Result achieved
Outcome summary
On September 2016, the Government of Zanzibar and the social partners approved the five-year (2016/172020/21) implementation plan of the Zanzibar Social Protection Policy,
Outcome achieved
1. On September 2016, the Government of Zanzibar and the social partners approved the five-year (2016/17–2020/21) implementation plan of the Zanzibar Social Protection Policy, which is in line with international labour standards and promotes gender equality and non-discrimination. The Government established various social protection interventions including: (a) agricultural input subsidies to raise food production; unconditional or conditional cash transfers; (b) primary and lower secondary school fee waivers and secondary schools for the most vulnerable children (MVC); (c) maternity benefits; (d) health insurance and compensation payments for workers injured at work; (e) hospital fee exemptions; and (f) abolition of user fees for services delivered in Government hospitals. All of the above measures benefit various population segments and are aimed at realizing the operationalization of the policy, which includes pre- and school age children and working adults.
2. The mainland Government of Tanzania integrated social protection aspects into the new second Five Year Development Plan (FYDP II-2016/17–2020/21), endorsed in July 2016. The integration of clear social protection objectives, interventions and indicators in the FYDP II is considered fundamental to establishing Government coordination of a multi-sectoral response to the needs of economically deprived and insecure groups, agreed upon with the social partners. Furthermore, the identified social protection priorities are in line with the ILO’s Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), and additionally promotes gender equality and non-discrimination. The Government’s new FYDP II includes the implementation of major social security reforms, namely: (a) the merging of social security funds; (b) the introduction of a harmonized benefit calculation formula; and (c) a review of the social protection legal and policy framework.
ILO's contribution to the outcome
1. The ILO, in collaboration with UNICEF, contributed to the development and finalization of the five-year implementation plan of the Zanzibar Social Protection Policy by providing technical inputs into the work of the Steering Committee and stakeholder consultative workshops. The ILO contributed to building the capacity of the Steering Committee members through these workshops which enhanced their knowledge and understanding on key aspects of the implementation plan, include monitoring, evaluation and budgeting, in alignment with the principles of the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) and Recommendation 202. Selected activities to support the national social protection initiative were carried out with RBSA funds [TZA/14/02/RBS].
2. The ILO contributed to the identification of key social protection issues, including contributory social security benefits for formal and informal workers; social assistance schemes for the poorest and most vulnerable groups; agricultural subsidies (productive inclusion), and the provision of social services for all. These key issues were integrated into the framework for the second five-year development plan (FYDP II) as a result of the ILO’s participation in the workshop that brought together other development partners and key stakeholders on social protection.