94 -
In
order to give effect to this Resolution, the ILO has drawn up a "Minimum Programme of Social Security Statistics" which has the following objectives:
(i)
(ii)
to establish a pattern of basic statistical concepts, definitions and classifications to meet the minimum requirements of individual social security schemes and to promote co-ordination of social security statistics at the national level; and
to establish a minimum basis for systematic comparison of statistics at the international level.
The Minimum Programme has also been supplemented by a scheme of statistical tables2 to facilitate the practical application of the Programme, which takes into account the particular features of social security schemes of developing countries.
AS well as setting standards, the ILO collects and publishes statistical information on social security schemes in different countries.
In this respect special mention may be made of the international inquiry on the cost of social security which has been undertaken systematically since 1949. The objective of this inquiry is to present a consolidated statement of the financial operations of all social security schemes existing in individual countries according to a standard break-down and pattern of analysis. Comparisons are also made of the absolute figures with selected national financial and population aggregates. 3
The Eighth International Inquiry on the Cost of Social Security, now in progress, is wider in scope than its predecessors and asks for data on the number of participants in addition to the traditional data on the financial operation of social security schemes.
Measures for the further development of social security statistics are continuing under ILO auspices. The recent meeting of the Actuarial Subcommittee of the ILO Committee of Social Security Experts (Geneva, December 1973) had an item cn its agenda dealing precisely with this subject. It is expected that future ILO activity in this field will be mainly concerned with further standard setting, collecting and publishing a greater volume of statistical information and further development of relative measures and social security indicators.
7. SOCIAL SECURITY AND NATIONAL ECONOMY
(by Koji Taira*)
on grounds of "compensatory of welfare economics. It then the discussion of economic
This article is a "think piece" born of a troubled mind about the relevance of economics to the discussion of social security. Maintaining a value-neutral posture, it nevertheless justifies social security justice" derived from the "efficiency criteria" examines why conventional macro-economics, applied to development in
developing countries, consistently rejects the usefulness of social security. It suggests that favourably interpreted with due regard to socio-economic
1 ILO: Meeting of the Actuarial Subcommittee of the Committee of Social Security Experts, Geneva, 1960: Minimum Programme of Social Statistics (document
CSSE/ACT.1.1960).
2 International Social Security Association; International Review of Actuarial and Statistical Problems of Social Security, No. 8, 1962: Scheme of Statistical Tables for the Practical Application of a Minimum Programme of Social Security Statistics.
3 For the latest published results of this inquiry see: ILO: The Cost of Social Security-Seventh International Inquiry 1964-1966; Geneva, 1972. The Eighth Inquiry relating to the years 1967-1971 inclusive is now in progress.
*The author gratefully acknowledges William Bork's very resourceful assistance with data and ideas in connection with this article. Of course, the author alone is responsible for the views expressed in it, especially for errors and inadequacies that may still remain.
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