Download St. Kitts and Nevis

Social Protection in the Caribbean:
Processes, Lessons Learnt and Institutional Context
Puente in the Caribbean Program – Phase II
Introductory Workshop
May 27-29, 2009
Castries, St. Lucia
PRESENTER:
MS. JOVIL MARTIN, DIRECTOR
COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
St. Kitts and Nevis
Profile
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Two island Federation, Nevis being the smaller
Population: 47,000 (2003), Nevis (9,600)
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2004 UNDP Human Development Index ranks St. Kitts and Nevis 39th
among 174 countries
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St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation in the Caribbean
region
siteresources.worldbank.org/.../StKittsandNevisCountryOverview.pdf
Political context
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Independent since 1983
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Last election was held in 2004. The current administration, the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour
Party, has three terms
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There is a National Assembly in St. Kitts that provides for eleven elected representatives, eight
from St. Kitts and three from Nevis.
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Separate elections are held for the National Assembly and the Nevis Island Assembly. The
executive function of government is carried out by the Cabinet while legislative authority rests
with the Parliament.
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There is no local government in St. Kitts
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The Nevis Island Assembly and the Nevis Island Administration have legislative and
administrative responsibility for Nevis within the confines of the Federal structure
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Nevis, has its own executive branch (Nevis Island Administration)
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A number of referenda on secession from St. Kitts have been held, but have not passed.
Economic Context
• Sugar industry closed in 2005
• Undergoing a transition to tourism and financial services
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GDP (2007): $477.4 million.
GDP growth rate (2006): 5.8%.
Per capita GDP (2006): $8,546.
Inflation (2006): 5.25%.
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In2007 the main economic activity in the country were banking and
insurance, construction, manufacturing and wholesale/retail representing
55.5 percent of GDP
• Total public and publicly guaranteed debt grew from 178.32% in 2005 to
185% in 2007
Economic Context
• There is a self-imposed structural programme
• A programme of investment incentives for businesses, to encourage
domestic and foreign private investment
• Policies provide liberal tax holidays, duty-free import of equipment
and materials, and subsidies for training provided to local personnel.
• Official exchange rate: EC$2.70 = U.S. $1.
Social Context
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Life expectancy for men 65, women 75
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The literacy rate is 98%.
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Education is compulsory for all children 5-16
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Since 1972 all students reaching the age of twelve are guaranteed a
place in secondary schools
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Universal access also to health care
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2002 pegged poverty at 30% with 14% of the people living below the
indigence line of EC $200.00 month
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67.8% of the poor are under twenty-five years of age,
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56% of the poor are women
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Inherited a social assistance policy model based on the English Poor
Law tradition
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Social Assistance Act 1998
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Crime and violence on the increase
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Teenage pregnancy
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Drug abuse
INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING
Programmes
Areas of focus
Persons targeted
Institution
School Uniforms
Education
Public
National Skills , Project
Strong
School feeding programme
Day care centers
Student education and
learning fund
School buses
Education/Labour markets
Children of parents earning
minimum wage or unemployed
School leavers/drop outs
Nutrition, human capital
Education
All Primary school children
Children from poor households
All primary and exams fees
All primary school children
Public and Private
Public
Public
Travel and medical care
Prescriptions, dental
Lenses
Fee waivers for health care,
Health
Poor households
Children and elderly
Children and poor adults
Children and elderly
Public/NGO
Public/private
Private
Public
Funeral grants
Food vouchers
Cash transfer
Rent assistance
Fire victims
Home repairs
Low cost housing
Social assistance
Hunger/nutrition/poverty
reduc
Housing
Social assistance
Housing/environmental
health
Housing
Poor households
Women w/childre, eldery,
disable, mentally challenged
Poor households
Poor household
Poor households
Women w/children/poor
househols
Public
Public
Public Private partnership
Public
Public/NGO/CBO
Public
Public
INSTITUTIONAL MAPPING
Programmes
Area of focus
Persons targeted
Institution
Basic Needs Trust Fund
Infrastructure, construction,
minor maintenance for
education and health
facilities, skills training and
upgrading, institutional
strengthening, public
awareness and information
and project management
and implementation
Communities
Poor people within
communities
Public/CDB/CIDA
Home care for the Elderly
Home for the Elderly
Health and social care
Health, housing, social
care
Housing & social care
Elderly
Elderly, disabled, mentally
challenged
Children, teenagers
Public
Public and private
Social care, housing
Children, teenagers
Public
Home for vulnerable
children
Foster Care Programme
Public
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
Ministry
Programmes
Targeting
Ministry of Health, SDC & GA
Food voucher, cash transfers, school
uniform, funeral grants, home repairs
Travel and medical care, Prescriptions,
dental
Lenses
Fee waivers for health care and
medicines
Means tested
Categorical/means tested
Means tested, plus contingency targeting
Home care for the Elderly, Home for the
Elderly, Home for vulnerable children,
foster care programme
Basic Needs Trust Fund
Community Development
Ministry of Education and
Youth
Youth Skills, Project STRONG
School feeding programmes school
Categorical
Categorical targeted plus means tested
Expressed need
Self targeting
Non targeting, universal
buses
Student education and learning fund
Categorical , self selected
Social Security
Ministry of lands and Housing
Low income homes and land
Means tested
REGISTRY SYSTEM
WHO
WHEN
BY WHOM
Information
required
For what purpose
Are there
multiple
systems
mechanisms
Women with
families
Elderly
Poor
households
Vulnerable
groups,
unemployed
By referral
Either by self or
other
Min. H,SDC & GA
Income,
expenditure
Nature of problem
Medical reports
Pay slips
Declaration of all
sources of income
Inability to provide
service requested
For making a
judgment of service
benefit and level of
benefit
Services in
different
agencies
When application
is made
Min Education
Min. Lands and
housing
Social Security
Most programmes
are means tested
but some are more
well targeted than
others.
Some have
leakage to the non
poor and significant
pressure by the
non poor to access
the services
Key issues
• St. Kitts and Nevis has many good social protection programmes
Shows government commitment.
• Services are Non conditional, systems of graduation not built in.
Creates a high level of dependency
• Improvements are needed in the coordination of the different agencies
and services
• There is a lack of a social policy framework which contributes to
overlapping of functions and duplication of effort/services
• Shift from social assistance to social development is required
KEY ISSUES
• Economy is vulnerable and Public debt will remain high
for many years to come
• Social Services have suffered /shrinking budget in the
face of downturn in economy
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
For Social Development and Poverty Reduction
European Union funded Institutional Strengthening for Social
And Economic Development Project
1.
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Policy Review
Rationalization of policy/operations to match resources
A transparent targeting framework
Capacity Building to withstand external pressure
2.
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Systems
Streamline systems of delivery of the various benefits
Means testing to minimize leakage
Reviewing targeting mechanisms
3. Resources
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Institutional Review
Financial management systems
Concordia University
1. Management Information System
UWI
1. Research
Building Partnerships
Chile Puente Programme
Implementation of Chile Puente in St Kitts and Nevis will need these
basic processes addressed in order to succeed
THANK YOU