TAJIKISTAN // Adapting the Social Protection System to Be Shock-Responsive
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Realising Children’s Rights through Social Policy in Europe and Central Asia Action Area 1 A Compendium of UNICEF’s Contributions (2014-2020) 44 TAJIKISTAN // Adapting the Social Protection System to be Shock‑Responsive © UNICEF/UN040917/Pirozzi Realising Children’s Rights through Social Policy in Europe and Central Asia 45 A Compendium of UNICEF’s Contributions (2014-2020) Tajikistan Issue Tajikistan has a population of 9.1 million people, of whom bodies. Social insurance schemes and pensions are managed approximately 40% are children.97 2016 figures indicate by the Agency on Social Insurance and Pensions (ASIP), that about one million Tajik children (34%) are poor.98 whereas other social benefits such as the Targeted Social Some 30% of young people aged 15-24 are not in education, Assistance or the social allowance for children living with HIV training, or employment, and this applies to 89% of girls. remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Social Moreover, 40% of Tajiks who seek work outside the country Protection of the Population (MOHSPP) and its subordinate are younger than 30.99 Households whose members have institution – the State Agency on Social Protection of the migrated are subject to multiple deprivations: 78% do not Population (SASPP). The TSA covers only 14% of the have adequate income to cover the cost of living, and 93% population in 40 of the 68 districts of Tajikistan. The TSA experience pronounced food deficiencies.100 Tajikistan’s GDP transfer value is very modest and amounts to a mere USD40 growth was 7.2% in 2019, similar to growth rates in the last a year. Other entitlements motivate poor people to apply for two years. The country’s risk of debt distress is high given TSA, as the poverty certificate that accompanies the TSA the elevated levels of publicly guaranteed debt – 53% of GDP allows them to receive additional entitlements and discounts in 2018.101 Due to a limited state budget, increased resource for basic public services. The World Bank has also initiated allocation for social sector needs is unlikely in the short to a TSA assessment to address the issues of adequacy medium term. Thus, labour migrant remittances remain a vital and coverage. economic lifeline, representing approximately 30% of GDP.102 The role of the social protection system of Tajikistan in Tajikistan is prone to diverse types of disasters and is emergency preparedness and response is currently very among the top ten countries in the world in terms of limited. Social protection authorities are not actively involved average annual percentage losses of relative to GDP in the emergency response platforms/groups organised at the owing to the adverse impacts of natural disasters.103 national and local levels. There are no support mechanisms in Tajikistan’s terrain and geological and hydrological features place for social protection to provide cash and social services make it vulnerable to natural hazards, such as floods, to those population groups affected by frequent natural earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, droughts, disasters. At present, cash support is managed by emergency and heavy snowfalls. Moreover, climate change is expected authorities and delivered in the form of one-time grants to increase the occurrence of events dependent on or concessional loans to the affected households. Most hydrometeorological conditions. Future rainfall patterns importantly, affected households are targeted and based on are projected to be irregular in terms of intensity, duration, selection criteria that prioritise physical damage to houses volume, and geographical distribution.104 More than 60% of and the loss of household members. The criteria have major the country’s inhabitants live in areas of high seismic risk. In limitations as they do not cover social well-being indicators, 2018, for example, Tajikistan experienced 169 emergencies. such as households with many children, households The economic losses stemming from these disasters totalled with children with disabilities or orphans, women-headed an amount equivalent to USD3.6 million.105 From 1997 to households, or poor households, for example. 2018, disasters cost Tajikistan just over USD589 million according to official damage assessment reports.106 The Given these limitations, UNICEF recognised there was a capacity to respond to shocks is limited. The Government still need to reform the social protection system to increase relies more on external financing, which further exposes the its shock-responsiveness. Likewise, the government had economy to external shocks. agreed to test cash in an emergency through the national social protection system. To achieve the above, UNICEF The Tajik social protection system provides both cash decided to convene all stakeholders around the development assistance and social services to the most vulnerable and testing of the new model for a Humanitarian Cash population. The social protection system is well Transfer Programme (HCTP) to be implemented through established with social protection units operational in the national social protection system, and transform it into a every district of the country within local government Shock-Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) system. Realising Children’s Rights through Social Policy in Europe and Central Asia Action Area 1 A Compendium of UNICEF’s Contributions (2014-2020) 46 Actions UNICEF generated evidence to kick start the process of Office, Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MHSP), increasing the shock-responsiveness of the country’s State Agency on Social Protection, Agency on Social social protection system. UNICEF commissioned an Insurance and Pensions, Committee on Emergencies and independent consultant to design and implement a basic Civil Defence, and State Savings’ Bank ‘Amonatbank’. assessment tool for determining the feasibility, or ‘readiness’, These workshops were also conducted with development of the country’s social protection system to implement partners (i.e. the Red Crescent Society, WPF, and UNDP) preparedness and mitigation strategies to support the use to capacitate participants on SRSP and cash-based of cash transfer programmes in emergencies. Through this transfers in emergencies. UNICEF Tajikistan also used analysis, opportunities were identified for implementing cash- different consultation platforms such as Rapid Emergency based interventions through the national social protection Assessment and Coordination Team Meetings and the system and other humanitarian channels, and concrete National Emergency platform meetings to present the recommendations were made to the country and regional HCTP concept. offices to implement preparedness and mitigation strategies. To further awareness and understanding of the SRSP, The feasibility assessment focussed on systems a study tour to Nepal was organised for a Government strengthening and the introduction of a new HCTP – delegation representing both the national and local later named the ‘Tajikistan Social Protection Emergency levels and in conjunction with an Armenia government Programme’ (TESPP) – through the existing social delegation. A trilateral information and experience-sharing protection system. The main aspects analysed by the process helped the delegations understand the Nepalese assessment were the institutions responsible for social experience and how its social protection response protection provision and emergency response and their addressed the needs of vulnerable people affected by the capacity to coordinate work to respond to emergencies; the 2015 earthquake. Key lessons learned from this visit to readiness of the social protection system, including the legal the country were that existing cash transfers programmes framework and beneficiary target groups. As Tajikistan’s can be leveraged to link humanitarian cash assistance to social protection system is relatively well developed, the the existing social protection architecture and this reduces use of the existing TSA administrative system to test a the chances of creating a profligate parallel system; it HCTP was proposed.107 allows for quicker delivery of assistance, and achieves both impact at scale and economies of scale. It can also Moreover, to raise awareness and enhance capacity improve the coordination of cash transfer delivery within development, UNICEF organised two workshops with key the existing delivery system and bolster the institutional Government counterparts. These included the President’s capacity of governments. © UNICEF/UN040898/Pirozzi Realising Children’s Rights through Social Policy in Europe and Central Asia 47 A Compendium of UNICEF’s Contributions (2014-2020) Tajikistan UNICEF faced some initial reticence from government TESPP.108 The SoPs outlined the steps; the process and institutions to discuss the SRSP and test the HCTP different roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder through the national social protection system. However, during different phases of testing. As a result, and to this was overcome through continuous communication establish a policy and partnership framework for testing and consultation. Awareness-raising also helped the TESPP, a Letter of Agreement was signed by the all stakeholders to agree on testing the case and to MHSP, Committee on Emergencies and Civil Defence, establish a concrete policy framework. Moreover, the State Savings’ Bank ‘Amonatbank’, the Red Crescent MHSP and the Committee on Emergencies and Civil Society, and UNICEF. In parallel to these activities, UNICEF