160 -
10.
PLANNING OF SOCIAL SECURITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN ASIA
A-SOME PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS
(by T. I. Mathew)
Introduction
both
1.
This paper examines some current problems which confront development planners and social security authorities of Asia in the integration of social security planning within the framework of development planning. It also offers some specific suggestions for reflection.
2. Social security planning has two perceivable dimensions: (a) planning within social security itself which involves, for example, the formulation of strategies and targets for the extension of a particular social security programme; and (b) planning of social security as a sectoral ccmponent of the national development plan. Although both the dimensions are important, the focus of the paper is mainly on the latter.
Social security in development plans
3. An acceptable starting point for the identification cf problems cf planning social security as a component part of development planning is to ask a question: "How much of social security is featured in tne development plans of Asian countries?" The Annex to this paper presents in a summary form, the treatment of social security by most recent medium-term plans relating to 11 countries in Asia, viz.: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Republic of Viet-Nam. For the purpose of comparison, the Annex also features a parallel summary of sectoral plans and programmes relating to health, education, housing and social welfare, included in the documents. We see that the plan documents of:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(V)
Bangladesh and Nepal do not discuss social security;
India, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Thailand and Republic of Viet Nam give brief indications of the social security programmes proposed to be implemented;
Indonesia specifies the role of social security and suggests research in social security;
India, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka take into account the resource mobilisation aspects of the social security programmes in the context of strategies for financing development programmes; the first three countries also quantify the savings expected to be generated from this source;
all countries provide in varying degree of detail, analysis of problems, objectives, strategies, policies, programmes, targets and, in most cases, the financial outlays in case of health, education and housing and, to a lesser extent, social welfare.
4. Does this evidence of relatively casual treatment of social security, as compared to other social sectors in the plan documents, point to the absence cf social security planning activities in these countries? On the contrary, in several countries the plan periods and pre-plan preparatory periods witnessed significant national efforts in planning and implementation of social security programmes.1 One might, therefore, argue that the national development plans of Asia vary greatly in degree of comprehensiveness and detail, that ma ny social programmes and public activities (including those on social security), though important, might not have
1 For example: India
-
the National Labour
Commission and the Perspective National Committee on Social the evolution of the
Planning Committee on ESI Scheme; Indonesia Insurance appointed by the BAPPENAS; Republic of Korea
welfare pension scheme at the instance of the Economic Planning Board and the Bureau of Social Welfare; Malaysia the implementation of the social security scheme; and the Philippines the launching of the medicare scheme.
E-1195-21:5