Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu give a  speech at the workshop (VSS)

In his opening remarks at the workshop, VSS’ Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu affirmed that the social security objectives are being implemented continuously through deploying Resolution No. 28/NQ-TW on social insurance policy reform and Resolution No. 20/NQ-TW of the Government. Currently, the VSS has received considerable attention from various levels, aiming for the target that by 2025, approximately 95% of the population will participate in health insurance (HI), and 45% of the labor force will participate in social insurance (SI); by 2024, over 93% of the population nationwide is expected to participate in HI.

According to Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu, this task is relatively challenging, even though the requiried number of HI participants is not large. Therefore, to achieve these goals, VSS needs to closely follow the guidelines, directions, and policies of the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, and the objectives and plans in the Development Strategy of the VSS industry. Additionally, it is essential to proactively identify and assess the obstacles in the practical implementation of policies and laws; closely coordinate with various sectors and levels to propose and recommend competent authorities to amend and supplement appropriate SI and HI policies and laws; and to respond to policies proactively, flexibly, promptly, and effectively.

Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu also emphasized that the VSS directly advise, implement, and deploy policies to support citizens on participating in and receiving benefits from SI and HI policies. As a result, VSS has issued regulations to support citizens, established customer service hotlines, and deployed systems to receive public feedback through electronic systems and direct dialogues. To update and refine the skills of customer service staff across the sector, VSS will publish professional handbooks for local customer service staff. The Deputy General Director required the workshop participants to listen attentively to the presentations, discuss, and raise ideas to promptly complete the documentation.

At the workshop, Mr. Duong Manh Hung, VSS’ Director of Customer Service Center (VSS), introduced the draft Professional Handbook for customer service staff in the VSS sector. The draft content is divided into five sections, emphasizing the skills necessary for customer service staff to support, and advise customers.

According to a representative from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Vietnam, Vietnam’s policies are increasingly being perfected, with the goal aimed to ensure social security for the people. To achieve this goal effectively, it is crucial that these policies are clearly communicated to those who implement them, so that the public can understand them correctly and comprehensively.

Overall of the workshop (VSS)

Regarding the Customer Service Handbook, the ILO representative recommended that information should be communicated under three ways, using different languages depending on the audience: For researchers, specialized terminology can be used; for leaders, information should be concise and precise; and for people, professional terms should be avoided.

The workshop also acknowledged contributions from Hue University of Economics, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), the Hai Duong Provincial Federation of Labor, and several enterprises in Hai Duong province. Most of the feedback appreciated the issuance of the Professional Handbook for customer service staff in the VSS sector. Additionally, they recommended that VSS promptly distribute this document to all customer service staff throughout the system, and to SI officers at units. This would help SI officers understand the Social Insurance Law, the Health Insurance Law, the procedures for registration, adjustments, and payment methods, thereby enabling enterprises to adopt SI policies in a timely manner, reducing risks for themselves, and ensuring the rights of employees.

Concluding the workshop, Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu appreciated the contribution from experts, managers, employers, and VSS representatives from various provinces and cities. He also instructed the Call Center to thoroughly review and incorporate these suggestions to improve the handbook. Specifically, the Deputy General Director emphasized that the document should use appropriate and understandable language, closely following the VSS's customer service processes towards universal SI and HI coverage. For the training materials for SI officers at labor-employing units, he suggested renaming them to "Guidance Document."

Additionally, the Deputy General Director stressed to reorganize the document’s structure, making the procedures concise and shifting towards presenting rights and obligations first, followed by implementation procedures and responsibilities of the parties involved, and payment processes. Furthermore, key points to consider during policy implementation should be included in an appendix, such as reference documents, contact details for the VSS, and call center hotlines for any difficulties or issues. This approach aims to further enhance the quality of customer service and increase the satisfaction of citizens and enterprises with the VSS industry in the implementation of social security tasks./.