severe pressure and underscore the need to develop a universal and comprehensive social protection system to ensure access to all especially to include all the vulnerable segments of society, he said.
"The ILO country office in Bangladesh is undertaking a series of awareness-raising and capacity-building initiatives with the support of Japan to support the government vision and to promote social protection and social insurance programmes in the country," Mr Poutiainen said.
One of the fundamental issues for universal social protection is to initiate a comprehensive database of the workers in order for them to take timely adequate support whenever needed, he mentioned.
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