Social Security, Information Society Building and Development in Tanzania : Lessons from Finland

Abstract

The need to strengthen social security provision for development is not news. How many countries have achieved this and how? This study deals with quality social security provision and its contributions to information society building and development. It analyses the very developed case of Finland’s experience in elements of social security, ICT and development. The three elements have also been analysed for Tanzania’s experience. The analysis and comparison for the two research regions aim to draw conclusion for the case of Tanzania. The two countries have been analysed together as they both advocate the equality principle in social security and welfare programmes, which are regarded as resources to be distributed equally for all to enable individuals to participate well in development activities. Both societies experienced severe economic crises, which forced them to adopt socio-economic changes and they have well representation of the problems of the economical globalisation in the North and the South.

The methodological approach was first historic descriptive and then thematic comparative and adopted qualitative approaches. For comparison of the two research regions, the themes that were considered significant to elucidate the contributions of quality social security provision to the information society building and development were chosen. The focus is on the themes that could complement theory and practice in both research regions and concurrently be lessons for the case of Tanzania. The findings establish that, in both countries, economic crises and globalisation conditions forced the research regions to cut down the public services and adapt the rules of free trade. In Tanzania, living standards and economic growth deteriorated and citizens took personal responsibility of their own wellbeing. Finland, as a welfare state, was able to go through the economic crises because of the overemphasis of social security and welfare programmes and it is currently a highly competitive economy recognised as an 10 informational welfare state. It reached there without drastically cutting taxes or slashing welfare budgets.

The outcome of the comparison reveals that, a lot could be learned from Finland because of the high level of differences in economic growth and development processes of the research regions. It follows historical background, social, cultural, economical and political conditions enhanced by both functional and technical dimensions. Similarities were seen in the application of solidarity and collaborative themes when Finland and Tanzania put emphasis on the importance of human resources by focusing on man for development purposes. However, Tanzania failed to utilise those themes at the government’s institutions especially during the economic crisis while Finland continued to implement them in the development strategies in all situations and at all levels.

Fundamental differences could be observed with regard to sustainability of structures, utilisation of skilled labour, social and ICTs situations. In all themes, Finland performed better than Tanzania indicating the right balance between economic growth, the redistribution of income and structures viable for sustainable development.

The similarities and differences between the research regions are explained by the conclusions that, first, the role of the state in the provision of quality social security and welfare services is significant to ensure the maintenance of configurations of social, political as well as economic values that shape social security and welfare policies and those values must be maintained in considerations of historical background, social, cultural, economical, technological and political conditions in the information society building and development strategies. Second, it is imperative for Tanzania to learn from other regions as to what needs to be put into the ground first for any development process since, she has the potentials to overcome challenges that led to the low quality social security provision, functional and technical difficulties that hinder development processes. At the right conditions and the political will, creation of critical set of interventions is the way forward.

Third, differences on the application of the themes are due to the influences of the predetermined far-sighted goal oriented policies and goal attainments, which were implemented from the bottom up collaboration respecting each other’s ideas for the Finnish experience, while Tanzania had no clear focus on the implementation of interventionist government’s policies by treating the social sector as non-productive one denying modern attitudes. Finland’s development and information society building achievements must be seen in connection of the linkage of social security and welfare 11 sector and other productive sectors. This is because the authorities foresaw that, the development of human resources is of vital importance for development. Therefore, for a competitive economy, defiance of spending on health and education is not a solution but precisely the opposite of it. Putting an emphasis on the welfare and quality social security provision means investment in human resources, vital for the development of any country.

Keywords: social security, information society, development, Tanzania