Social Protection Programs in Suriname Measures to combat poverty

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Social Protection Programsin SurinameMeasures
to combat poverty

• Ministry of Social Affairs Public Housing
• Republic of Suriname

Workshop Puente in the Caribbean Program
launching St. Lucia, 27 29 May
2009 Representatives MSAPH Marsiane
Partowidjojo Saskia Donk
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Country Profile
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• Suriname
• Location north-east coast of South America,
  bordered by Guyana in the west, French Guyana in
  the east and Brazil in the south.

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Coastal area
Interior

• Surface 163.820 km2
• Language Dutch
• Population 500.000 (mixture of diverse ethnic,
  cultural and religious groups)
• Demographics geographical characteristics
  urban, rural interior (10 districts, 62
  subdistricts)

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National Context

• Government Parliamentary democracy
• Political context
• Executive power President of the Republic of
  Suriname, together with the Vice President
  Council of Ministers (Government of Suriname).
  The Government is advised by the Council of
  State.
• Legislative power National Assembly
  Government.
• Judicial power President Vice President of the
  Court of Justice, its members deputy members,
  the Procurator General, other members of the
  prosecution office other judicial officers.

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Regional governments

• Urban, rural interior
• Each district District Commissioner (head of
  district)
• Interior
• Population Maroons Indigenous communities,
  headed by its own community leaders acknowledged
  by the Government (Granmans)

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Economic Context

• National budget taxes, non-taxes revenues
  donor financing (grants)
• Main export products export of gold, bauxite,
  crude oil, rice bananas, shrimp fish, lumber

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Social Context

• Poverty rate in main districts (70 of total
  population)
• Paramaribo 27
• Wanica 27
• Nickerie 36

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Institutional mapping
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Social Ministries

• Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Housing
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Labor

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Social Protection Policy

• Largest Social Protection Programs executed by
  the Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Housing
  (MSAPH)
• Target groups indigent people, people with
  disabilities, senior citizens, children youth
• Social assistance
• cash-transfers
• Goods
• Services

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Directorate of Social Affairs

• Material services Targeting
• Financial Assistance Poor households
• Medical assistance card Poor near-poor
  households
• (free medical provision)
• Child allowance Households not receiving child
• allowance from their employers
• Old age pension Citizens 60 yrs of age
• Subsidies to social institutions Social
  institutions
• School supplies Poor households with children
  (uniforms, educational tools) visiting primary
  schools

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• Immaterial services Targeting
• Daycare centers Working mothers w/children
• betw. 0-6yrs of age
• Food for kids Children in daycare
• Center for the elderly Poor near-poor senior
  citizens
• (60yrs)
• Center for boys w/behavioral problems Boys
  (8-16yrs) with behavioral
• problems
• Care for persons with a disability People with
  disabilities care takers of people
  w/disabilities
• Youth care Youth (0-24yrs) with social problems
• Elderly care Indigent senior citizens (60yrs)
• Community Development Communities in need
• General Social Work People families in need
• Family coaching Indigent single mothers
• Child Help Line Children, youth, adolescent up to
  25yrs

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Directorate of Housing
Policy within the Multi Annual Housing
Program Primarily establishes facilities to
stimulate public-private partnerships to improve
the nations quantity and quality of houses and
provides through various house building programs
that all income categories, especially its
indigent communities can have stabile housing.
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• Service/programs Targeting
• Surface development company All households
• Social Housing Low income households
• Low Income Shelter Program Low/moderate income
  households
• Low Middle Income Shelter Program Low middle
  income households
• Project Tout Lui Faut (Chinese Govt) Low income
  households
• Urban Development Project Richelieu All income
  categories
• Project Tout Lui Faut Social Housing Low income
  households
• Project District Coronie Social Housing Low
  income households

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Pilot Urban Development Project Richelieu

• in public-private partnership, individuals will
  be able to build, rent and buy houses within this
  project
• project will include public facilities like
  schools, health facilities, administrative
  offices, small industries etc.

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Low Income Shelter Program

• Program in execution since April 2003
• Includes a public-private partnership
• financial institutions
• Ngos Cbos have a role in project preparation
  and execution
• Main objective improve housing conditions of low
  -and moderate- income households in all districts
• Subsidies largely for housing rehabilitation,
  expansion and construction of new houses

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Low Middle Income Shelter Program

• Also includes public-private partnership. Launch
  in April 2009. Targets income groups in need of
  proper housing, that cannot benefit from services
  for low and middle income groups, such as the Low
  Income Shelter Program and the 7 Housing
  Facility. Program enables construction,
  renovation or expansion of houses through a 6
  credit facility.

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Social Programs with other Ministries
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Ministry of Education
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Ministry of Labor
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Ministry of Health

• Regional Health Center Primary and secundary
  medical care

• Medical Card beneficiaries of MSAPH

• Immunization program vaccination of infants and
  schoolchildren

• All infants and schoolchildren

• HIV/Aids testing medication free of charge
  testing for HIV/Aids

• Every citizen

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Ministry of Regional Development

• Foundation Fund for the Development of the
  Interior (Dutch finances)
• 1. Stimulation of productive activities and
  activities aiming to improve the living
  conditions of the community
• 2. Organizational, technical and institutional
  strengthening of the government and Ngos who
  have a direct or indirect supporting role

• Communities of indigenous people

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Other measures

• Additional measures taken to support vulnerable
  groups in society
• NCCR national disaster team e.g. coordinative
  aid in floods occurred in the interior
• ant-plagues which destroy crops of indigenous
  communities
• Subsidies for small farmers
• Subsidies for the rice industry
• Subsidies for public transportation

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Strengths weaknesses

• Strengths
• Large portfolio of social services targeting a
  diverse group of indigent individuals and
  families.
• Accessible social services.
• Public-private partnerships.

• Weaknesses
• Poor targeting mechanisms
• Fragmentation of social programs
• Weak infrastructure capacity
• Lack of legislation on most of the social
  programs
• Poor exit strategies

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Thank you!