A range of socially excluded population that face various social discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, profession or illness. The Government is highly sensitive to ensuring the elimination of all kinds of socio-economic discrimination against these groups through legislative and other affirmative actions. This is a major agenda item for the Government’s broader Social Development Framework. The Government will also ensure that these groups have similar access as the rest of the population to all social protection programmes and to all publicly provided basic services in education, health, nutrition, population planning, water supply and sanitation.  The Government believes that these two strands of public policy are the best way to support the development of these groups.

The Government is aware that special efforts will be needed to reach many of the members of this group.  This will involve sensitizing staff of social protection agencies as well as relying on local government and NGOs for identifying potential beneficiaries. An effective grievance redressing mechanism will also be helpful to bring members of these excluded populations into the social protection network.