The city’s Inspectorate has conducted inspections at 80 units which owe a total of VND32.8 billion (US$1.4 million) since May last year.

After the inspections, 56 units paid off debts totalling VND21.3 billion. Twenty two other units have not fully paid off the debts.

Two remaining units – Thailand Paint JS Company in Cau Giay District and a branch of Union of Survey and Construction JS Company- Measure, Survey and Construction Factory in Bac Tu Liem District – did not pay the debts.

The total social and health insurance debts they owed amounted to more than VND1.5 billion.

As of January, the total debts and debt interests totalled nearly VND1.9 billion.

The citys’ People’s Committee assigned the local Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to impose administrative punishments or report to the city’s authorities to decide the penalties.

The city’s Vietnam Social Security agency has worked with authorised agencies to complete documents and impose penalties following the Criminal Code if these two units continue to delay payments.

The authorities also asked the 22 debt-owing units to pay off the debts.

According to the city People’s Committee’s requirement, chairmen of people’s committees at district and town levels must get involved more actively in social and health insurance policy implementation, contributing to stabilising local social security.

The local people’s committees were urged to step up inspection at health insurance debt-owing units and businesses and impose stiffened penalties on the violators in order to ensure labourers’ rights and benefits./.