VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh speaks at the meeting

Advantages and difficulties

Speaking at the meeting, director of Dak Lak Social Security Nguyen Khac Tuan said the province’s social insurance agency has actively followed directions from VSS and the provincial People’s Committee to implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in a timely manner. It has also proactively consulted provincial authorities in issuing documents guiding the collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums and the development of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants.

The implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in the province in the past nine months has gained positive results. As of September 2022, more than 105,000 people participated in compulsory social insurance, fulfilling 96.3 per cent of the yearly target and increasing by 2,954 people in comparison with the same period of 2021. The number of health insurance participants reached over 1.6 million, equivalent to 87.62 per cent of the province’s total population and 96 per cent of the set target.

During the period, the collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums reached VND2.469 trillion, equivalent to 70.18 per cent of the set target.

The Dak Lak Social Security has also fully provided social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance benefits for participants, applied information technology and continued to simplify administrative procedures.

Apart from these achievements, representatives from social insurance agencies of the province and districts discussed difficulties facing the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies. Many businesses faced difficulties in production and trade, leading to delays in paying social insurance and health insurance premiums. The development of participants also encountered challenges due to the impacts of the pandemic and changes in some policies which discouraged the participation of many ethnic minority people and those in remote areas.

The provincial social insurance agency proposed the VSS handle debts of businesses that stopped operation and study to consult authorised agencies to have policies to support disadvantaged people to participate in social insurance and health insurance.

Promoting provincial strengths and characteristics in implementing policies

Head of the VSS Department of Contribution Collection – Insurance Book and Card Duong Van Hao spoke highly of some creative methods of Dak Lak Social Security in developing the number of social insurance and health insurance participants, which have yielded positive results. However, in order to fulfill the targets set for 2022, more efforts are needed. Due to limited time, he suggested the province focus on potential groups of participants, particularly the group of households working in the field of agro-forestry and fisheries who will get 30 per cent support from the State Budget and 30 per cent support from provincial authorities in paying for insurance premiums. The province needs to mobilise the participation of around 200,000 people in this group.

The province should also increase information dissemination to mobilise more students, household businesses, family members of workers and public cadres and officials to participate in social insurance and health insurance.

He also pointed to the need to review and check the number of businesses that failed to pay for insurance premiums as well as the number of businesses that stopped operation.

A view of the meeting

Regarding health insurance, Head of VSS Department of Health Insurance Policy Implementation Le Van Phuc said the Dak Lak Social Security needs to balance the 2022 estimates, use the health insurance fund economically and effectively, and carry out bidding in buying medicine and medical materials effectively.

Participants suggested the provincial Social Insurance speed up information dissemination in creative and flexible ways and coordinate with relevant departments and agencies in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies and regulations, strictly punishing violators.

Speaking at the meeting, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh spoke highly of the achievements made by Dak Lak Social Security over the past nine months, which he said were better than some localities in the Central Highlands region but still low in comparison with the whole country. He urged the provincial social insurance agency to continue following guidelines from the VSS and being more proactive and active in consulting local authorities and in coordinating with relevant agencies to carry out assigned tasks more effectively.

The province needed to pay attention to potential groups in developing insurance participants and increase inspection and supervision in order to fulfil the set target of having more than 4,000 compulsory social insurance participants in the last three months of the year, he said. 

Manh asked the provincial social insurance agency to expand the services network to every village and hamlet to mobilise the participation of more ethnic minority people.

He also required the Dak Lak Social Security to strengthen administrative reform, application of information technology, digital transformation and ensure the benefits of participants./.