Lesotho : A Safety Net to End Extreme Poverty

The objective of this study is to help the government to decide what role safety net and transfer programs should play in the coming 5 to 10 years. It seeks to answer following three questions: (i) can increased spending on transfers accelerate poverty reduction in the medium to long term?; (ii) which groups and aspects of poverty will it make sense to target with transfers?; and (iii) which programs will have the greatest impact at an affordable cost? This study examined such programs in Lesotho both ones that currently exist, and the potential scope for using instruments that may not currently exist. It also widened its scope to examine all programs that transfer public resources directly to households such as agricultural subsidies and university bursaries. It analyzed them through the lens of their impact on the poor because it is important to evaluate public spending and trade-offs in the context of where public funds are currently being spent and what distributional impact they are having. The assumption underlying this analysis throughout the report is that the over-riding objective of both the government and its development partners is to reduce the high levels of poverty and inequality that persist in Lesotho. This report is organized as follows: chapter one explores the country context and fiscal space for public expenditure on social safety nets. Chapter two examines the dynamics of poverty in Lesotho and the characteristics of the major vulnerable groups and discusses which of these groups it will make most sense for the social safety net to target. Chapter three analyzes Lesotho's existing transfer programs. Chapter four reviews institutional and capacity issues. Chapter five presents options for a long-term package of social safety nets and associated costs, makes some recommendations for strengthening existing programs, and suggests which type of programs it might be cost-effective to expand.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2006-10-16
Subjects:	ACCESS TO MARKETS, AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, BENEFICIARIES, BENEFICIARY, BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLDS, BENEFIT LEVELS, CASH GRANTS, CASH INCOME, CASH TRANSFER, CASH TRANSFER PROGRAM, CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS, CASH TRANSFER SCHEME, CASH TRANSFERS, CASH-FOR-WORK, CHILD SUPPORT, CHRONIC FOOD INSECURITY, CHRONICALLY POOR, COMMUNITY COUNCIL, CONDITIONAL CASH, CONSUMPTION DATA, CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE, COST-EFFECTIVENESS, DAILY WAGE, DIMENSIONS OF POVERTY, DIRECT BENEFICIARIES, DONOR FUNDING, DROUGHT, ECOLOGICAL ZONES, ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC SHOCKS, ELDERLY PEOPLE, EMERGENCY FOOD, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYMENT SCHEME, EXTREME POVERTY, FAMILY MEMBERS, FARMERS, FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, FISCAL CRISIS, FOOD CONSUMPTION, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD ITEMS, FOOD POVERTY, FOOD POVERTY LINE, FOOD PRICES, FOOD REQUIREMENTS, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SHORTAGES, FOOD-FOR-WORK, FORMAL EMPLOYMENT, GRANT PROGRAM, HEALTH SERVICES, HIGH INEQUALITY, HOUSEHOLD BUDGET, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD INCOMES, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSEHOLD POVERTY, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN, HUMAN CAPITAL, HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, IMPACT ON POVERTY, INADEQUATE FOOD, INCIDENCE OF POVERTY, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME POVERTY, INEQUALITY, IRRIGATION, LABOR-INTENSIVE WORKS, LAND MANAGEMENT, LAND RECLAMATION, LANDLESS, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIVESTOCK OWNERSHIP, LOSS OF INCOME, LOW POVERTY RATES, MALNUTRITION, MEANS TEST, MEANS TESTING, MOUNTAIN AREAS, MOUNTAIN REGIONS, NATIONAL POVERTY, NATIONAL POVERTY LINE, NATURAL DISASTERS, NATURAL SHOCKS, NEEDY HOUSEHOLDS, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, NUTRITION, NUTRITION OUTCOMES, NUTRITION PROGRAM, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, OLD AGE, OLD AGE PENSION, OLD AGE PENSIONS, PENSIONS, PERSISTENT INEQUALITY, POLITICAL SUPPORT, POOR, POOR AREAS, POOR FARMERS, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POOR PEOPLE, POOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, POORER AREAS, POVERTY ANALYSIS, POVERTY ASSESSMENT, POVERTY DATA, POVERTY ESTIMATES, POVERTY GAP, POVERTY HEADCOUNT RATES, POVERTY INDICATORS, POVERTY LEVEL, POVERTY LEVELS, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY LINES, POVERTY PROFILE, POVERTY RATE, POVERTY RATES, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY STATUS, PRODUCTIVE ASSETS, PROTECTION POLICY, PROTECTION SYSTEM, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, PUBLIC RESOURCES, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SPENDING, PUBLIC TRANSFER, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, PURCHASING POWER, RECOVERY PROGRAM, REFORM PROGRAM, REMOTE AREAS, ROAD MAINTENANCE, RURAL, RURAL AREAS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL DIVIDE, RURAL FARMERS, RURAL GAP, RURAL INEQUALITY, RURAL LIVELIHOODS, RURAL PHENOMENON, RURAL POOR, RURAL POVERTY, RURAL RESIDENTS, RURAL ROAD, RURAL ROAD MAINTENANCE, SAFETY NET, SAFETY NET PROGRAMS, SAFETY NET SYSTEM, SAFETY NET TRANSFERS, SAFETY NETS, SAVINGS, SCHOOL FEEDING, SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS, SCHOOL MEAL, SCHOOL MEALS, SHOCK, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL SAFETY NET, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL SPENDING, SOCIAL TRANSFER, SOCIAL TRANSFERS, SOCIAL WELFARE, STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION, SUBSISTENCE, SUBSISTENCE ECONOMY, SUBSISTENCE FARMERS, SUPPORT PAYMENTS, SUPPORT PROGRAM, TARGETED TRANSFERS, TARGETING, TARGETING MECHANISMS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, TEMPORARY SHOCKS, TRANSFER AMOUNTS, TRANSFER PROGRAM, TRANSFER PROGRAMS, TRANSFER RESOURCES, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNIVERSAL TRANSFER, VILLAGE LEVEL, VOUCHERS, VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT, VULNERABLE CHILDREN, VULNERABLE GROUPS, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WAGE BILL, WAGE EMPLOYMENT, WAGE RATE, WAGE RATES, WELFARE MONITORING, WORK PROGRAM, WORKS PROGRAM,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/10/18064035/lesotho-safety-net-end-extreme-poverty https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16020
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!