Attending the seminar at the VSS site were heads of the following units: Department of Finance-Accounting, Department of Planning-Investment, Inspectorate Department, Legal Department, Department of Emulation-Commendation, Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card, Department of Social-Health Insurance Implementation, VSS Administration Office, Information and Communication Center, IT Center, Customer Service Center, Archives Center, Center for Medical Claim Review. At the local sites, there were Directors of Social Security Offices of 15 centrally-run provinces and cities and Directors of Social Security Offices at district level: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Cao Bang, Hai Duong, Lang Son, Ninh Binh, Son La, Tra Vinh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Can Tho.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference, General Director Nguyen The Manh said, implementing Resolutions of the 6th plenary session of 12th Central Committee and the Government's resolutions, VSS has quickly developed and submitted to the Prime Minister (PM) for promulgation of the Decision No. Decision No. 856/QD-TTg dated July 10, 2019 on approving the Project "Renovating and reorganizing the apparatus of VSS in the direction of streamlining, effective and efficient operation" and proactively proposed to ministries and branches to submit to the Government for promulgation Resolution No. 89/2020/ND-CP, thereby achieving remarkable results.
Specifically, in the period of 2019-2021, the Vietnamese social insurance industry has arranged and streamlined the apparatus and payroll according to regulations. In which, for specialized units assisting the General Director, 2 units were cut down; no room-level structure in 4 units; for affiliated non-business units, 1 unit and 6 affiliated departments were cut down. At the same time, 65 department-level focal points of 63 social security agencies of provinces and cities have been reduced; 58 social security agencies in cities and towns where the provincial social security offices are located in the area and 8 district-level social security offices according to the Resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee. Notably, after rearranging and streamlining the apparatus, 450 leadership and management titles were cut down in the whole industry, at all 3 levels: central, provincial and district; streamlined and reduced 2,168 payrolls to ensure compliance with the Party and State's regulations, of which a 10%reduction in the assigned payroll in 2016.

 The General Director of VSS presided over the meeting

Also according to Manh, according to the provisions of Decree No. 89/2020/ND-CP replacing Decree No. 01/2016/ND-CP, the Vietnamese social insurance industry is assigned to a number of additional key tasks by the Government, such as: Considering and settling the calculation of working time for employees who have no original records, showing the working time in the state sector before January 1, 1995; supporting and providing answers to limit the situation of payment evasion, late payment of social and health insurance contributions, etc. Also, the Government requires that, in 2022, VSS will continue to cut down on 63 departments at the level of affiliated departments of 63 provincial social security agencies; In the period of 2021-2025, it is necessary to evaluate the results of the organization of the district-level social insurance apparatus, continue to study and propose a plan to arrange the organizational apparatus according to inter-district areas, ensuring compliance with the Party's guidelines and in accordance with the industry's practice in the implementation of political tasks.
“Today, the VSS held a webinar to exchange, discuss, participate and comment on new contents in the draft decisions. In principle of regulations on organizational apparatus, functions and tasks of the provincial social security agency and the district-level social security agency must meet management requirements on organization and implementation of social and health insurance policies, uniformly from central to local levels." - General Director Nguyen The Manh emphasized.
Manh also suggested to the delegates to note that the building of functions and tasks of professional departments under the provincial social security agency must minimize the overlap between units; ensure that each focal point, each field of work has a unit leading, advising and taking main responsibility. In addition, it is necessary to ensure timely and complete settlement of regimes and policies of employees and people in accordance with the guidelines and policies of the Party and State, contributing to the cause of social security and ensuring political stability and socio-economic development of the country as well as the locality.
At the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh - Director of the Department of Personnel and Organization briefly reported the results of summarizing the opinions of the units under the VSS and the provincial social security agencies on the draft Decision on regulations on defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the local social security agency and the Decision stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, responsibilities and management regime of the professional divisions under the provincial social security agency.
Also, following draft documents were presented: Decision defining functions, tasks, powers, organizational structure of local social insurance (version 2); Decision stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, responsibilities and management regime of the professional departments under provincial social insurance (version 2); The Decision stipulates the functions, tasks, powers, structure, responsibilities and management regime of professional groups under the social insurance authority of districts, towns and cities under the province (version 1).
According to the draft Decision stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, organizational structure of the local social security agency, the position and function of the social security agency of centrally-run provinces and cities, which is an agency directly under the VSS located in the province, has the function to assist the General Director of VSS in the implementation of social and health insurance regimes and policies; organize collection and expenditure of unemployment insurance regime; management and use of funds: social, health insurance; inspect the payment of social and health insurance premiums and inspect the implementation of social and health insurance regimes in the province in accordance with the law and regulations of VSS. Also, the provincial social security agency is under the direct and comprehensive management of the General Director and under the state administrative management in the province by the provincial People's Committee. The provincial social security agency has its own legal status, seal, account and head office.
Along with that, according to the draft, the provincial social security agency has specific duties and powers. For instance: Developing and submitting short-term and long-term plans on the development of social and health insurance in the area and annual work programs to the General Director; Organizing the implementation of plans and programs once they are approved; Actively coordinating with relevant departments and branches in formulating and submitting to the Provincial People's Committee for approval of the Plan on development of participants of social and health insurance and the Plan on allocation of expenditures for medical care and health insurance under the PM's Decision; Organizing the work of information, propaganda and dissemination of policies and laws on social and health insurance; Organizing and executing assigned duties, etc.
At the Conference, the delegates focused on exchanging, discussing, participating and commenting on new contents in the draft Decisions. The participants all agreed on and highly appreciated the draft Decisions that ensured the scientificity and were suitable with the actual conditions and requirements set forth. At the same time, in order for these Decisions to be completed to ensure closeness to the actual situation, the delegates gave some suggestions, as well as difficulties, problems and solutions.
Concluding remarks, Manh highly appreciated the positive working spirit of the participants. “In only one morning, the conference has completed the set out requirements. Delegates also actively contributed ideas and discussed new, difficult and problematic issues. Thereby, to together ensure that the regulations on the functions and tasks of the locality are in accordance with the current law, suitable for actual implementation," said Manh.
The General Director also suggested some contents and plans to build the most appropriate and optimal decisions. “The development of regulations must ensure the principle of streamlining, clear responsibilities, each activity must be clear without overlapping; functions and tasks must form a unified chain from the Central to the Central Government, ensuring the principles of organization, task performance, and completion of assigned tasks”, emphasized Manh. Also, the General Director added, the opinions of participants at the Conference will be absorbed to consider to finalize the draft Decisions before submitting for promulgation.