Ministry of Labour Barbados (16.07.2020) Government’s Employability Project fits well within the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) policy framework, says ILO Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Claudia Coenjaerts. Addressing the launch of the Employability Project, on Wednesday, Ms. Coenjaerts pointed out that the ILO policy framework to tackle the COVID-19 crisis was based on international labour standards and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

El Economista México (08.12.2020). Granting unemployment insurance to the Mexican population, given the conditions that are experienced by the health and economic crisis of Covid-19, is one of the necessary responses for an economy such as that of our country, said Gerardo Esquivel, deputy governor of the Bank of Mexico (Banxico). As of now, there is no federal unemployment social insurance. Only Mexico City counts with a tax-funded unemployment benefit granted for up to two months.

National Insurance Board Bahamas (02.11.2020) The National Insurance Board has extended the Unemployment Programme effective October 1, 2020. This second extension impacts those individuals who remain unemployed after the completion of the first 13 weeks extension and runs until 31st December, 2020. This second extension programme pays at $100 per week, every 2 weeks. Unlike the previous NIB unemployment programme, you will still be eligible for partial assistance even if you work for part of the week. This approach ensures that employees who are called back to work for part of a week are not disadvantaged. This amount will be deducted from the Government’s payment. For example, if you earned $50 during the 2-week period, your payment will be $150 for the 2-week period ($200 less the $50 earned). If your income exceeds the $200 Government subsidy, then no Government payment will be made. This adjustment ensures that more people can continue to benefit from the programme and receive some partial income support.

Center For Global Development (04.02.2020) In a new CGD Note, we look at these social protection policy responses to COVID in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. What programs did governments launch? How effective have they been in reaching the beneficiaries of social security systems and existing cash transfer programs, and in providing safety nets for households outside of these existing systems? What is the potential effect of safety net policies on inequality and poverty? The short answer, as we explain below, is that the response has been very heterogeneous

Development Pathways (08.02.2021) The paper makes the case for a “family stimulus” in the UK, advising the government to urgently boost the income of families hard-hit by the pandemic through the social security system, as well as targeting investment in childcare to ensure this sector keeps operating.

socpoist.sk (29.01.2021)

The Government of the Slovak Republic allows employers and self-employed persons (SZČO) to defer the payment of social insurance premiums for January 2021 . The deferral of premiums applies to employers and SZČO, whose net turnover or income from business and other self-employed activities decreased by 40% or more as a result of an extraordinary situation . The possibility of deferral of contributions does not apply to the part of the premium paid by the employer on behalf of the employee, where the original maturity dates continue to apply.

europa.eu (28.02.2021) The European Commission has presented a green paper to launch a broad policy debate on the challenges and opportunities of Europe's ageing society. It sets out the impact of this pronounced demographic trend across our economy and society and invites the public to express their views on how to respond to this in a public consultation, which will run for 12 weeks.

sciencedirect.com (2021) COVID-19 induced significant economic and social disruptions in India. Rural households, including smallholders, were affected by loss in migrant income, livelihood and farm and non-farm incomes. During this lockdown, the Indian government enacted several emergency legislations to provide direct and indirect relief to workers and households. India’s COVID-19 social assistance package, namely, PM-GKY, announced in March 2020, was designed to provide immediate relief to the vulnerable population. The PM-GKY provided cash direct benefit transfers (DBT) and in-kind supports (IKS) through existing schemes.

The Indian Express (02.02.2021) The Budget for 2021-22 (April-March) also proposes to launch a portal that would collect relevant information on gig economy workers, including those working in building and construction, among others.

Research ICT Africa (January 2021) This RIA policy brief examines how technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), can be deployed to scale social protection programmes as well as reduce corruption in the disbursement of social protection grants, which the COVID-19 lockdowns, have revealed are vital lifelines for the most vulnerable.

worldbank.org (01.02.2021) The COVID-19 pandemic is testing global food and social protection systems at an unprecedented scale. The spread of the pandemic is disrupting food systems and undermining the food and nutrition security of households.

zoom-eco.net (28.12.2020)

The Trade Development Bank (TDB) has donated Covid-19 protection materials to the National Coronavirus Solidarity Fund (NCSF). The donation, valued at US$100,000, was handed over by Finance Minister Sele Yalaghuli, who is the Congolese government's focal point to TDB.

zoom-eco.net (20.01.2021)

The Minister of Health, Dr. Eteni Longondo and the Coordinator of the United Nations System, David Mclachlan-Karr proceeded, on Wednesday 20 January 2021, to the signing of the transfer deed and the symbolic handover of the donation of materials and equipment offered by UNDP to the Congolese government in the fight against covid-19. Valued at more than US$700,000, this donation consists of medical materials and equipment including 3 ambulances, 80 oxygen concentrators, 40 pulse oximeters and 80 dispensers. This equipment will be gradually transported to 40 health zones spread across 12 provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

zoom-eco.net (02.02.2021)

Prévue pour le premier février 2021, l’échéance de paiement de l’impôt foncier et de l’impôt sur les revenus locatifs a été reporté par le Gouverneur de la ville de Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila, au 31 mars 2021.

m.peacefmonline.com (10.10.2020)

The government, with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), is to disburse funds to vulnerable persons and households in the Greater Accra, Western and Ashanti regions. Under the cash transfer to COVID-19 affected daily wage earners, an amount of GH¢11 million will be disbursed to beneficiaries (75,000 people)to cushion them against the devastating effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).  Households would receive different amounts of money depending on the number of eligible members in a household. The minimum amount to be paid had been pegged at GH¢53, which would be transferred through mobile money wallets each month for five months.

businessghana.com (12.10.2020)

Through the National Hygiene Program, the government offered a lifeline to more than 250,000 youth hurt by COVID-19 response measures; the social protection program has transformed to provide sustainable work activities expected to last beyond life of the program; more than $92 million (Ksh10 billion) has been invested in the game-changer program created to provide employment opportunities with daily wages and that has brought positive social impact to the countries informal settlements. The program, commonly known as Kazi Mtaani  includes labor-intensive works such as street and drainage cleaning, garbage collection, bush clearance, fumigation and disinfection, while ensuring clean environs and improved urban infrastructure and service delivery. In Phase 1 of the program, which ran from April 29, 2020 to June 2, 2020, more than 26,000 jobs were created under the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project, at a cost of about $3 million. With the success of the first phase, the government has rolled out both Phase 1B and Phase 2, using its own financing, with another 283,210 workers recruited across all 47 counties in the country. In Phase 2, planned to run for six months, Kazi Mtaani will focus more on sustainable work activities such as construction of public spaces and infrastructure such as schools, libraries, toilets, footpaths, painting and cobblestone roads paving. A hybrid of skilled and unskilled labor has therefore been engaged in a bid to ensure that the program delivers value post COVID-19. The benefits accruing from this program are essential to building the resilience of informal settlement dwellers both during the pandemic and after.

allafrica.com (07.10.2020)

Kenya introduced, with the help of international partners, the Mobile cash transfers targeting 120,000 of Kenya's most vulnerable people living in Nairobi and Mombasa's expansive informal settlements. . Due to the reduction or loss of their livelihood sources, the beneficiaries consist of households unable to meet their basic needs during Covid-19. It includes  survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and those at risk together with other vulnerable groups specifically targeted for the safety nets such as pregnant and lactating mothers, the elderly, the disabled, the chronically ill, orphans and struggling domestic workers. The Covid-19 mobile cash transfers initiative complements the government of Kenya's flagship national safety net program, Inua Jamii. Run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

UN News (25.02.2021) Job losses or reduced working hours due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic cost the world the equivalent of 255 million jobs in 2020, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Monday, noting that the “massive impact” was nearly four times the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis. 

Oxfam (Feb 2021)  The report shows that COVID-19 has the potential to increase economic inequality in almost every country at once, the first time this has happened since records began over a century ago. Rising inequality means it could take at least 14 times longer for the number of people living in poverty to return to pre-pandemic levels than it took for the fortunes of the top 1,000, mostly White male, billionaires to bounce back.

Prishtina Insight (27.12.2020) A 30 million euro fund was launched to provide financial support for workers finding themselves unemployed due to the pandemic. Three monthly payments of up to 300 euros were made available for workers who can document that they lost their jobs between February 29 and December 30. 

Social Security Admninistation (31.01.2021) As part of its efforts to provide relief to individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kosovo enacted a law on December 7 that allows participants of the country's mandatory individual account pension program to withdraw up to 10 percent of their account balances. According to the law outlining the package, withdrawals from all individuals with savings under 9,999 euros will be reimbursed by the Government from 2023 onwards. Based on KPST data, this means 91 percent of all contributors will be reimbursed if they withdraw their savings, while only nine percent have more than 10,000 euros total savings and thus do not qualify for compensation.

Social Security Admnistration (31.01.2020) On December 21, Denmark's parliament approved a law that will allow citizens and certain other individuals with at least 42 years of employment by age 61 to receive a new means-tested early pension (tidlig pension) up to 3 years before the normal retirement age of 67. Specifically, starting on January 1, 2022, individuals can retire up to 1 year early with 42 years of employment from age 16 to age 61, 2 years early with 43 years of employment, or 3 years early with 44 years of employment. The new pension is intended to aid lower-skilled workers who tend to enter the labor force earlier and have more physically demanding occupations. The government estimates that just over 41,000 individuals will be eligible for the early pension in 2022 and that 24,000 of these individuals will apply for it. The program is estimated to cost around 2.2 billion kroner (US$363 million) in its first year and 3.1 billion kroner (US$511 million) a year by 2025.

nairametrics.com (28.01.2021)

The Lagos State Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had initiated some intervention programmes to help cushion the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on vulnerable individuals and businesses. This emergency cash transfer programme is designed to help families during this period and to ensure that household poverty does not translate to deprivations for children. the project is simultaneously ongoing across the Five Divisions of the State to complement Government’s efforts in deploying assistance to SMEs, the vulnerable and the poor people in the State.

socmin.lrv.lt (05.01.2021)

A person or family facing financial difficulties may apply to their municipality for cash social assistance: social benefits, compensation for dwelling heating and water costs. In 2021, persons, whose average monthly income per person will not exceed EUR 140.8, will be entitled to social benefit. When calculating the average monthly income, the child benefit (child money), part of the work income and unemployment social insurance benefit (depending on family composition and number of children – 20%–40%) shall not be included. When establishing the right to cash social assistance, the property of the applicant held by the right of ownership shall not be temporarily assessed. Such relief will remain in place for another 6 months after the emergency and quarantine due to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. After these 6 months, if the value of the property held by the family or person by the right of ownership exceeds the established threshold, the property will be disregarded for 3 months for those who apply for support for the first time or 2 years after the last time of receiving it.

socmin.lrv.lt (05.01.2021)

The job search allowance is paid to persons registered with the Employment Services and having the status of the unemployed, who are not participating in active labour market policy measures and who have lost their job at least 3 months prior to the declaration of the emergency or quarantine. The job search allowance will not be paid to persons who are entitled to the unemployment social insurance benefit or when its payment has expired at the time of the person’s application to the Employment Services. After the end of the emergency or quarantine, the job search allowance will be paid for another 1 month. In 2021, the job search allowance will be EUR 212.