Social protection system in dire need of reform to ensure full coverage — experts

AMMAN — The social protection system in Jordan is in dire need of a reform aimed at ensuring the coverage of all citizens, a position paper issued by the Phenix Centre for Informatic and Economic Studies said on Tuesday, calling for the unification of the social security, civil and military retirement systems within the framework of the Social Security Corporation (SSC). 

“The economic policies implemented in Jordan over the past decades were designed in accordance with bilateral agreements with the International Monetary Fund and the free market economy,” Phenix Centre Director Ahmad Awad criticised, warning that “this has lead to greater pressure on large sectors of the population coupled with the debilitation of the social protection system in the Kingdom”.

"The current social protection system does not meet the special needs of the most vulnerable social groups,” the position paper stated, stressing that “it is unable to integrate workers in the informal economy into the system, and deficient in terms of funding”.

The organisation also called on the government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on social security, demanding the integration of the national social protection standards defined at ILO Recommendation No. 202 into the social protection legal framework. 

“Despite Jordan's ratification of a total of four international conventions dealing with various social security issues, the Kingdom is still failing to ratify Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association,” the paper noted, stressing that “it is essential to guarantee the workers’ right to defend and protect their interests”.

In this regard, the paper called for the implementation of measures to prevent employers from leaving their workers out of the social security system, and for an increase in the efficiency of public spending in health in order to improve the quality of the service.

The organisation presented its demands at a Social Protection Forum organised by the Centre for Social and Economic Studies on Tuesday, where experts warned of “the failure of all proposals for social protection programmes in Jordan in the absence of transparent data on the issue of poverty in the Kingdom”.

Responding to the concerns, Social Security Corporation (SSC) Spokesperson Musa Sbeihi said that the entity “has made achievements in expanding the base of the health insurance umbrella in order to cover new categories, including voluntary insurance programmes for housewives”.

However, the official also highlighted the most urgent challenges facing the SSC, citing the employers’ evasion of their duties on the insurance of workers and the problem of early retirement.

Attending the forum, Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf noted: “Despite the achievements of Jordan in the field of social protection, there are still a number of challenges — especially in light of the Syrian refugee crisis, which has placed enormous pressure on vital sectors in the Kingdom.”

The minister pointed out “the increasing demand for social protection services for the poor, women and children”, adding that “this makes it imperative to take into account the principle of social justice and equality of opportunities from the perspective of a human rights approach”.

“The development of an adequate social protection would enhance the human capital and productivity of the Kingdom, reduce disparities, promote prosperity and end the cycle of poverty,” Lattouf concluded.