Illustrative image (VSS)

The conference was also attended by representatives of leadership from some units under the VSS; representatives of the National Assembly Delegation, the provincial Party Committee Office, and the provincial People's Committee Office; members of the Steering Committee; leaders of districts, towns, and cities, and departments and organizations in the province; leaders of commune, ward, and township-level authorities; and representatives of authorized service organizations for collecting social insurance and health insurance premiums.

VSS Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu delivered a speech at the Conference

The coverage of social, health and unemployment insurance continues to expand and exceed the set targets

At the conference, the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee reported on the results of implementing policies and developing participants in social, health, and unemployment insurance in Tien Giang province in 2022. Tien Giang is part of the key economic region in the South. The estimated population in 2022 is 1.78 million people, with a labor force of 962,000 people. The province has 11 administrative units at the district level and 172 administrative units at the commune level, all of which have established the Steering Committee to implement social, health, and unemployment insurance policies. The province currently has 4 industrial parks (Soai Rap Petroleum Services, Long Giang, My Tho, Tan Huong) with about 92,000 workers and 5 industrial clusters (An Thanh, Gia Thuan 1, Song Thuan, Tan My Chanh, Trung An) with about 16,500 workers.

In 2022, the coverage of social, health, and unemployment insurance in Tien Giang province continued to expand and exceed the set targets: the health insurance coverage rate was 94.2% of the population; the social insurance coverage rate for the labor force in the working age group reached 31.3% (203,786 people participating in compulsory social insurance and 19,425 people participating in voluntary social insurance); and the number of people participating in unemployment insurance was 193,016. The total collection of social, health, and unemployment insurance premiums exceeded the assigned plan, reaching over 5.23 trillion dong. Particularly, the payment of social, health, and unemployment insurance benefits was carried out fully and timely, ensuring maximum benefits for participants.

However, alongside the achieved results, the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies and the development of participants in Tien Giang province in 2022 still faced some specific difficulties. Most businesses in Tien Giang are small and micro-sized, and they mainly employ family members, which has led to incomplete participation in social, health, and unemployment insurance for their employees. Many newly registered businesses only exist for a short time due to ineffective operations, leading to the situation where they are "no longer in the registered business location." The labor force in the working age group in Tien Giang in 2022 decreased significantly compared to the same period, with a decrease of over 142,000 people, which has had a considerable impact on developing participants in social, health, and unemployment insurance.

The work of developing participants in voluntary social insurance faced more difficulties and less favorable conditions due to policies that are not yet truly attractive. Regarding health insurance, people in households engaged in agriculture and fisheries are waiting for the state to increase support levels, while their incomes have decreased, leading to many households not renewing their health insurance or interrupting their participation.

At the conference, the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee also proposed some solutions to help facilitate the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies and the development of participants in Tien Giang province in 2023.

Replicating good practices and effective models

At the conference, the majority of delegates agreed that with the attention, leadership, and guidance of the VSS; the Party committees, authorities, and active coordination and support of relevant units, the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies has achieved many remarkable results, gaining increasing trust and satisfaction from people and businesses. Some presentations at the conference depicted in detail the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies in the area, while also suggesting some good practices and effective models that have been implemented in the past year, promising to bring high results in 2023.

According to the Head of the Commune Steering Committee (CSC) of An Thoi Trung (Cai Be district), in 2022, health insurance coverage reached over 97% of the population. This year, the target is set at 98%, so the committee has to urgently complete its tasks to further improve the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies. As of the end of Q1/2023, An Thoi Trung has covered over 94% of the population with health insurance.

Drawing lessons from 2021, where the health insurance target was not achieved due to the need to focus on COVID-19 prevention and control, the CSC of Cai Lay town stated that in 2022, they have been resolute in directing the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies. As a result, all targets related to social, health, and unemployment insurance were achieved. In particular, the application of the social, health, and unemployment insurance development model among party members' relatives and public servants has been effective.

Implementing synchronized solutions, and determined to successfully complete targets and tasks

VSS, Tran Dinh Lieu, recognized and highly appreciated the results that Tien Giang province has achieved in the fields of social, health, and unemployment insurance. He emphasized the importance of implementing social, health, and unemployment insurance policies, stating that "The figures in 2022 and Q1/2023 clearly reflect the efforts made in social, health, and unemployment insurance policies with many breakthroughs." The Deputy General Director emphasized.

Based on the results achieved, the leadership of the VSS proposed that the provincial-level and grassroots-level CSCs continue to pay attention and direct the implementation of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies to achieve even more results. The Deputy General Director also suggested that the CSCs study and recommend including targets for developing participants in social, health, and unemployment insurance in the province's socioeconomic development program, in order to achieve even higher effectiveness in implementing social, health, and unemployment insurance policies.

Furthermore, it was proposed that the provincial-level CSCs contribute their opinions to the amendment of the Law on Social Insurance, which will be issued in the near future, to ensure that it focuses more on employees and is more practical. The Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Giang Province, Nguyen Thanh Dieu, who is also the Head of the CSC, expressed his gratitude to the VSS for their continuous attention to the locality. The Head of the CSC also emphasized that Tien Giang Province is particularly concerned about developing participants in social, health, and unemployment insurance policies.

In light of this goal, Tien Giang Province is determined to complete the construction of new rural areas within its borders by 2025, which is closely linked to the field of social security, especially health insurance. Therefore, the Head of the CSC, Nguyen Thanh Dieu, requested that the local authorities continue to improve and innovate state management in the fields of social and health insurance. Members of the CSC should strengthen their coordination with clear quantitative targets and responsibilities. They should also enhance communication efforts to promote good policies and mobilize social resources to serve social security for vulnerable groups. Political and social organizations should strengthen their supervision in the field of social security and contribute to caring for the vulnerable by promoting community involvement.

On this occasion, the VSS and the People's Committee of Tien Giang Province awarded many individuals and collectives for their positive contributions to the work of social, health, and unemployment insurance policies./.