The authorised agencies have to strengthen inter-sectoral inspections to reduce violations because the bankruptcy of enterprises and the fleeing of the enterprises’ owners, while they still owed salary and social insurance, will badly affect the interests of employees and the social security situation of the locality.

This was the direction of Viet Nam Social Security’s Deputy General Director Le Hung Son when he chaired a meeting to assess the implementation of coordination regulation No 01/QCPH-BCA-BHXHVN on protecting national security, ensuring social order and safety and fighting crimes in the field of social and health insurance in the province on October 4.

The meeting was attended by the delegation of the Ministry of Public Security, the Viet Nam Social Security, the local police department and the branch.

Viet Nam Social Security’s Deputy General Director Le Hung Son chairs the meeting

A representative of the ministry’s Investigation Police Department for Corruption, Smuggling and Economic Crimes (C03) said that the coordination regulation between the provincial police and the branch is quite specific, but mainly focuses on the field of social insurance.

Some contents related to the field of health insurance are not clear, he added.

In the meantime, profiteering from health insurance still happens in the province, therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the field of health insurance to minimise violations, he said.

Sharing the same view, a representative of the provincial police department said that most of the violations related to social insurance in the province, which are proposed for criminal prosecution, have yet to be implemented because of shortcomings in the regulations.

Thus, it needs to issue more specific instructions on determining the behaviour of late payment and evading social insurance contributions, he said.

Besides, it is necessary to point out appropriate regulations so that the criminal handling for violations could deter violators and help the implementation of social insurance in the province, he said.

Previously, Le Minh Ly, director of the branch, said implementing the coordination regulation, dated January 21, 2022 between the ministry and the Viet Nam Social Security, the provincial police department and the branch already signed the local-level Coordination Regulation No 03/QCPH-CAT- BHXH on May 11, 2022.

The local-level coordination regulation consists of three chapters and nine articles, clearly specifying the purposes, principles, contents, forms and responsibilities for coordination between the two units in the performance of duties to protect national security, ensure social order and safety, and fight crime in the field of social and health insurance, she said.

Under the local-level coordination regulation, the exchange and provision of information between the two units have been smoothly implemented, she added.

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The branch has actively provided information related to violations of social and health insurance to the police and always receives active support from the police, she said.

Statistics show that between January 21 and September 15, 2022, the branch coordinated with the local police to collect social insurance debts from 54 units, worth a total of VND30.1 billion (US$1.26 million), equivalent to 46.1 per cent of the total debt.

At the same time, the branch also provided information about people, who were allegedly using fake documents to benefit from social insurance, and requested the police to investigate and handle them as per regulations, she said.

In addition, the branch actively carried out 171 inspections at 680 local enterprises and units in the province during the period, she said.

Evaluating the implementation of the local-level coordination regulation, Colonel Ngo Xuan Phu, Deputy Director of the provincial Police Department, said that there is a clear assignment of responsibilities, ensuring the correct performance of the functions and tasks of the two units.

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Phu also said that Binh Duong is a locality with a lot of businesses. Many businesses failed to pay social insurance contributions, leading to labour strikes and risks of social instability.

Therefore, the police department will invite businesses with large amounts of social insurance debt to directly work and strictly handle violations to deter other violators as well as ensure the legitimate rights and interests of employees, he said.

Also at the meeting, the branch proposed the ministry and relevant agencies issue specific documents, guiding the procedures to facilitate the branch to ask for prosecution of the act of late payment or evading payment of social insurance following Article 216 of the Penal Code.

The proposal came after the branch failed to prosecute many violators for late payment or evading payment of social insurance following Article 216 of the Penal Code due to a lack of specific guidance, the branch said./.