Questions/Answers

The initiatives are the introduction of the Marshall Plan Social Contract and the SMS Mobile System. 1. The Marshall Plan Social Contract is the main and fundamental recommendation of the Marshall Plan. It formalizes the commitment between the Government and the participating Social Register of Mauritius (SRM) eligible Beneficiary. The Government assumes the responsibility of providing a monthly subsistence allowance to the head of the SRM eligible household and the SRM beneficiaries commit themselves to empowerment programmes that the social contract offers to them to build their human capital with a view to move out of poverty. The Social Contract is the point of entry of eligible beneficiaries living in absolute poverty to benefit from Empowerment schemes based on various conditions that are laid out in the Contract. The objectives of the Social Contract are as follows: (i) to eliminate absolute poverty with the introduction of a monthly subsistence allowance; (ii) to offer personalized support to families via a case management approach; and (iii) to improve access to services to enable beneficiaries to lead full and productive lives. 2. Implementation of an SMS Mobile System and a Citizens Reporting Mechanism In line with the recommendations stipulated in the Marshal Plan against Poverty, the Ministry in collaboration with National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) have already set up an SMS Mobile System and a Citizens Reporting Mechanism and data analysis tool to make effective use of the existing mobile technology to reach the most excluded households. The development of the system will also allow the Ministry and NEF to assess impact of public service delivery to the poor. The SMS Mobile system is already live and operational.

Reducing poverty and inequality has been one of the top priorities of the Marshall Plan against Poverty and a substantial amount of resources have been put in place to serve the most deserving to move them out of poverty. Through the Social Register of Mauritius, the Ministry delivers inclusive and equitable services to all eligible SRM beneficiaries who have signed the Marshall Plan Social Contract. Therefore, it ensures that all absolute poor households found eligible in the register are provided with all the Schemes and Empowerment Programmes of the Ministry.

SDG1- END POVERTY IN ALL ITS FORMS EVERYWHERE and target 1.1, that is, by 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less that $1.25 a day. Provision was made in the Budget Speech 2016/2017 for the introduction of a new Scheme, namely the Subsistence Allowance Scheme, under which every eligible adult on the Social Register of Mauritius would be entitled to a monthly subsistence allowance based on a minimum threshold of Rs 2,720 with a maximum threshold of Rs 9,520 for a family of two adults and three children. The Scheme became operational as from 15 December 2016. This initiative has allow the Ministry to provide the targeted households support in a sustainable manner so that they do not fall in the poverty trap and to monitor their compliance to the conditions of the social contract. For the past two years, some 800 households have been successful empowered and graduated the SRM. With the initiative of the SMS service, the beneficiaries may be contacted instantly on any empowerment schemes and in case of non-compliance to the conditions of the social contract.

The theory of change behind the Social Contract (SC) is that cash transfers alleviate symptoms of poverty in the short term; while fulfillment of the conditions contribute to the accumulation of human capital which enable today’s poor to move out of poverty in the future – thus, breaking the inter generational transmission of poverty. The conditions refer to the behaviors that beneficiary households should adopt to receive the cash transfers. In this model, the beneficiaries are not passive recipients of governmental transfers and services, but active collaborators who aim to achieve sustainable and productive lives.

The Ministry complies with the principles of Good Governance and ensures transparency and accountability in its decision-making process. All Officers of this institution have been sensitized on the code of ethics of Public Officers and a copy handed over to them and have been requested to comply with same in the conduct of the affairs of administration of this Ministry. With the Marshall Plan Social Contract initiative, the Ministry has set up a Monitoring and Evaluation Section where the services of UNV M & E Officers are sought so as to monitor the compliance and conditions of the social contract. In this context, the Ministry will also recruit a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer through the Public Service Commission which will be on a permanent basis for the monitoring and evaluation of schemes. This initiative has also allowed the Ministry to establish a Statistical and Research Section that involves analysis of data and submitting a quarterly progress report on the progress achieved for the implementation of Empowerment Support Schemes for beneficiaries under the social contract. The SMS Mobile is a tool that communicates instantly with the beneficiaries and thus avoiding traditional communication of issuing correspondences where required.

The Constitution not only grants equality to women but empowers the State to adopt measures in favour of women. Consequently, women and men must participate equitably in the national development process. Promoting gender equality and greater opportunities for young people are integrated themes that run throughout the Plan and cut across all areas related to social protection, employment, social housing, education, health, environment and equity in service delivery, including Rodrigues. Several programmes and projects are being implemented at the level of the Ministry to achieve Gender Equality. Women have equal access to all the schemes, facilities offered in the country.

The target groups are households that are registered and found eligible under the Social Register of Mauritius and who have eventually signed a Marshall Plan Social Contract with this Ministry. To enable its execution, the Ministry has worked towards the introduction of a Social Integration and Empowerment Act 2016 and relevant Regulations relating to the various empowerment schemes, followed by a series of new schemes and activities that have improved the outcomes of these target groups. Some of the outcomes are: (i) The Payment of a monthly subsistence allowance and other conditional cash transfers to ensure that the basic needs of people living in absolute poverty are effectively met and that they become economically independent which have led some 800 households to graduate the SRM; (ii) The payment of other conditional cash transfers such as a monthly Child Allowance, School Premium, Free Examination Fees and Crèche Fees, as incentives which have motivated children of beneficiaries to be enrolled in registered educational institutions, attend school regularly, improve their performance and be awarded on their successful accomplishment. (iii) The SMS Mobile System and Citizen Reporting Mechanism that creates and facilitates dialogue with the SRM beneficiaries and the Government through appropriate technology.

1. In the 2016/2017 Budget Speech, a New Poverty Threshold for eligible beneficiaries under the Social Register of Mauritus, was developed and is now defined as Rs 2,720 per month for an adult and Rs 1,360 per month for a child. The threshold thus varies for households of different sizes/composition with a maximum threshold of Rs 9,520 for a family with two adults and 3 children. 2. The older Rs 6,200 per family threshold has been replaced by a per capita Subsistence Allowance since December 2016. This is considered as an official poverty line for the absolute poor. 3. This threshold takes into consideration the size of the household and the living conditions of the family whereby an assessed income is therefore derived from the PMT. This is helping the SRM population not to benefit a fixed quantum of income support. 4. Following the above, a registration exercise was carried out in 2016 for the registration of poor households in the SRM in both Mauritius and Rodrigues. Some 8,000 households were found to be eligible and have signed the Social Contract in November/December 2016. By the 15th of December 2016, the social contract initiative has allowed each household to benefit the subsistence allowance which is an income support that is being paid to beneficiaries living below the absolute poverty threshold defined on a per capita basis to ensure that the basic needs of families are met. 5. Since then, a case management for individual household is being carried out and the SMS Mobile System and Citizen reporting mechanism is fully operational.

As per the social contract, all families would benefit from a subsistence allowance which will be credited in their bank account number. The obstacles encountered by the head of households were to provide reliable and active valid bank account number. Otherwise, they would not benefit from the subsistence allowance. Families not having a bank account number were given a correspondence addressed to the bank for the opening of the bank account. On the other hand, some 5% of the households were reluctant to consent for receiving an SMS from the Ministry. They had to be sensitized.

The provision of a financial assistance to the poor is conditional to the household meeting the requirements of an approved and mutually agreed social contract - such as participation of adults in empowerment programmes to move them into self-sufficiency, and children attending school regularly contrary to the traditional social protection system where financial assistance was being given without empowerment conditions. It is innovative as it will make effective use of the existing mobile technology to reach the most excluded households. The technology (SMS) will allow reaching the maximum of the targeted users while the smartphones are not yet widely adopted.

Mauritius is among the rare countries in Africa to implement such initiatives, that is, a targeted approach to reach the poor and to allocate maximum resources on a conditional basis.

NIL

This model of poverty alleviation can easily be replicated and adopted by other countries in the regions. With such initiative, resources allocated for the poor households would be fully controlled and monitored. The progress of each household can be measured. However, there should be a well established system of targeting the most poorer households.

Through this initiative, some 50 Case Management Officers were recruited having as professional background a degree in social services to conduct case management visits for each household and to set up a family development plan. Government has provided all the necessary financial resources for the implementation of the project. The family development plan is followed until the graduation of the family out of the Social Register.

The Marshall Plan, which is unique in its scope and ambition, is aligned to the Government Programme 2015- 2019, the Government’s vision 2030, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Goal 1: “End poverty in all its forms everywhere”. To enable its execution, the Ministry has worked towards the introduction of a Social Integration and Empowerment Act 2016 and relevant Regulations relating to the various empowerment schemes, followed by a series of new schemes and activities. Through this Act, the initiatives become sustainable over time both in financial and institutional terms.

No

A Technical Unit of the Ministry has been set up in July/August 2018 comprising of Officers of technical cadres. The Technical Unit coordinates fully with organizations operating under the aegis of the Ministry such as National Empowerment Foundation and National Social Inclusion Foundation. The Technical Unit also coordinates with other institutions in areas related to poverty alleviation. More so, the Technical Unit liaises with UNDP national and international consultants posted at the Ministry. It is expected that in the near future that the unit will also coordinate with ALL organizations (NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, Foundations etc) and institutions in areas of poverty alleviation, as recommended by the Marshall Plan Against Poverty Report.

The UNDP is the major stakeholder that was engaged in designing the initiatives. Same is being implemented by this Ministry. However, nine Community Working Groups (CWG) have been set up in nine districts in Mauritius and on in Rodrigues to better coordinate grass root actions towards empowerment. The CWG regroups private and public partners, NGOs/Force Vives and Civil Society to work together for a holistic community development approach and empowerment initiatives. The main stakeholders called upon to participate in the Community Working Groups are as follows: 1. CSR Companies 2. CAB Offices 3. Line ministries operating at grass root level 4. Local Authorities (District/Municipal/Village Councils) 5. NGOs/Force Vives 6. Social Leaders / Civil Society /Beneficiaries Functions of the Community Working Groups are as follows: 1. To facilitate collaboration and build synergies among stakeholders dealing with the issues of poverty, individual and community empowerment. 2. To increase access to services to beneficiaries and ensure that each institution provides services/facilities/schemes to beneficiaries, not available at the Ministry. 3. To strengthen the commitment of stakeholders to advocate and support in the implementation of the Marshall Plan. 4. To ensure sustained funding for projects where the Ministry has limited or no resources.

A targeted approach with an appropriate tool of communication with households facilitate interventions at all level. The organisation has already started to improve such initiatives and is again using technology to make provision of free access to Broadband internet to all eligible SRM families to ensure inclusiveness of innovation and to bridge the digital divide. Some 3,000 families have already been connected to free internet facilities.