In the last decade, Montenegro has strengthened the system of social and child protection, but material benefits reach a limited number of the most vulnerable, those who need them the most, according to a new report by the World Bank (WB) and UNICEF, the preparation of which was financed by the European Union.
This is stated in the announcement of UNICEF in Montenegro.
"The document Situational analysis: Social protection in Montenegro assesses the extent to which the social protection system in Montenegro fulfills its purpose and provides recommendations for the future development of policy in each of the categories of social and child protection. The recommendations refer to material benefits, social services and child protection, social insurance - especially pensions - and programs for inclusion in the labor market", the announcement emphasizes.
It is said that the analysis shows that the cost-effectiveness of the Montenegrin social and child protection system is at risk of deterioration - it is estimated that allocations for material benefits will double by 2023.
"More investment in services that imply investment in human capital would contribute to efficiency in reducing poverty and increasing the productivity of all members of society. A continuous commitment to investments and reforms is needed to improve the effectiveness and fairness of the system," the announcement reads.
"Effective and adaptable social and child protection remains key to protecting the poor and vulnerable. The covid-19 pandemic has shown deficiencies in the resilience and flexibility of the system in terms of extending protection to vulnerable citizens during the crisis," said Christopher Sheldon, head of the World Bank's Bosnia office. and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
"We hope that the recommendations in this report will help policymakers design and adopt social policy responses while striking the right balance between policy change and fiscal stability," he added.
UNICEF in Montenegro announced that despite the economic growth that marked the period until 2020, poverty in Montenegro is still significant.
"Coverage by material security is low, which leads to some of the most vulnerable members of society being excluded from social protection. These shortcomings can be reduced by reforming the existing exclusion criteria and re-evaluating the method of selecting beneficiaries of material security," the announcement reads.
"The report calls for improved health, education and social and child welfare services for children and families. It also calls for stronger support for families at risk to prevent family-child separation, as well as for fostering services to be strengthened to ensure that every child, including children with developmental disabilities, grows up in a loving family environment. Finally, this report points to the need to develop indicators for monitoring and evaluating the quality of services for children and families, to reform social work centers to support its staff to work more effectively in the field, and to reassess the eligibility criteria for material benefits in order to reach all those who need this help," said the head of the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro, Juan Santander.
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