SOCIAL SECURITY AS A CHALLENGE AND A FACTOR OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
SOCIAL SECURITY AS A CHALLENGE AND A FACTOR OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA

Summary/Abstract: Security is a general cultural and ethical value, which is directly correlated with the social development. The need for security is among the basic needs and prevails over justice, freedom and equality in crises and situations without perspectives. Social development in transitional conditions carries numerous challenges and risks that lead to loss of perspective and increased level of insecurity in all areas of personal, family and social life. An organized and systematic response of modern societies to possible risks includes social security systems whose development indicates the level of social development of a country. In the recent decades, there have been extensive debates in all countries concerning social security. These debates emphasize two approaches. The first approach is about the crisis of social security and it criticizes the crisis: it is too expensive and it is a huge burden for national economies; it increases labor costs; it reduces the competitiveness and endangers freedom. The second approach considers social security as an expression of collective solidarity founded on redistribution of income that achieves great economic profits as it influences in a favorable way the standard and health of the population. It is an instrument of valorization of human resources since it stabilizes the labor force and improves the efficiency of educational system. The Republic of Srpska – as a developing country in transition – is facing extensive issues in maintaining the existing social security systems. There are difficulties in implementation of reforms and they are moving towards supporting personal responsibility for its own income and social security, provision of greater authorizations for market mechanisms and implementation of programs of structural adjustments, which necessarily include reduction of public expenses. The work provides an overview of biggest issues in the functioning of social security system and effects of implemented reforms, indicating the significance of social security for the development of the Republic of Srpska.

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