Deputy Director General of Viet Nam Social Security and ASSA General Secretary for the 2018 - 2019 tenure, Dao Viet Anh shared significant experience Viet Nam Social Security has gained during its term.

According to Dao Viet Anh, Resolution No 28-NQ/TW issued on May 23, 2018 by the 7th plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee on the reform of social insurance policy, aims to accelerate international cooperation. The social insurance sector’s international integration strategy by 2020, which was approved in Prime Minister’s Decision No 146/QĐ-TTg, has set out specific goals.   

Performing the role of ASSA Chair helps Viet Nam Social Security to accomplish its missions. The Party Central Committee’s Resolution touches upon issues of policy reform and development including building a multi-level social insurance policy system, promoting connection among social insurance policies to achieve the goal of universal social insurance coverage, diversify the range and investment structure of the social insurance fund based on principles of safety, sustainability and efficiency as well as adjusting the retirement age – one of the most concerning issues at the moment.

International cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral ties such as memberships of the ASEAN Social Security Association and International Social Security Association, offers Viet Nam Social Security precious experience and lessons to efficiently develop policies and build its capacity. Insightful information and knowledge acquired from the 35th and 36th ASSA conferences as well as other international events which gather scientists and managers in policy development and management helps Viet Nam Social Security’s workers to see and evaluate problems from different perspectives, while sharpening their skills of communication, discussion, management and event planning.

According to Dao Viet Anh, Viet Nam Social Security has not only played an active role as ASSA Chair in 2018 to 2019, the agency has come up with and implemented different solutions to boost international cooperation, gradually achieving goals set in the Government’s strategy and the Central Committee’s Resolution No 28-NQ/TW. Multilateral and bilateral ties – within the ASEAN Social Security Association as well as with international partners such as the International Social Security Association, International Labour Organisation and World Bank – have been promoted.

Viet Nam Social Security has also set human resource training including foreign language and international social welfare (in collaboration with Waikato University in New Zealand) and external communication as priorities. These solutions are expected to increase efficiency of the social insurance sector in the near future. However, the rapid change of technology and the rise of free trade agreements between Viet Nam and other countries which create impacts on the labour market as well as supply and demand for goods have required Viet Nam Social Security to complete welfare policies including social insurance and health insurance, at the same time, accelerate the application of technology innovation. Therefore, improving the effectiveness of international cooperation is an indispensable requirement for the social insurance sector./.