However, the number of participants in social, health and unemployment insurance has yet to reach the expected goals as many of Viet Nam Social Security’s branches in localities were unable to perform their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement was made by General Director of Viet Nam Social Security Nguyen The Manh at an online conference held on July 6 to review the implementation of the sector’s tasks in the first six months of this year and set goals for the last six months.

Manh said the sector needed to make more efforts to complete tasks in the future to better serve participants in social and health insurance.

He told the sector to focus on implementing the tasks that were assigned by the Government in an effective manner.

“They are unchangeable goals that need to be achieved,” he added.

He also said the sector had to continue coordinating with the Communist Party of Việt Nam's Central Economics Committee to summarise the implementation of Resolution No 21-NQ/TW.

It was ordered to closely work with ministries and sectors to improve the system of policies and laws related to social and health insurance, including the revised Law on Social Insurance, the revised Law on Health Insurance, the revised Law on Inspection and other relevant laws as well as promptly deal with shortcomings in the implementation of new regulations on social and health insurance, he said.

Viet Nam Social Security’s branches in localities were required to quickly consult with local administrations to set up steering committees at district and provincial levels to implement social and health insurance policies, he said.

The branches should issue a list of potential people, who could participate in social and health insurance, but have yet to participate, to encourage them to participate in the future, he said.

Besides, they were told to re-evaluate the agent system to prepare for the modification of operating regulations to fit with the new situation, he said.

The branches were asked to promote non-cash payments; implement solutions to ensure the interests of participants and effectively operate the health insurance fund following this year’s estimate assigned by the Government, he said.

Manh added that the sector had to simplify administrative procedures; expand the provision of online public services at level four; as well as integrate and provide more public services of the sector on the National Public Service Portal.

The sector was required to add more features, utilities and services to the digital social insurance application VssID; maximise the efficiency of the sector’s information technology platform; and strengthen electronic transactions to avoid direct contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Manh ordered all units to quickly report difficulties so that the sector could issue solutions to fix them.

Achievements

Viet Nam Social Security has closely worked with ministries and localities to implement policies on social, health and unemployment insurance in the first six months of this year.

Especially, it has co-operated with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health as well as relevant ministries to submit to the Government policies to support businesses and people facing difficulties due to the pandemic, including the policy on temporary suspension of contributions to the retirement and survivorship fund; the policy of paying into the occupational accident and disease fund; and the policy of paying health insurance for employees who have had labour contracts suspended or have had to take unpaid leave due to the pandemic.

The sector has carried out solutions to fulfill the assigned targets in the first six months of this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s complex developments.

By the end of June 2021, there were 16.17 million people participating in social insurance nationwide; including 14.99 million people participating in compulsory social insurance, an increase of 509,817 people compared to the same period last year.

The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance reached 1.17 million, an increase of 466,586 people compared to the same period last year.

The number of people participating in unemployment insurance reached 13.25 million, an increase of 528,282 people compared to the same period last year.

The number of people participating in health insurance reached nearly 87.5 million, covering 89.63 per cent of the population.

The sector collected VND195.1 trillion (US$8.46 billion) from social, health and unemployment insurance payment so far this year, accounting for 45.2 per cent of the goal assigned by the Government.

The total debt of social insurance, health and unemployment insurance accounts for 5 per cent of the receivable; about 0.3 per cent lower compared to the same period last year./