BACKGROUND
Since the first introduction of formal social protection schemes in the 1990s in the Maldives, the Government of the Maldives has made significant advances towards achieving comprehensive and adequate social protection coverage. Notably, it has achieved near universal social protection coverage through its universal multi-pillar old age pensions system and universal health coverage system. Reforms have been achieved and consolidated through legislating social protection schemes, including through the Pensions Act (8/2009), Disability Act (8/2010), and Social Health Insurance Act (15/2011), Social Protection Act (2/2014) and the Decentralization Act (24/2019) that aim to increase the welfare of the citizens through managing the cost of living, alleviating poverty and reducing inequality, particularly among the vulnerable groups. Currently, the social protection system in the Maldives comprises:
Multi-pillar old age pension system comprising the contributory Maldives Retirement Pension Scheme and tax-financed non-contributory old-age basic pension, which is administered by the Maldives Pension Administration Office and regulated by the Capita Market Development Authority (CMDA);
Universal health insurance that covers all medications, and diagnostics and treatments, consultations and admissions for all locals, at government facilities, which is administered by the Aasandha Company and regulated by the National Social Protection Agency;
Poverty-means tested non-contributory social assistance programmes, such as the single parent and foster parent allowance and food assistance as well as universal non-contributory schemes including the disability allowance, financial aid for assistive devices, and medical welfare and COVID-19 income support allowance;
Subsidies on fuel, electricity, food and water.
In 2022, a national framework for social protection was endorsed by the Cabinet that identified reforms to meet ILO minimum standards and institutional pathways to strengthen coordination of social protection schemes and programmes. Efforts have since been underway to further strengthen the social protection system, including its digital infrastructure.
As part of these ongoing efforts, the Government of the Maldives, led by the Maldives Pensions Administration Office (MPAO), is digitalizing the social protection infrastructure to ensure a seamless and interoperable system. To ensure the effective implementation of these measures, it is important to ensure staff from different backgrounds develop a good understanding of social protection.
To support this capacity development, ESCAP will collaborate with MPAO to conduct a 2-day training on social protection to build an understanding of key principles and strategies for delivering inclusive and comprehensive social protection systems. The training will draw on ESCAP’s online training module and also serve as a pilot for standard social protection training to be provided to other government officials working in the area of social protection in the Maldives.
OBJECTIVE
To enhance understanding of staff working on social protection initiatives on key design features of social protection, as well as an overview of different categorical branches of social protection across the lifecycle.
PARTICIPANTS
Staff working on social protection initiatives, including IT administrators, frontline workers working on categorical schemes or thematic focal points on gender, disability, older persons.
Both in-person and online participation is welcome.
FORMAT
The training will consist of presentations with online quizzes and group discussion exercises. Online break-out group sessions will be provided for online participants.