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failed to close the gap between well-off members of the community and the poor, the seminar considered that the integration of the social security sector into the national development plan might avoid the danger of creating a paradoxical situation that the poor became poorer while the rich got richer still. In this connection the seminar discussed the possibility of adopting a long-term strategy either in terms of balanced or unbalanced growth for the purpose of social planning.
As for the problem whether social planning should be subordinated to economic planning, the seminar recalled that at any state of economic development of a human society, there was always room for social protection measures, and any society accepted the obligation to look after the underprivileged. It would be necessary to make a distinction between subordinating social planning to economic development and taking account of economic constraints.
In relation to the discussions relating to the position of social security in the national development plan of Asian countries, it was indicated that only a few countries of the region had a highly authoritative and representative body in which questions of social security planning and development were examined in the light of the country's social and economic conditions.
As regards
the question whether or not social security experts from advanced countries could be of help to the developing countries when they had to make presentations to the politicians who were making policy decisions, the seminar acted that international experts would discuss the matter of social security planning and its technical features as well as their recommendations with responsible persons such as the Minister of Labour. It was also indicated that efforts were being made to recruit such international experts not only from advanced countries but also from developing countries. With regard to the need to formulate a social security plan, taking into account the Political climate in the country concerned, it was also pointed out that an international expert could provide various alternatives and work out the implications of the proposals, and a comprehensive report thus formulated would have a good chance of receiving very full consideration, particularly when it was made available to the nation-wide debate.
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Economic and social plauning with particular reference to social security in Indonesia: and Planning of social security within the framework of development planning in Asia - some problems and prospects (working papers prepared by Mr. T.I. Mathew)
One of the first questions discussed by the seminar in connection with this subject Was what would be the optimum level of social security protection in a country's development programme. In terms of extremes, social security might be given complete independence and freedom to formulate its own plan of development cr it might be completely subordinated to the economic planning exercise. These were the maxinum and minimum Views of the social security position, and the optimum approach might find its place between the two extremities. It was also noted that each country had its own way of assessing what would be the optimum, and within a particular country this would change over time; for example, the optimum in the developed countries in
social security 50 years ago had been quite different from the situation today. The seminar was of the opinion that despite various difficult problems social security could be planned and should be integrated into a national development programme.
As regards the question of inclusion of social security in the over-all development planning it was admitted that planners in developing countries were not used to the idea of social security, which was a comparatively new concept to
the, and that social security administrators often failed to make their voice heard in the planning exercise. It was also pointed out that the status of the ministry administering social security was not high in the hierarchy of government in many developing countries. In this regard the seminar was informed of ILO activities, including the discussions at its Asian Regional Conference, to strengthen labour administration. The seminar discussed the question regarding the extent to which the economy needed planning, compared with the extent to which the social security sector required planning. The market economy, having its own in-built and self- regulating forces, might be in need of less planning than the social security sector which,
having no underpinning market or self-regulating forces would have to depend upon wise political decisions. For this reason, the social security sector needed
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