Director General of Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen The Manh had a working visit to Dak Nong Province’s Social Security

Challenges in expansion of voluntary social insurance coverage

Addressing the working session, Director of Dak Nong Social Security Vo Thi Ai Lieu said the agency has closely followed instructions from VSS and provincial People’s Committee to timely implement social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies in the locality. The Social Security has also proposed the provincial Party Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee to issue guidance documents instructing the collection of insurance premiums and expand the number of participants. Also, the agency has worked with relevant departments and sectors in the implementation of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies.

In regard to the targets, the number of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance participants in the whole province has reached 552,442 by the end of September, equal to 92.02 per cent of the target set by VSS. The total collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums was more than VND802 billion (nearly US$34 million), fulfilling 68.69 per cent of the set target. The payment of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance allowances for the insured has been fully and timely made. The agency has also paid due attention to the application of information technology and administrative reform as well as synchronously carried out the sector’s digitisation.

Besides achievements, representatives from the provincial and district’s social insurance agencies spoke of difficulties and shortcomings existing in the implementation of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies. They raised the common concern that the number of voluntary insurance participants sharply decreased. During the first nine months of 2022, the whole province saw 10,784 participants in the voluntary insurance scheme, or 49.5 per cent of the yearly plan, a drop of more than 5,200 as compared to the whole 2021. The low income, prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, and increased minimum insurance rates due to new multidimensional poverty line for the 2022-2025 period make it hard for many people to continue contributing insurance premiums. Besides, thanks to a poor harvest in the province’s coffee crop this year, the expansion of voluntary social insurance faces more and more challenges.

Director of Dak Nong Social Security Vo Thi Ai Lieu delivers a report at the working session

The abuse of the social insurance fund, and the evasion of and delays in insurance premium contributions still exist; and that some businesses rack up insurance debt have severely affected the social security rights of employees.

Accelerated communications

Based on the above-mentioned reports, representatives from the VSS units assessed and provided further information on the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in Dak Nong Province; and proposed certain solutions to address difficulties facing the locality in this regard.

Accordingly, to expand the coverage, it is necessary to update and enrich the local data on potential participants. Especially, it should increase the number of participants working in the agriculture and forestry areas with a subsidy of some 30 per cent for those joining the health insurance scheme; and participants being pupils/students and the near-poor group. To that end, it is essential to propose the provincial People’s Council to soon promulgate a Resolution to support these groups of participants. To deal with the decreasing number of participants in the voluntary insurance scheme, it should ramp up the communications which must be flexible and creative, focusing on each particular group of ethnic people and of religions, and on small-scale meetings and bring into full play the role of the esteemed people in the community. As the unpaid premium due remains high in the province, it should fortify the inspection and expand the collection network.

Director General of Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen The Manh delivers closing remarks

Addressing the event, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh said Dak Nong is a significant border province and home to various ethnic groups, thus the Party and State have attached much importance to ensuring social security for the local people, especially through social insurance and health insurance schemes. Therefore, the provincial Social Security should take advantage of the support from local authorities to mobilise the whole political system in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies in the locality. In the final months of 2022, the provincial Social Security should propose the local administration to have incentives supporting the vulnerable groups in joining the voluntary social insurance and household health insurance systems. 

As a large area with various ethnic groups, the provincial Social Security must consider the communications as a top priority and duty to create the consensus in the participation and enjoyment of insurance policies, and to expand the coverage of voluntary social insurance household health insurance. These works must closely follow guidelines and instructions from the VSS; concurrently they must be flexibly applied in line with the reality of the locality. The provincial social insurance agency should develop a contingent of disseminators being heads of villages, hamlets, prestigious people in the community and religious leaders in the locality. The dissemination of information should be diverse, such as holding small-scale meetings and household-based meetings as large-scale meetings are deemed unnecessary to which many have to travel a far distance to attend. Good and effective models should be expanded whilst existing shortcomings need to be studied to draw lessons of experience for any expansion.

Regarding the payment of insurance benefits for the policyholders, the provincial Social Security must accelerate administrative reform, information technology application, digitisation, and non-cash payment; and work with relevant authorities to enhance the quality of healthcare facilities in the locality so as the local people do not have to seek for medical treatment in another locality./.