Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that it is necessary to include target groups and criteria for sustainable development, focusing on cultural factors in social policies in the coming period - Photo: VGP/Dinh Nam

Many bright spots in the fields of people with meritorious services, poverty reduction and social security

After 10 years of implementation, the 5th Resolution of the 11th tenure Central Committee (Resolution) has achieved numerous important achievements. Most of the targets have been met and exceeded with bright spots in the field of people with meritorious services, poverty reduction and social security (out of a total of 26 targets, 5 were exceeded and completed ahead of schedule and 15 were achieved by 2020).

The Human Development Index (HDI) in 2020 reached 0.706, with an improvement in the United Nations ranking (from 128/187 in 2011 to 117 in 2019 and may improve in 2021).

In the period 2012-2022, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs appraised and submitted to the Prime Minister for granting fatherland diplomas to more than 2,000 martyrs, and appraised nearly 63,000 records of wounded soldiers; From 2013 to 2019, housing support has basically been completed for 339,176 households with meritorious services nationwide, reaching 96.7%. The whole country has confirmed over 9.2 million people with meritorious services, and over 1.2 million people with meritorious services are enjoying monthly incentives. Currently, 98.6% of families with meritorious services have a standard of living equal to or higher than the average living standard of the local population.

All levels, branches and localities have well implemented the collection of martyrs' remains, identifying the martyr's identity with insufficient information; focused on investing in the construction, upgrading, and repair of martyrs' graves, martyrs' cemeteries, works of martyrs' recognition throughout the country.

According to Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, it is very important to identify the actual situation to find new things, bottlenecks and breakthrough solutions for social policies in the coming period. - Photo: VGP/ Dinh Nam

Social insurance coverage is being expanded

Labor market institutions have been gradually improved to become the basic solution for job creation, with 1.5-1.6 million people supported every year. The overall unemployment rate remained stable at less than 3%. The urban unemployment rate is less than 4%. Social insurance coverage is expanding, estimated to reach 19 million people in 2022.

Poverty reduction continues to be a bright spot recognized and appreciated by the international community. The poverty rate decreased from 14.2% in 2010 to 2.23% in 2021. The multi-dimensional approach to poverty reduction has been drastically and synchronously implemented and innovated in methods and solutions, focusing on the poorest with many new models, good practices, linking livelihood creation, employment, vocational training, and labor export.

Ensuring access to basic social services

We have basically ensured access to basic social services at a minimum in terms of education, health care, housing, clean water, and information for the people.

The policy of education universalization ensures the all-round development of children; policies to support education for students from poor households, social protection beneficiaries, ethnic minority areas, and areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions have improved equity in education, which has great social significance, making an important contribution to raising people's intellectual level and training human resources. Universal education has been completed ahead of time from preschool (5 years old) to lower secondary school.

By the end of 2021, 88.8 million people have participated in health insurance, accounting for 91% of the population. Preventive medicine has been strengthened to prevent dangerous and large-scale epidemics, and successfully prevented outbreaks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the end of 2020, it has provided accommodation for 648,000 poor rural households, over 18,000 households to prevent and avoid storms and floods in the central region; 52,000 households in flooded areas in the Mekong Delta; 323,000 houses for the poor and disadvantaged from socialization.

The grassroots information and communication system is prioritized for investment. By 2020, 100% of communes in mountainous, remote, border, and island areas had been provided with commune radio stations.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long delivered a speech at the meeting - Photo: VGP

It is required to overcome the situation of inconsistency, lack of uniformity

In addition, representatives of ministries and branches also analyzed and clarified a number of outstanding shortcomings and limitations in the implementation of the Resolution. That is, the social policy lacks inclusivity, and linkages in supporting objects have not been fully covered. Moreover, there has not been the support and connection of policy pillars in the implementation and organization. The difference in living standards between regions and target groups is large. The process of implementing social policies has not been synchronized among localities.

The legal policy system needs to continue to be revised and improved in implementation. The role of management and administration of the state, the responsibilities of society and the participation of the people have not been clearly defined. Sanctions to handle violations are not strong enough.

Putting social policy on the same level as economic policy

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said that it is very important to identify the actual situation in order to find new things, bottlenecks and breakthrough solutions for social policies in the coming period for sustainability, ensuring human rights and leaving no one behind.

It is necessary to build a multi-layered, comprehensive, universal and modern social security system, to support people in timely, flexible and effective responses to socio-economic and environmental risks; develop a flexible, modern, efficient, sustainable and integrated labor market, creating high-productivity and sustainable jobs; focus on investing in human development, developing high-quality human resources and popularizing jobs for employees.

The State plays the leading role, ensuring resources for the implementation of social policies commensurate with economic development capabilities and conditions; promoting socialization, and mobilizing the participation of the social community, businesses and people.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the method of implementing social policies in the coming period should be expanded and innovated - Photo: VGP/Dinh Nam

Continue to promote the implementation of social insurance policies

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam frankly proposed to clarify the reasons for the unmet targets; further evaluate the qualitative goals before and after the Resolution, such as the formation and development of the "social safety net".

In the coming period, the formulation of social policies should pay close attention to emerging issues. In the international context, new points are the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution, the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the complicated evolution of the epidemic situation, along with the problems that have been warned for a long time such as climate change, population aging, armed conflict, etc.