Sharing the results achieved, Nguyen Thuy Anh - Chairwoman of the NA's Committee for Social Affairs said, with the spirit of innovation and quality improvement of legislative activities, the Committee has made great efforts in appraising law projects according to regulations. In particular, 2021 is the second year since the Covid-19 pandemic appeared in Vietnam, and as soon as the Government issued Report No. 260/TTr-CP and Report No. 262/TTr-CP proposing a number of measures on epidemic prevention and control measures, the Committee has coordinated with a number of NA's Committees to verify and report to the NA Standing Committee and the NA for consideration and comments at the first session of the 15th NA.

On the basis of the verification report of the Committee for Social Affairs and the NA's Committees, at the first session, the NA passed Resolution 30/2021/QH15, which required the Government and the Prime Minister, all levels, sectors and localities to actively follow the actual situation, continue to strengthen more drastic and effective solutions to well control the Covid-19 epidemic. The NA has always accompanied the Government to implement solutions for socio-economic recovery, ensure political security, social order and safety, in order to soon create a source of vaccines for the entire population, and create community immunity. Specifically, financial, economic, and social security solutions, especially health measures such as "vaccine diplomacy", facilitation for research and production of domestic vaccines, simplifying procedures for importing vaccines, etc.; promulgation of numerous mechanisms and policies to invest in human and material resources for the prevention of Covid-19.

Immediately after that, the Government launched a support package of VND 26,000 billion to support employees without labor contracts (i.e. freelance workers) and a number of other specific subjects. Afterward, the whole country has tens of millions of people benefiting from the policy. Then, Resolution 03/2021/UBTVQH15 on policies to support employees and employers affected by the Covid-19 epidemic from the unemployment insurance fund was reviewed and approved by the NA Standing Committee at two urgent meetings and almost immediately came to life, agreed and highly appreciated by businesses, employees and people.

The support package worth 38,000 billion VND was completed within 1.5 months. The implementation of this package has helped businesses partially save costs, and employees have been assisted in the context of the epidemic. “Up to now, the whole country has nearly 13 million employees receiving support from the unemployment insurance fund. Employees and employers are very excited, as the support packages came at the right time, helping the unit have more funds to maintain production and business activities, and employees have more expenses to cover their lives. Thereby, it clearly shows the humanity and preeminence of the social and unemployment insurance policies, further reinforcing the confidence of employees in the welfare policy of the Party and the State." - Nguyen Thuy Anh affirmed.

Chairwoman of the NA's Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh (source: Internet)

According to Anh, 2022 is an important year, creating a foundation for the implementation of the goals of the 5-year socio-economic development plan of 2021-2025. Therefore, in the medical field as well as in other areas of life, drastic changes would be in need. During the 14th tenure, the Committee for Social Affairs developed, completed and reported to the Party Committee of the 14th NA with regard to the "The scheme of institutionalizing the Party's resolution on social policies and further tasks in the coming time”. This is an early and remote preparation of the Committee and along with the requirements set out in the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the Committee has developed its direction and tasks in 2022 and the following years.

Regarding legislative work, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the Party's viewpoint on economic development associated with social progress and justice, ensuring human rights and basic rights and obligations of citizens according to the 2013 Constitution in policy making and law making. In particular, it is required to focus on the implementation of social policies and management of social development in line with the goals of ensuring social security and enhancing the enjoyment of comprehensive social welfare; also, continue to complete the review and implementation of a number of laws such as: Law on Trade Union, Law on Social Insurance, Law on Employment, Law on People's Health Protection, Law on Medical Treatment, Law on Health Insurance, etc.

In addition, it is needed to conduct thematic supervision, survey the implementation of the Law on Medical Treatment, the Law on Health Insurance, the Law on the Elderly, the Law on Persons with Disabilities, the Labor Code, the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Employment, the Law on Occupational Safety and Health, the Law on Vietnamese employees working abroad under contracts, etc. “At the same time, it is crucial to link monitoring and surveying activities with legislative activities, shift the focus from prioritizing legislation to strengthening law enforcement organizations; promptly detect, recommend and propose provisions of the law or ordinance that are not suitable for study, amendment, supplement or annulment; actively monitor, survey and detect problems arising in society, promptly propose institutional and policy reforms, solving solutions, and ensure social security.” Anh emphasized./.