Timely grasping the difficult situation of enterprises and employees, over the past time, the Vietnam's social insurance industry has actively and proactively coordinated with competent authorities to advise, propose, and implement various support solutions to ensure the rights of participants and beneficiaries of social, unemployment and health insurance policies.

Vietnamese social insurance industry has always accompanied businesses and employees to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic

Flexible application of support solutions for businesses and employees

In 2020, in the face of difficulties caused by the Covid-19 epidemic affecting the business community and employees, Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has actively participated with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to propose the Government to issue Resolution No. 42/NQ-CP dated April 9, 2020 and Resolution No. 154/NQ-CP dated October 19, 2020 on measures to support people hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. After the Resolution's issuance, the VSS has directed the social security agencies of the provinces and cities to urgently deploy and achieved a number of specific results as follows:

- The whole industry has resolved to suspend payment to the retirement and survivorship fund for 1,847 units and enterprises with 192,503 employees with the amount of temporary payment of over VND 786.8 billion.

- Confirmed the list of employees temporarily suspending the performance of the labor contract or taking unpaid leave for 168,163 employees for the state budget to support 1,800,000 VND/person/month.

- Confirmed the number of employees who have been suspended from work due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, which is 585 so that units and businesses can borrow from banks to pay severance salaries for employees.

In 2021, when the Covid-19 epidemic entered the 4th wave with more complicated and unpredictable developments and a profound impact on the business community and employees, the VSS continued to participate with the MOLISA to propose the Government and the Prime Minister to issue Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP and Decision No. 23/2021/QD-TTg on implementation of certain policies to support employees and employers in difficulty due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Following the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, the whole social insurance industry of Vietnam has been actively and made efforts to get involved in implementing support policies on social and unemployment insurance with the motto of bringing policies to businesses and employees the most conveniently and as quickly as possible, which have achieved many positive results. Specifically:

- The VSS has implemented the maximum reform of administrative procedures and shortened the processing time down to no more than 01 working day.

- Immediate implementation of the provision of public services to resolve social and unemployment insurance support policies on the VSS Public Service Portal, and integrated on the National Public Service Portal for businesses and employees to make online declaration without having to travel, helping ensure safety in the context of the epidemic.

- Just over a week after Decision No. 23/2021/QD-TTg was issued, the VSS quickly completed the reduction of the contribution rate by 0% to the occupational accident and disease insurance fund for 375,335 employers, equivalent to 11,238,437 employees with the amount temporarily calculated and reduced to the occupational accident and disease insurance fund (from July 2021 to June 2022) of approx. 4,322 billion VND. During this reduction period, if the employee unfortunately suffers an occupational accident or disease, the social security agency will still ensure to fully and promptly pay the occupational accident and disease insurance regime for the employee according to regulations.

- By the end of September 6, 2021, the VSS has received and processed dossiers for 474 units of 87,455 employees temporarily suspending contributions to the retirement and survivorship fund with an amount of more than 589 billion VND at 47 out of 63 provinces and cities; confirmed the list of 798,244 employees of 29,555 employers to enjoy support policies in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities.

In addition, over the past two years, the VSS has always been proactive and flexible in providing solutions so that beneficiaries of social and health insurance policies can both ensure timely benefits and minimize direct contact, contributing to the effective prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic such as: Paying pensions at home, paying 2-month-pension in the same payment period; flexibility in referral for medical treatment covered by health insurance, provision of drugs under health insurance for people with chronic diseases; completing the provision of 100% level 4 public service of the sector on the VSS Public Service Portal; proposing the Ministry of Health to unify the use of the health insurance card image on the "VssID - Digital Social Insurance" application to replace the paper health insurance card in health insurance coverage nationwide since June 1, 2021; additional integration of public services of the Sector (re-issue of social insurance books or health insurance cards; relocation of pensions; registration of transaction accounts for children, etc) on the VssID application; encouraged recipients to receive social insurance benefits through their accounts, etc.

Ensuring the interests of participants of social and health insurance during epidemics

In the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic, from 2020 until now, overcoming many difficulties, payment and settlement of social, health and unemployment insurance benefits for participants has received special attention and direction from the VSS, in order to make timely payment, and to create more favorable conditions in the process of enjoying the social, health and unemployment insurance policies of the participants.

In 2020, the Vietnamese social insurance industry has handled: over 9.6 million turns of people enjoying sickness, maternity, convalescence and health rehabilitation benefits; over 3.2 million people receiving monthly pensions and allowances (in which: cash payments for nearly 2.5 million people; payments for over 700 thousand people via personal accounts); over 167.6 million turns of people receiving medical care covered by health insurance; over 1 million people receiving unemployment benefits and nearly 16.3 thousand people receiving vocational training support funds, etc.

In the first 8 months of 2021, the entire social insurance industry of Vietnam has solved: more than 4.09 million turns of people enjoying sickness benefits; 966,146 turns of people enjoying the maternity regime; 232,231 turns of people enjoying the convalescence and rehabilitation regime; over 91.5 million turns of people receiving medical treatment under health insurance; 471,653 people receiving unemployment benefits and 11,758 workers receiving vocational training support, etc.

It can be said, in the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic seriously affecting the production and business activities of enterprises with many workers losing jobs, policies to support social and unemployment insurance for enterprises and employees according to the Resolutions and Decisions of the Government and the Prime Minister, as well as the implementation of flexible solutions to facilitate access to support policies of the Vietnamese social insurance industry have certainly promoted efficiency, making an important contribution in supporting enterprises and employees to overcome difficulties; continuing to affirm the pivotal role in the social security system of social and health insurance policies.

The VSS is determined to implement the Resolutions and directions of the Government and the Prime Minister on ensuring social security; resolving difficulties and support businesses and employees to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue to work with ministries, branches and localities to advise and propose policies and solutions to better support participants of social and health insurance; supporting businesses and workers in difficulty due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vietnam's social insurance industry will constantly promote digital transformation, IT application, and administrative reform to create maximum convenience for participants and beneficiaries of social, unemployment and health insurance policies and support policies more quickly, timely and accurately. As a policy implementation agency, the VSS will always listen and absorb suggestions and recommendations to adjust social and health insurance policies of enterprises and employees; report to competent authorities for consideration and adjustment in accordance with the actual situation./.