Vietnam Social Security: Resolute recovery of delayed social insurance and health insurance payments to ensure rightful benefits for workers (illustration image)

Mainly, the delayed payment issue exhibits a "cyclical" nature.

In the context of the ongoing complex global situation and the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic production and business recovery, businesses have faced numerous difficulties leading to diminished payment capacity and cash flow imbalances, resulting in delayed contributions to social and health insurance. Specifically, the main component of the delayed payments has a cyclical nature.

In order to enhance compliance with the law and safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of participants, the VSS has made continuous efforts to control, urge, and recover overdue payments, resulting in significant positive progress. Accordingly, the VSS provides strong leadership, close guidance, and supervision throughout the sector, especially directing local social security agencies to closely monitor and prioritize resource allocation to effectively implement solutions for the timely and efficient recovery of delayed payments for social and health insurance. These efforts include actively developing flexible and appropriate scenarios, closely coordinating with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies such as Tax, Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Police. Additionally, assigning officers to closely monitor and urge businesses to pay the full amount of contributions accrued in the current month and the overdue amount from the previous month, conducting thorough inspections and audits within the industry, and promptly initiating prosecution proceedings against willful violators. As a result, as of December 31, 2022, the amount of overdue payments for social, health, and occupational accident insurance only accounted for 2.91% of the total amount due. This is the lowest delayed payment ratio since 2016 (6%) onwards. Among these, 75.5% of the total delayed payment amount represents the "cyclical" nature of payments from actively operating businesses.

Creating conditions to resolve and ensure the rights of workers in accordance with the law.

With the perspective of "placing the people and businesses as the subjects and the center of service," the VSS consistently implements the resolution of social, health, and occupational accident insurance for workers in businesses with delayed social insurance payments. Additionally, they promptly propose and provide recommendations to relevant ministries and agencies to safeguard the rightful interests of these workers as prescribed by regulations. In cases where it is necessary to provide benefits to workers in active businesses with cyclical delayed payments mentioned above, the basic principle is that all units adhere to the regulations and resolve them promptly.

Creating conditions to resolve and ensure the rights of workers in accordance with the law (illustration image)

Furthermore, the VSS is also attentive to resolving and ensuring the rights of employees in units that have gone bankrupt or dissolved. Out of a total of 206,468 workers in bankrupted units, units undergoing dissolution, non-operational units, and units without legal representatives (where the owner has fled), as of now, the Social Security agency has resolved the following schemes: 30,241 employees have been provided with retirement, death, and one-time social insurance benefits; 34,575 employees have had their contribution periods confirmed and are currently on reserve; 77,627 employees have had their contribution periods confirmed and are continuing their participation in new units (using the VssID software application - a digital platform for mobile devices). For the remaining employees who meet the eligibility criteria for social insurance benefits, the Social Security agency will continue to process their cases to ensure the best possible rights and benefits for the employees as regudelayedd.

The issue of delayed social, health, and occupational accident insurance payments in units not only affects the rightful benefits of employees but also has an impact on social security work at the local level. In order to further strengthen the collection and recovery of delayed social, health, and occupational accident insurance payments at units, in addition to the determined efforts of VSS, strong involvement and responsibility from party committees and local authorities are crucial in terms of leadership, guidance, and raising awareness, consciousness, and responsibility of businesses in complying with the regulations on social and health insurance contributions within their respective jurisdictions. Local departments and agencies need to closely coordinate to regularly monitor the "health" status of businesses, strengthen inspections and audits, provide timely warnings, and take preventive measures to stop and prevent instances of delayed or evasive social insurance contributions. Through these efforts, the proactive and positive protection of employee rights can be ensured.