A-6: Setting Pakistan’s Agenda for Universal Social Protection (USP)
- Universal Social Protection is a basic human right and an investment with high returns in economic and social development. Only 45% of the world population have access to any form of social protection. Only 29% of population are covered by comprehensive social security systems throughout the lifecycle. In South Asia (and countries like India and Pakistan), there is need to increase healthcare access for all, including informal workers and workers in rural areas, and improvement of healthcare quality in rural areas, especially after the devastation caused by COVID-19.
- Social security coordination among the provinces for social protection to internal migrant workers, as well long-term planning to prepare for an elderly society, is a need of the hour.
- The Government of Pakistan should revise and finalise its National Social Protection Framework and provincial Social Protection Policies; raise awareness of Social Protection Floor principles and promote commitments to compliance, as far as possible, within existing social protection programmes/interventions.
- It is important to discuss key questions within the context of a solidarity-based social protection financing system. For instance, if taxation in Pakistan is not family-based per se, should social protection benefits be family-based?
- The ILO (and other national think tanks/research organisations) can provide much needed assistance to prepare knowledge products, undertake policy analysis and conduct impact assessments around social protection in Pakistan.
- There is a need for targeted assistance (including data coordination/information management system specifically during COVID-19) between federal and provincial governments in the country.
- A comprehensive scheme-based social protection review is required to improve the situation of assistance programmes/interventions in Pakistan.
- There is a need to formulate legislation and evidence-based policymaking on Universal Social Protection programmes with the coordination of ILO and SDPI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.
- Local governments need to be empowered for better implementation of social protection agendas.
- It is important to link fiscal reforms with social protections reforms in order to attain uniform goals. In this regard, more inclusive and robust financial assistance programmes will help reach maximum beneficiaries.
