The SP&PFM project in Kyrgyzstan organized a national workshop (7 and 9 March) on Social Protection Budget Planning and Monitoring From a Disability Perspective for the Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh), the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Migration, the Ministry of Finance, the Federation of Trade Unions, the Association of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, regional public employment services and social protection departments and representatives of international organizations and people with disabilities. The workshop attracted 45 persons.
The aim of the two sessions was to review the social protection budget from a disability perspective and thus increase the awareness and skills of national stakeholders for budget planning and monitoring from a disability perspective, including through the exchange of international experiences.
Participants discussed the findings of a budget review report, which highlighted the need to increase the coverage and adequacy of pensions, benefits and services for people with disabilities. The report also stressed the urgency of establishing a more comprehensive system of assessment to identify the specific needs of individuals living with a disability. The discussions covered the exclusion of people with disabilities from the mainstream educational system and the validity of employers receiving financial support to accommodate people with disabilities, tax breaks and wage subsidies.
Cholumova Nazgul, Head of the Department for the Development of Social Services for People with Disability and Senior Citizens (in the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration), emphasized the importance of national stakeholders uniting to improve the quality of life for people living with a disability and to help expand the financial opportunities for them. Dastan Bekeshev, Deputy Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh Committee on Budget, Economic and Fiscal Policy, highlighted the importance of considering the financial needs of people living with a disability during the budgeting process on disability issues. Kanat Japarov, Chairman of Board for the Kyrgyz Society of the Blind and Deaf, outlined the importance of increasing investment possibilities in public services, including improving the accessibility of infrastructure, transport systems, inclusive education and health systems.
International good practices were featured as case studies from France and Spain, which participants compared with the national experience and which they could adapt during their daily work. Participants also discussed the need to improve the collection and reporting of relevant data on disability for performance indicators during the design of the government budget.
Learn more about SP&PFM in Kyrgyzstan