2011年-世界发展银行全球_Ghana___Improving_the_Targeting_of_Social_Programs_142页_3mb

Summary of Report No. 55578-GH: Improving the Targeting of Social Programs in Ghana

Core Content

This report evaluates the targeting performance of various social programs and subsidies in Ghana, aiming to improve their efficiency in reaching the poor. It provides an overview of the current state of social programs, their benefit incidence, and recommendations for future improvements.

Main Findings

Poverty Reduction Progress

Ghana has made significant strides in reducing poverty and improving social indicators over the past two decades:

• Poverty headcount ratio decreased from 51.7% (1991-92) to 28.5% (2005-06).
• Child malnutrition prevalence (weight for age) dropped from 24.1% (1988) to 13.9% (2008).
• Primary non-completion rate fell from 38.8% (1991) to 15.0% (2008).
• Girl-to-boy ratio in education improved from 78.5% (1991) to 95.2% (2007).
• Under-5 mortality rate declined from 119.7 per 1,000 (1990) to 80 per 1,000 (2008).
• Births not attended by skilled staff dropped from 59.8% (1988) to 43% (2008).
• Access to improved water improved from 44% (1990) to 26% (2006).
• Improved sanitation increased from 94% (1990) to 90% (2006).

Targeting Performance of Social Programs

The report assesses the benefit incidence of different social programs and subsidies, distinguishing between well-targeted, evenly distributed, and poorly targeted ones:

Well or Potentially Well Targeted Programs

• LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty): 57.5% of benefits go to the poor (actual data).
• NHIS indigent exemption: >50.0% of benefits go to the poor (actual data).
• Free school uniforms for primary schools in poor areas: 49.9% (simulated).
• Labor-intensive public works in poor areas: >43.2% (simulated).
• Proxy means-tested conditional cash transfers for JHS: 42.2% (simulated).

Programs/Subsidies Benefitting the Population Fairly Evenly

• General funding for primary education: 32.2% (actual data).
• General funding for health service delivery by CHAG: 30.8% (actual data).
• Potential connections subsidies for electricity: 29.4% (simulated).
• Free maternal and child care: 29.1% (actual data).
• General funding for kindergarten education: 27.2% (actual data).
• General funding for JHS education: 24.0% (actual data).
• General funding for health care: 22.4% (actual data).
• Ghana School Feeding Program: <21.3% (actual data).
• Kerosene subsidies: 20.7% (actual data).

Programs and Subsidies with Limited Benefits for the Poor

• General funding for vocational education: 19.0% (actual data).
• Fertilizer subsidy scheme: 15.8% (actual data).
• General funding for SHS education: 15.1% (actual data).
• PURC pilot access to safe water through tankers in cities: 13.1% (simulated).
• National Youth Employment Program (NYEP): 12.7% (simulated).
• NHIS general subsidies: 12.4% (actual data).

Poorly Targeted Programs and Subsidies

• Tax cut on imported rice during food price crisis: 8.3% (actual data).
• Electricity subsidies embedded in tariff structure (2005/06): 8.0% (actual data).
• General funding for tertiary education: 6.9% (actual data).
• Subsidies for petrol and diesel products (except kerosene): >2.3% (actual data).

Key Recommendations

• Expand and improve LEAP: LEAP is currently one of the best-targeted programs. It should be expanded and its targeting mechanisms reviewed, particularly proxy means-testing and community-based components. A LEAP-inspired questionnaire could be used to assess eligibility for other programs and to monitor targeting performance ex post.
• Enhance indigent exemption under NHIS: The indigent exemption should be more widely used, especially in districts with high poverty levels. New applicants could be screened using a LEAP-inspired questionnaire.
• Geographic targeting for school uniforms and school lunches: Free school uniforms and school lunches should be distributed based on poverty and food security maps, not educational deprivation maps. Geographic targeting through public schools in poor districts is sufficient.
• Revise educational deprivation formula: The formula to identify deprived districts should shift from rank-based to level-based indicators and should be reassessed every two years to ensure it remains responsive to changing conditions.
• Pilot conditional cash transfers (CCTs): The government should consider piloting CCTs for primary or junior high school students from poor families, using geographic targeting in the northern districts and proxy means-testing in less poor areas.
• Reduce poorly targeted subsidies: Large subsidies for rice, electricity, and piped water that do not effectively reach the poor should be reduced. However, kerosene subsidies can be retained to protect the poor from oil price fluctuations.
• Improve targeting of public works: Labor-intensive public works should be focused on the poorest areas. Proxy means-testing is not necessary if geographic targeting is used, but a LEAP-inspired questionnaire can be used for monitoring and evaluation.
• Enhance data collection and monitoring: The government should improve data collection and monitoring for all social programs to better assess their targeting performance.
• Use poverty and food security maps: These maps should guide the geographic targeting of social programs to ensure that benefits reach the most vulnerable populations.
• Develop new survey modules: The Ghana Statistical Service should conduct a new large sample CWIQ survey and include modules to measure program targeting and impacts, alongside the upcoming GLSS6.

Conclusion

This report emphasizes the importance of improving the targeting of social programs in Ghana to ensure that the benefits reach the poorest segments of the population. It highlights the potential of geographic targeting, proxy means-testing, and community-based approaches to enhance the effectiveness of social programs. The findings and recommendations are intended to support better policy design and implementation in the future.