The Secretariat of Social Integration presented this Thursday – August 29 – the details of the upcoming shake-up for one of the most important subsidies in Bogotá and which since 2021 has been part of the strategy of the Bogotá Solidaria District System, with a view to consolidating a subsidy scheme that guarantees to the poorest households a minimum income, which will reduce their conditions of poverty.
This is the Guaranteed Minimum Income (IMG), which will undergo some modifications in its operation starting in September, as a result of the redesign that the authorities in charge of the program will apply to align it with the objectives of the District Development Plan and the recommendations of the studies and evaluations carried out.
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Roberto Angulo, Secretary of Social Integration, explained that the The new design is part of the ‘Better Transfers, More Well-being’ strategy, presented in April and which includes the lessons learned from the model during the pandemic and is oriented towards a model that links social policy with social and productive inclusion.
“The new model responds to two aspects. First, it is based on the results obtained from three studies and evaluations led by the District Secretariat of Finance (2021), the District Secretariat of Planning (2023) and an external one, developed by Universidad de los Andes and the National Consulting Center (2023), presented today,” said the official.
Roberto Angulo, Secretary of Social Integration.
Courtesy – SDIS
According to the District, the studies carried out yielded several recommendations regarding the transformation of the redeemable voucher programs into monetary transfers, maintaining the positive effects on the reduction of extreme poverty and monetary poverty, and the inclusion of disadvantaged groups.
They also aim to generate a model not conditioned to one that combinesand unconditional and conditional transfers for certain populations and components.
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“The redesign of IMG complies with the agreements and goals of the District Development Plan, Bogotá Camina Segura, and the commitment to transform the transfer platform of the Secretariat of Social Integration, increase the coverage of support for older people and people with disabilities, and include conditional transfers for young people in their training and employability path,” said Roberto Angulo.
What is the new model like?
During the socialization of the changes that are coming to this system, the Secretary of Social Integration explained that with the redesign, the vouchers redeemable for food are transformed into monetary transfers, the unconditional transfer of income for the extremely poor (Sisben A) is maintained and the payments to the poor population (Sisben B) to avoid negative incentives for employability.
He also noted that it includes a component of monetary transfers conditional on strengthening human capital, growth and development in early childhood, and reducing school dropouts, and will introduce inflation adjustments in all components, in accordance with annual budgetary restrictions.
Poverty
Cesar Melgarejo / Portfolio
“In this framework, the new IMG model combines beneficiaries at the individual level and households. Households in extreme poverty and those with children and adolescents, as well as people with disabilities, the elderly and young people will be the priority groups in this new approach,” said the Secretary.
Poverty and efficiency
The new Guaranteed Minimum Income scheme, as explained, ensures the positive effects in reducing extreme poverty, poverty and vulnerability that the previous model had and moves towards greater efficiency in program spending.
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Similarly, a report of reassurance was given regarding the fact that with the new model, people and households in extreme poverty receive greater resources and contribute more to reducing extreme poverty. The new model is also a strategy for quality of spending by the District Government.
“The technical studies and agreements of the District Development Plan, Bogotá Camina Segura, encouraged us to redesign IMG that takes some lessons from the pandemic and, in addition, projects itself towards a social policy that connects with labor markets, human capital training, nutrition and the inclusion of disadvantaged populations,” concluded Social Integration.
Once it comes into effect, district authorities are expected to begin disseminating detailed information about the new scheme, as well as channels for consultation to learn about the specific situation. of each household or person that is part of the Guaranteed Minimum Income strategy.
