{
  "title": "Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati",
  "publication": "Selected Issues Papers, July 7, 2026",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559",
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  "summary": "Kiribati expanded social protection spending in response to COVID, drastically reducing poverty. Concurrently, an increase in untargeted social protection receipts has supported spending on goods that do not enhance human development and may have negative externalities.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Key findings",
      "content": "- Kiribati expanded social protection spending in response to COVID, drastically reducing poverty.\n- Concurrently, an increase in untargeted social protection receipts supported spending on goods that do not enhance human development and may have negative externalities.\n- Causal evidence for program effects is established based on discontinuity in age-eligibility using a control function approach."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Analysis and methods",
      "content": "- Empirical identification: discontinuity in age-eligibility with a control function approach.\n- Outcome focus: household-level impacts on poverty and consumption composition following expanded social protection receipts.\n- Qualitative constraints considered: logistical and capacity constraints relevant for policy implementation in Kiribati."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy options discussed",
      "content": "- Enhance targeting of social protection to preserve poverty reduction gains while reducing untargeted transfers that finance potentially harmful consumption.\n- Rebalance social protection design to incentivize spending that enhances human development.\n- Design feasible implementation paths that account for logistical and capacity constraints in Kiribati (administrative feasibility, delivery mechanisms, and institutional capacity)."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subjects and keywords",
      "content": "- Subjects: Expenditure, Income, Labor, National accounts, Social protection spending, Unemployment, Unemployment benefits\n- Keywords: Asia Pacific department; control function approach; copra subsidy; Global; household income and consumption survey; IMF country; IMF staff; Income; issues paper; Pacific Islands; Social protection; Social protection spending; targeting and efficiency; Unemployment; unemployment benefits\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026\n  - Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559"
    }
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    "Authors: Ni Wang",
    "Published: July 7, 2026",
    "Series: Selected Issues Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229053006.018",
    "Kiribati expanded social protection spending in response to COVID, drastically reducing poverty.",
    "Concurrently, an increase in untargeted social protection receipts supported spending on goods that do not enhance human development and may have negative externalities.",
    "Causal evidence for program effects is established based on discontinuity in age-eligibility using a control function approach.",
    "Empirical identification: discontinuity in age-eligibility with a control function approach.",
    "Outcome focus: household-level impacts on poverty and consumption composition following expanded social protection receipts.",
    "Qualitative constraints considered: logistical and capacity constraints relevant for policy implementation in Kiribati.",
    "Enhance targeting of social protection to preserve poverty reduction gains while reducing untargeted transfers that finance potentially harmful consumption.",
    "Rebalance social protection design to incentivize spending that enhances human development.",
    "Design feasible implementation paths that account for logistical and capacity constraints in Kiribati (administrative feasibility, delivery mechanisms, and institutional capacity).",
    "Subjects: Expenditure, Income, Labor, National accounts, Social protection spending, Unemployment, Unemployment benefits",
    "Keywords: Asia Pacific department; control function approach; copra subsidy; Global; household income and consumption survey; IMF country; IMF staff; Income; issues paper; Pacific Islands; Social protection; Social protection spending; targeting and efficiency; Unemployment; unemployment benefits",
    "**Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026**"
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