“We consider it an important political task, contributing to the implementation of social security policies, fulfilling the goal of social and health insurance coverage following the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress and specific objectives under Plan No 81-KH/TU of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee,” he said.

Thong made the statement at the conference to disseminate the plan to relevant agencies in the province on April 14.

Delegates at the conference.

The conference was organised by the Provincial Party Committee’s Information and Education Commission and Viet Nam Social Security’s branch in the province.

Thong told relevant agencies to strictly conduct inspections of the implementation of the goals of social and health insurance, he said.

The relevant agencies have to improve the capacity and efficiency of State management as well as coordination among all levels, sectors and localities in the implementation of social and health insurance policies, he added.

They are required to establish a steering committee for the implementation of social and health insurance policies at the commune, ward and township levels to assign responsibilities to each local official, he said.

Moreover, they should propose a mechanism to support the payment of social and health insurance premiums for people in difficult circumstances to participate in voluntary health insurance and social insurance in the province, he said.

Thong praised the efforts in the implementation of social and health insurance policies of the relevant agencies.

Director of Viet Nam Social Security’s branch Hoang Van Minh delivers his speech.

Also at the meeting, deputy head of the commission Vo Van Dzung said the plan aims to create innovation in the leadership and direction of the local authorities and call upon the participation of the political system to rapidly increase the number of people participating in social and health insurance.

The plan sets a target that by 2025, the proportion of the workforce participating in social insurance will reach 26-27 per cent in the province. The rate of the population participating in health insurance will reach 95 per cent by 2025.

The number is set to be 37 per cent and over 95 per cent by 2030, respectively.

Deputy head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Information and Education Commission Vo Van Dung at the conference.

The plan has set out five groups of tasks and solutions to achieve the targets, including improving dissemination; improving the efficiency of management; creating mechanisms and policies to encourage staff to fulfill the goals; reforming administrative procedures; and applying information technology.

Standing Deputy Secretary of Nghe An Province’s Party Committee Nguyen Van Thong at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, director of the branch Hoang Van Minh said that the coverage rate of social and health insurance in the province is low compared to the target set by the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress by 2025 and it is not commensurate with the potential of the province.

Thus, the commission and the branch coordinated to organise the conference with the hope that it will be a premise to implement the plan synchronously and extensively at the grassroots level in order to reach the goal of the resolution on the coverage rate of social and health insurance, Minh said.

Deputy general director of Viet Nam Social Security Pham Luong Son said the conference is the most vivid action, showing the drastic involvement of the local political system in the implementation of social and health insurance policies.

Deputy general director of Viet Nam Social Security Pham Luong Son at the conference.

The promulgation of the plan and the organisation of the conference are effective solutions, setting a good example that needs to be replicated nationwide, he said.

At the conference, Son presented Certificates of Merit from the General Director of Viet Nam Social Security to 11 collectives and 11 individuals in the province for their excellent achievements in directing and implementing Resolution No 21-NQ/TW, dated November 22, 2012 of the Politburo on strengthening the Party's leadership in social and health insurance for the 2012 – 2020 period.

Collectives and individuals receive Certificates of Merit from the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee.

Thong gave Certificates of Merit from the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee to 10 collectives and 10 individuals who had made outstanding achievements in directing and implementing the resolution./.