Welfare, July Moyo has said.
In a report on the state of social services and poverty eradication to the ZANU (PF) 21st National People’s Conference held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo, Moyo said Zimbabwe received US$16.3 billion in diaspora remittances between 2015 and 2023.
“These enterprises have employed a significant number of workers, thereby contributing to SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth as well as SDG 1 on no poverty,” said Moyo.
“While, often perceived as unregulated, unlicensed and unregistered, much of what is considered informal actually involves registered entities who may not be in compliance with some elements of decent work. For example, licensed urban vendors, registered artisanal miners, registered cross-border businesspeople, and registered tuckshop owners and retailers are registered by local authorities and often given workspaces to operate from. Government should now ensure through the regulatory frame compliance of labour laws, tax laws and social protection policies.”
Moyo said the government needs to strengthen community-based care for the elderly through supporting economic empowerment initiatives for households looking after older persons.
A non-contributory pension scheme for older persons is in the pipeline through the crafting of an Older Persons’ Policy which is being finalised while post working life shocks need to be mitigated.
He said presently the country has the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) available to workers while individuals have their own personal insurance arrangements and those in occupations have enterprise-based pensions.
Within the public sector, there are sector specific pensions such as the public services, state-owned enterprise and local authorities pensions.
However, the pension architecture needs to be interrogated in view of the increasing life expectancy while the government needs to effectively deal with the legacy of the erosion of the value of pensions arising from currency reforms.
“Government needs to establish a contributory unemployment benefit scheme to cater for loss of employment in situations of pandemics such as the COVID 19 and other unforeseen shocks that include disasters which may come in various forms,” said Moyo.
He said his report showed that Zimbabwe had a strong foundation for social protection which assured the provision of food and services to members of society from birth to death but Vision 2030 requires that the country uplift the material standards of life for the poor through social safety nets, employment promotion and creation and decent work
and sustainable livelihoods.
“This requires adequate and consistent funding from the Treasury complimented by development partners,” said Moyo. Delayed disbursement of resources by Treasury and inadequate budgets lead to a high number of targeted programme beneficiaries not receiving assistance and the government accruing arrears back dating to 2023.”
New Ziana