Creative, flexible solutions

Addressing the event, Head of the VSS’ Department of Contribution Collection Management Duong Van Hao said, despite difficulties, the whole social insurance sector worked out numerous solutions, bringing about positive results in the expansion of social and health insurance coverage in 2021.

Accordingly, the number of social insurance participants totalled 16.5 million, an increase of 358,000 (equal to 2.2 per cent) against the previous year. Of note, the number of voluntary participants reached 1.45 million, a rise of 325,300 (28.9 per cent) compared to 2020. The total health insurance coverage reached 91.01 per cent.

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A number of solutions were adopted. Sixty-one out of 63 provinces and cities partly supported the contribution of insurance premiums for nearly-poor households; fifteen out of 63 provinces supported the contribution of insurance premiums for pupils and students; total funds mobilised from local budgets reached some VND43.4 billion while another VND6.9 billion was contributed by organisations and individuals to buy health insurance cards for the disadvantaged. 

In January alone, Hao said, the number of compulsory social insurance participants nationwide reached 15.2 million, a rise of 103,000 (0.7 per cent) compared to 2021; the number of people joining the unemployment insurance system stood at 13.5 million, an increase of 107,000 (0.8 per cent) compared to 2021.

Hao said some targets assigned by the Government in 2022 were higher. For instance, the number of compulsory and voluntary social insurance participants must increase by 11.4 per cent and 53.6 per cent respectively compared to that of 2021 (two times and 1.8 times higher than the annual average respectively); the number of health insurance participants increases some 3.2 per cent over 2021 (1.5 times higher than the annual average). The Government also set a target of increasing insurance premiums by 6.6 per cent compared to 2021.

To reach such targets, Hao said, social insurance agencies in cities and provinces must make all efforts and must strengthen the review of data provided by tax agencies, classify and make a list of units that do not join or haven’t fully joined the social insurance and health insurance system.

To expand the coverage of voluntary social insurance and household health insurance, it is necessary to disseminate information to make sure that information is accessible to the majority of people, particularly ethnic groups, people in mountainous and underdeveloped areas, and “newly-escaped from poverty” households to encourage them to continue joining the voluntary social insurance and household health insurance system.

Discussing inspection solutions, Director of VSS’ Inspectorate Department Lo Quan Hiep recommended intensive training to immediately strengthen the contingent of specialised inspectors at social insurance agencies in localities. The social insurance agencies in cities and provinces are also urged to pay due attention to training the workforce to satisfy the requirements of the inspection work.

Regarding the tasks for 2022, Hiep said local social insurance agencies must quickly inspect enterprises that have been in arrears for a long time.

Be proactive

Speaking at the event, directors of municipal and provincial social insurance agencies discussed difficulties and opportunities and proposed solutions to increase the number of social insurance and health insurance participants in 2022.

Director of Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency Phan Van Men said the agency has built scenarios compatible with the COVID-19 pandemic developments in the city.

Together with the positive results from the fight against COVID-19 and better economic recovery, the increased number of labourers returning to the city will facilitate the expansion of social and health insurance. In January alone, with the addition of some 60,000 people joining the compulsory social insurance scheme, the Ho Chi Minh Social Insurance witnessed a rise in premium collection from the same period last year, fulfilling 6.9 per cent of the year’s target.

Director of Hanoi Social Insurance Agency Nguyen Duc Hoa said the number of people joining the compulsory social insurance scheme tended to increase in the first month of the year. The agency is also working with the city’s Post Office to have solutions to expand voluntary social insurance participants and household health insurance coverage. 

VSS Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu required municipal and provincial social insurance agencies to stay proactive in working out contribution collection solutions and increasing the number of social and health insurance participants. “We must be innovative and creative to reach the set targets,” he said.

Synchronise solutions

Addressing the conference, VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh said the whole social insurance sector accomplished targets set for contribution collection and expansion of social and health insurance coverage in 2021 amid difficulties and challenges.

“We have transformed pressure into a driving force, built plans, adopted solutions flexibly to ensure the increase of insurance premiums collection and of social and health insurance participants. Such efforts deserve commendation,” said the General Director.

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Regarding tasks for 2022, the General Director instructed municipal and provincial social insurance agencies to proactively work out solutions, closely follow instructions from VSS, propose local authorities and work with relevant bodies to mobilise financial sources, including the local budget, to facilitate local people to join the social and health insurance system.

Social insurance agencies should coordinate with tax bodies and departments of planning and investment, especially commune-level authorities to build flexible scenarios.

He also called for continued standardisation and enrichment of databases, analysis of data of those that have not joined the social and health insurance system to have proper and effective solutions to attract potential participants.

The General Director said the dissemination of information must be carried out to make sure people are well aware of changes. It is necessary to strengthen the training of and the effectiveness of communications staff at the grassroots level.

Regarding inspection work, the General Director reiterated that inspection acts as a crucial tool and solution, thus, inspection must be flexible to reach the target of preventing delayed premium payment. He also called for better use of e-data and information technology to collect debts and coordination with police to prosecute units that violate regulations on social and health insurance premium payments.

Based on lessons from 2021 and strong resolve in 2022, the General Director said he believed that the whole sector will successfully reach all set targets of contribution collection and expansion of social and health insurance participants as assigned by the Government./.