The fourth wave of COVID-19 in the first months of the year has seriously affected the socio-economy, employment and the VSS’ plan to expand the number of those benefiting from social insurance. What measures have been taken by VSS to ensure social and health insurance policies?

The fourth wave of COVID-19 is getting extremely complicated, affecting multiple aspects of the socio-economy, including the implementation of social and health insurance policies.

However, the VSS has actively taken flexible measures to overcome difficulties and achieved positive outcomes in expanding social, health and unemployment insurance coverage.

As of May 31, 2021, there were more than 16.1 million people applying for social insurance nationwide, accounting for 32.49 per cent of labour force and reaching 91.3 per cent of the target.

Illustrative image (source: internet)

This figure has increased by more than 1.1 million compared to the same period last year but still decreased by 38,941 people compared to the statistics of 2020.

The number of people joining compulsory and voluntary social insurance has topped more than 15 million and 1.12 million, respectively.

The VSS covered unemployment insurance for more than 13.3 million people, reaching 93.51 per cent of the target.

More than 87.77 million people, equivalent to 89.9 per cent of the population, have their health insurance covered.

To achieve the above-mentioned outcomes, what specific orders have been made by the VSS to help localities solve difficulties and complete assigned tasks?

Since early 2021, the VSS has issued several documents in insurance collection and membership extension. Based on those documents, local social security agencies have closely supervised the practical situation and consulted local authorities.

Directors of local social security agencies must grasp the demand for labour and demand for insurance membership to prepare scenarios and map out the most practical insurance plans to complete assigned tasks.

The VSS has issued directives on the COVID-19 prevention and control for the whole sector including Directive No 1098 dated April 28, Directive No 1142 dated May 3, on strengthening COVID preventive measures and ensuring benefits of social and health insurance members.

On May 26, the VSS issued Directive No 1445 ordering VSS’ member agencies and local social security agencies to apply a flexible working schedule (online and offline) during the pandemic and offer quality services to ensure benefits of insurance card holders.

Any official who neglects pandemic preventive measures and shows irresponsibility will be strictly punished.

Illustrative image (source: internet)

In addition to performing political tasks, what directions and suggestions has the VSS made to remove difficulties for production and business, and ensure social security for people including employees who suffer negative impacts of COVID-19?

The VSS has always implemented solutions to offer support to people and businesses who face difficulties during the pandemic, following the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister.

The VSS and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs have proposed to the Government a plan on suspending social insurance payment contributions to the retirement and survivorship fund for businesses affected by COVID-19.

Businesses who are qualified for the suspension must make full social insurance contributions until April 2021, and have to reduce at least 10 per cent of total current number of social insurance-protected employees compared to April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the date of submission of their application.

The qualified enterprises must operate in transport, tourism, education, culture, sports sectors, be hotels, restaurants or located at industrial zones or working areas that are in lockdown or quarantine.

The unemployment insurance fund has offered financial aid to labourers classified as F1 and F2 between June 1 and December 31, 2021. Each of them will receive VND80,000 per day. Within three working days, the aid will be transferred to the labourers in cash or via their personal bank accounts. If the labourers in quarantine have not provided enough information to be qualified for the assistance, they can complete the procedure to receive the aid after finishing quarantine.

What solutions have been taken by the VSS to implement social security policies with an aim to make social insurance truly a pillar of the social security system, especially in the face of COVID-19’s adverse impacts?

Despite initial breakthroughs, there are still certain limitations in the formulation and implementation of policies and laws on social security.

The system of policies and laws on social security, when being applied, has shown several shortcomings and problems.

The social insurance policy has left behind groups who are willing to participate in the insurance scheme and able to pay such as owners of household businesses, unpaid business managers, and employees working under flexible regimes. In addition, voluntary social insurance policies are not attractive enough to call for public participation. The number of people asking for lump-sum allowances has kept rising, while insurance debts, payment evasion and fraud have been reported in numerous localities.

The number of people joining social insurance nationwide has only hit 16 million, covering nearly 33 per cent of labour force. It means more than 30 million people or about 67.7 per cent of people of working age have not participated in social insurance.

Local social security agencies must take action to expand the membership and reduce insurance debts. If nothing is changed, there will be many elderly people and employees who are no longer of working age and not entitled to social insurance.

This will create pressure for families and society, as well as have negative impacts on social security policy and the country’s socio-economy in general.

In the future, we must step up measures to innovate and make social insurance a universal social security system.

The VSS will implement three solutions to achieve universal social insurance coverage.

Firstly, the VSS will continue to make proposals and recommendations, especially in voluntary social security, remove conditions on required payment time of voluntary social insurance premiums for pension enjoyment from 15 years to 10 years. The VSS will increase State support for people holding voluntary social insurance cards; adding flexible and short-term policies on sickness and maternity to attract more members.

Secondly, the VSS should strengthen the coordination with ministries, sectors, media agencies, news agencies, newspapers, committees, and authorities at all levels to promote communication and propaganda activities in various and diversified forms; in which, direct propagation and mobilisation will be used to raise people’s awareness about the necessity, position, roles, meaning, benefits, and obligations when participating in social insurance so that they are active and voluntary.

Thirdly, enhancing the application of information technology in management and administrative procedure reform; strengthening professional training and management; and regularly checking the performance of tasks within the organisation and the apparatus of the collection tasks and the collection agencies to promptly rectify violations.

The VSS looks to improve the attitudes of staff and build a modern and professional Vietnam social security sector, looking forward to the satisfaction of people and enterprises./.