On July 2017, the Government of Tanzania approved, in consultation with the social partners, the establishment of the five-year (2018/19–2022/23) second phase of the Productive Social Safety Net Programme (PSSN),
Outcome achieved
1. On July 2017, the Government of Tanzania approved, in consultation with the social partners, the establishment of the five-year (2018/19–2022/23) second phase of the Productive Social Safety Net Programme (PSSN), with interventions focusing on cash transfers, livelihoods and public works, benefiting 15 per cent of the poorest population in the country. The approval followed a public expenditure review (PER) on social protection which documented expenditure gaps and recommended strategies to bridge the gaps. The PSSN incorporates components that promote gender equality by strengthening women’s skills and self-esteem and enhancing their access to finance and technology while building their economic resilience.
2. In 2016, the Government initiated the first phase of its operationalization of the Workers Compensation Fund, following the approval of the Workers' Compensation Act of 2008, aimed at providing access to employment injury insurance (EII) to more than 2 million formal sector workers, both in the private and public sectors. The benefits covered include: medical aid, compensation for temporary and for permanent disablement, rehabilitation services, a constant attendance care grant, funeral grants, and compensation to dependants of deceased employees. Since its operationalization in 2016, more than 2,500 victims of work injuries benefited from the fund, with a growing proportion of the labour force getting EII coverage and better working conditions as a result.
Further, the Government approved the implementation of major social security reforms which included: merging of social security funds; introduction of a harmonized benefit calculation formula; and review of the legal and policy frameworks. The social security reforms will enable extension of coverage for social security benefits.
ILO's contribution to the outcome
1. The ILO provided technical support to the livelihood component of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) and developed a livelihood technical manual, promoted the use of the ILO “Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)” entrepreneurship training model, as well as other labour-based manuals to address the gaps of the public works programmes (PWP) component of the PSSN. The resulting improvements were due to an Inter-agency Social Protection Assessment (ISPA) analysis carried out on public works programmes by the ILO. The assessment and analysis developed an ISPA-PWP tool which put forward recommendations to address deficits in addressing community needs and delays in payment in order to better focus on quality productive assets, skills development, occupational safety and health, and better harmonization and coordination with other programmes.
2. As part of the initiatives to support operationalization of the Workers Compensation Fund, in April 2016 the ILO trained 380 medical doctors and medical practitioners on employment injury insurance with the aim of improving their contributions in conducting assessments and diagnosis of work injuries and occupational diseases, and to make effective and efficient recommendations to the Fund’s team of medical doctors and management for decision making on payment of benefits.
The ILO engaged in continuous technical advisory discussions with the national authorities and drafted a plan of action in 2016. Consultations with donors were held in 2016–17 to mobilize resources to support the Tanzanian reforms.