Global Development Institute Blog (18.02.2021) Social protection has played a leading role in government responses to Covid-19. Public programmes providing income and in-kind transfers to vulnerable population groups have been strengthened and enhanced to address the effects of the pandemic. In low and middle income countries, the expansion of social assistance provided governments with a ready-made platform to reach and support low income groups.

UN/DESA Policy Brief #92: (Feb 2021) COVID-19 is accelerating the pace of digital transformation: implications for social inclusion

Reuters.com (22.12.2020)

Kenya’s parliament on Tuesday voted to end tax cuts put in place in April to cushion the economy from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a move lawmakers said would help to plug revenue shortfalls but investors said would hamper a recovery. The tax cuts were introduced weeks after Kenya reported its first case of the coronavirus and aimed to shield East Africa’s richest economy.

apnews.com (01.03.2021) With the floodgates set to open on another round of unemployment aid, states are being hammered with a new wave of fraud as they scramble to update security systems and block scammers who already have siphoned billions of dollars from pandemic-related jobless programs.

aseanbriefing.com (18.02.2021) The House of Representatives in the Philippines have passed House Bill No. 8461 (HB 8461) which seeks to authorize the President to suspend the premium contribution hike to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in addition to House Bill No. 8512 (HB 8512), which provides the President the power to defer the scheduled hike in contributions to the Social Security System (SSS). Both PhilHealth and the SSS were mandated by existing laws to increase their premium rates in 2021.

ilo.org (23.02.2021)

Up to 17,000 garment workers in Lao PDR affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are to each receive two months’ emergency income support worth 900,000 LAK (approximately US$100). Eligible beneficiaries, of whom 85 per cent are women, will receive the cash transfers by the end of March.

C’est une profession émergente, devenue essentielle à l’heure du confinement : les médiateurs numériques aident à comprendre les outils et les usages digitaux à tous ceux qui ne les maîtrisent pas. Personnes âgées, précaires, mais aussi jeunes, près de 20 % de la population est concernée.

La participación de los adultos mayores en actividades sociales, culturales, educativas y recreativas a través de las nuevas tecnologías contribuye a su integración plena en la vida de nuestra comunidad. Queremos que las tecnologías sirvan como medios para el encuentro y no como una barrera entre las distintas generaciones. Por eso nos comprometimos a integrar a 100.000 adultos mayores en el uso de nuevas tecnologías y a promover su acceso real a dispositivos tecnológicos para 2017.

A video of a 94-year-old grandma being carried to a bank for face recognition to activate her social security card in Guangshui, Central China's Hubei Province, has sparked heated debate on the internet, once again drawing attention to the difficulties elderly people face in using smart technology.

With the renewal of the commitment to re-employment, we are giving employees and companies more planning security and prospects for returning to work as soon as tourism can take off again, ”emphasize Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger and Labor Minister Martin Kocher. Numerous employers - especially in the tourism industry - have given their employees a "re-employment commitment" - that is, the assurance that the job will be available as soon as it can be reopened.