The branch has to consult the provincial People’s Committee to issue documents to relevant agencies to implement policies and laws on social, health and unemployment in the province, he said.

Manh made the order on the morning of May 28 when he chaired a meeting with the branch on the implementation of social and health insurance policies and laws in the province.

 General Director of Viet Nam Social Security Nguyen The Manh delivers a speech at the meeting.

He also told the branch to effectively manage information of beneficiaries to ensure payment to the right people as per regulations; effectively manage the sickness and maternity fund, prevent acts of profiteering and ensure the balance of the fund.

The branch is required to strengthen inspections, especially random inspections at units and enterprises that show signs of abusing and profiteering from social, health and unemployment insurance as well as promptly handle violations of the law on social, health and unemployment insurance, he said.

It has to promote reform of administrative procedures, raise the quality of service, apply information technology, effectively use the sector’s management software; strengthen dissemination so that units and individuals will actively register for electronic transactions and public services of the sector on the National Public Service Portal, he said.

Besides, it is assigned to deploy VssID – the digital application on mobile devices and coordinate with mass media to renovate contents and forms of dissemination on social and health insurance policies, he said.

Speaking at the meeting, director of the branch Thieu Quang Ngai said Son La is a mountainous province where many people of ethnic minorities live, thus, the implementation of social and health policies faces challenges due to economic difficulties.

The branch has always received coordination from the provincial People’s Committee, People’s Council and relevant agencies in implementing social, health, and unemployment insurance policies and laws, he said.

The branch also actively coordinated with relevant agencies to advise the provincial People's Committee to issue documents to increase participants and handle social, health and unemployment insurance debts, and support people facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the province, he said.

It coordinated with the local Department of Health to strictly control the health insurance fund and remove difficulties in payment of medical expenses covered by health insurance to ensure benefits for participants, he said.

It worked with the local Department of Education and Training in deploying health insurance for students, promoting communication of social and health insurance policies through coordination with press agencies and social networks, he said.

Head of the VSS’s Department of Social Insurance Collection and Card Duong Van Hao delivers a speech at the meeting.

Data from the branch shows that as of May 28, the branch has attracted 89,546 people participating in social insurance, reaching 82.14 per cent of the plan, and accounting for 14.02 per cent of the labour force.

Of which, there are 59,789 people participating in compulsory social insurance, reaching 94.15 per cent of the plan; 29,757 people participating in voluntary social insurance, reaching 65.38 per cent of the plan; 49,058 people participating in unemployment insurance, reaching 93.05 per cent of the plan; and 1,149,898 people participating in health insurance, reaching 96.22 per cent of the plan.

Director of the Viet Nam Social Security’s Inspectorate Department Lo Quan Hiep speaks at the meeting.

The revenue from social, health and unemployment insurance reached VND880.7 billion (US$37.8 million), exceeding 2.51 per cent of the plan assigned by the agency. The total debt of social, unemployment and health insurance is estimated to be VND79.7 billion (US$3.4 million).

The branch has paid for 11,791 participants to receive benefits of social and unemployment insurance. It has also paid pensions for over 32,500 participants each month.

Participants at the meeting.

Assessing the collection of the branch, head of the VSS’s Management Board of Social Insurance Collection and Card Duong Van Hao said the collection of payments for social, health and unemployment insurance from local units and enterprises has improved.

The branch needs to pay more attention to the collection work in order to increase the number of participants, he said.