2023-09-01-世界银行-构建包括_重塑中东和北非的社会保护（英）_92页_16mb

Reimagining Social Protection in the Middle East and North Africa: Summary

Social protection systems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are struggling to effectively reduce poverty and vulnerability due to limited job opportunities, high informality, regressive subsidies, and financially unsustainable pension schemes. Work is increasingly informal, with youth and women being disproportionately excluded from the labor force. Social protection policies fall short in coverage, with low cash transfer spending and energy subsidies dominating social assistance budgets. Labor regulations often fail to protect informal workers, and pension systems are ill-prepared for aging populations and climate shocks.

Key reform priorities include building modern delivery systems to enhance efficiency and targeting, expanding income support to the poor, integrating social programs, reforming pensions and unemployment protection, and increasing tax revenue progressively. Countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco have made strides in subsidy reforms and digital delivery, while Saudi Arabia has advanced on gender equality. Political support and clear sequencing of reforms are essential for success, with a focus on inclusive social protection to build a renewed social contract.

Main Challenges and Reform Areas:

• Limited and informal labor markets exacerbating poverty.
• Inefficient social assistance programs with heavy reliance on regressive energy subsidies.
• Financially unsustainable pension systems due to design imbalances, low contribution rates, and early retirement incentives.
• Labor regulations failing to protect informal workers and promote productivity.
• Need for modern delivery systems to improve targeting, reduce administrative costs, and enhance shock responsiveness.

Priority Reform Actions:

1. Strengthen Foundational Systems: Consolidate social assistance programs, integrate social registries, and leverage digital technologies for efficient delivery.
2. Expand Cash Transfers and Opportunities: Increase coverage and cost-effectiveness of cash transfers, complement with economic inclusion programs to build human capital.
3. Reform Social Insurance: Balance parametric reforms, enhance protection for informal workers through Voluntary Savings Schemes (VSS), and support active aging.
4. Improve Labor Policies: Protect all workers, reform dismissal rules, and promote digital and flexible employment.
5. Enhance Efficiency and Financing: Reform energy and food subsidies, mobilize additional tax revenue progressively, and ensure sustainability through better fiscal management.

Case examples demonstrate that reform momentum exists, but political leadership and evidence-based policy are critical. Success requires vision, communication, and continuous ownership, supported by robust data and evaluations.