Over 340,000 employers informed about unemployment insurance payment reduction policy

At the conference, Chief Secretariat of the Vietnam Social Security Chu Manh Sinh said during the first nine months of 2021, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole sector tried to fulfill assigned tasks, ensure the interests of those participating in social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance and contribute to society’s efforts in pandemic prevention and control.

Illustrative image (internet)

Administrative reform, e-transaction and application of information technology were promoted, creating favourable conditions for participants to enjoy their benefits amid social distancing. Communication was enhanced, particularly via social media; inspection and examination in the field of social insurance and health insurance were conducted online, bringing positive results; and particularly, Government and Party policies supporting employees and employers in the field of social and health insurance have been resolutely implemented by the sector in a timely manner, contributing to help them overcome difficulties, he said.

However, challenges remained, according to Sinh. The number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants in the past nine months dropped in comparison with the last months of 2020 because many businesses went bankrupt or suspended operations, forcing many workers to lose jobs or have their work suspended. Besides, a large number of employees decided to leave big cities in the southern area for their hometowns due to difficulties, which means they left the labour market and stopped participating in social and health insurance.

Illustrative image (internet)

Although the number of people participating in social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance in September tended to increase again in comparison with August when the pandemic was temporarily put under control and business and production activities gradually resumed, the task to increase the number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants of Viet Nam Social Security remains a big challenge, requiring great efforts and determination to fulfil the set targets.

Addressing the meeting, directors of the Việt Nam Social Security branches in Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Hải Phòng reported the implementation of their tasks in the past nine months.

They all faced difficulties in collecting insurance premiums and developing the number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In that context, they resolutely implemented support policies of the National Assembly and the Government to help employees and employers overcome difficulties and restore production, particularly the policy to support employees and employers from the Unemployment Insurance Fund as regulated by Government Resolution No 116/NQ-CP and the Prime Minister’s Decision No 28/2021/QĐ-TTg which took effect from October 1, 2021.

These localities said they basically completed the reduction of payment to the Unemployment Insurance Fund from one to zero percent for local employers as of October 4 and reported that workers who faced difficulties received financial assistance from the fund.

Do Ngoc Tho, Head of the Department of Social Insurance Policy Implementation of Viet Nam Social Security, said as of October 4, Viet Nam Social Security branches in localities informed more than 340,000 employers about the reduction of unemployment insurance payment for 12 months (from October 1, 2021) for around 9.64 million employees with an estimated amount of VND7.6 trillion. And 7,228 employees received financial assistance worth over VND20.6 billion.

Ensuring targets and work progress in the last months

At the meeting, delegates also defined tasks and targets for the last three months of the year.

Viet Nam Social Security Director General Manh said the COVID-19 pandemic was still complicated and unpredictable, seriously affecting many aspects of daily life, particularly employment, living conditions and incomes of employees as well as production and business activities of enterprises. In that context, to help tackle difficulties, the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, localities and sectors have impllemented many measures to support employees and employers to overcome difficulties and stabilise production and business activities and people’s lives.

Viet Nam Social Security has actively and proactively coordinated with ministries, agencies and localities to consult on and build policies to support employees and employers affected by the pandemic and implement these policies safely and effectively in a timely manner, including the building of the Resolution No 68/NQ-CP and Decision No 23/2021/QĐ-TTg about a number of policies supporting employees and employers facing difficulties due to COVID-19, and Resolution No 116/NQ-CP and Decision No 28/2021/QĐ-TTg about assisting employees and employers from the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Besides, in the context of the pandemic and social distancing, Viet Nam Social Security has promoted digital transformation and the application of information technology to help facilitate the sector’s operation and better serve insurance participants.

In the last three months of the year, Manh asked the whole sector to continue following the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister and real situation to build appropriate measures to adapt to the pandemic and fulfil set targets and tasks of 2021. It is necessary to resolutely, promptly and effectively implement support policies for employers and employees. 

In the last three months, the sector will focus on collection to reduce insurance premium debts and developing the number of insurance participants and have measures to support and mobilise employees to take part in insurance.

The sector will also tighten management over payment for participants’short-term social insurance interests and unemployment allowance; strengthening control over health examination and treatment using health insurance at health establishments, ensuring participants’ interests; continue to expand the provision of online public services at the level 4; completing functions of the VssID app; build and complete the master plan on digital transformation; and improve information dissemination about support policies as well as the role and benefits of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance amid the pandemic.