Resource
Zambia Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review and Social Budget (Executive Summary)
Summary (English)
The Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review (SPER) and Social Budget (SB) report Executive Summary are products of the first year of work of the ILO/DFID-funded project in Zambia: "ILO Global Campaign for Social Protection and Coverage for All as a Means to Reducing Poverty in Africa and Asia".
The main finding is that neither existing contributory (social insurance) nor non-contributory (social assistance) social security provisions are adequate in terms of the numbers of the population covered, the scope of coverage and the adequacy of benefits/payments received. This in a context in which half of the population is extremely poor, living below the poverty line, and almost two-thirds are living below the basic needs poverty line and thus moderately poor or worse. Preliminary analysis shows that Zambia could afford a basic package of social protection; universal old age pensions, targeted cash transfers and child benefits. In the longer run this package would cost no more than 1.5% of GDP and would build the foundations of a modern social protection system.
The SPER and Social Budget Report Executive Summary also includes key information on the labour market in Zambia, existing contributory and non-contributory social security schemes, the current state of health care as well as important findings and analysis on the current and future social budget of Zambia.