Call for social security policies to focus on economy

The call was made in Dar es Salaam yesterday by the Vice-President Samia Hassan Suluhu during the East and Central Africa Social Security Association (ECASSA) conference.

She said policy makers need to focus on job creation to enable the public have confidence in their economies and their future jobs including their personal financial situations.

“A growing economy is the best and only real way to guarantee jobs for the future and to support a strong welfare safety nets that ensures people and families do not left behind,” the vice-president explained

Samia wanted the countries to builds strong national platform for growth that are working on, infrastructure investment, growth on trade, strong budget, a resilient financial system and coordinated productivity and completion.

According to her, in so doing the social police maker makers have to dwell on the pro-poor policies that could address in-equality in growth.

She noted that Health and education policies, policies on social integrations and ant discrimination, policies designed to reduce inequality in access to opportunities, policies op promoting participation are the key pillars among others.

She added that when such policies are designed, concurrent changes and reforms may also require at all levels, affecting laws, institutions and investments.

Speaking about linking economic and job creation initiative to social security development, the Vice President said that in Tanzania 10 years ago employment sector experienced a disappointing linkage between National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP).

“This was due to weak linkage between NSGRP and the sectoral policies and the intersectional structures to support employment were not working at a sufficient level,” she elaborated

According to the vice-president, steps were taken in assessing the extent of mainstreaming of employment issues in development frameworks in the context of NSGRP.

“The identified challenges taught a lesson to the government and the police maker, and so an integrated employment promotion framework was established.

With all these measures that have been taken social security plays an important role in the economic and social livelihood of every citizens, it protect people from the risk of loss of income and livelihood arising out both certain and uncertain event.

The vice-president said that the growth of national economies should be driven by not only the abundance of our natural resources but by the entrepreneurship, hardworking and drive of workers and business.

“The role of government is to ensure that policy settings provide the environment that backs our people to seek out and capitalize on their opportunities,” she noted.