The heads of some units of the VSS also attended the meeting.

By the end of June 2022, the number of social insurance participants in the province was 146,210, accounting for 28.89 per cent of the labour force, including 127,749 people participating in compulsory social insurance, equivalent to 25.24 per cent; 18,461 people participating in voluntary social insurance, equivalent to 3.65 per cent; and 1,144,762 people participating in health insurance, raising the health insurance coverage to 99.2 per cent of the province’s population.

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh speaks at the meeting

In the first half of 2022, the provincial Social Insurance agency dealt with 406 documents to provide monthly allowance and one-time social insurance allowance for 5,600 people; provided short-term allowance for 61,500 people; paid retirement pension and monthly social insurance allowance for 32,300 people; and provided unemployment allowance for 3,800 people. The Social Insurance agency signed contracts on health examination and treatment covered by health insurance with 43 local health establishments. Total payment for health examination and treatment covered by health insurance in the past six months was VND1 trillion, down 3.2 per cent in comparison with the same period last year.

The province continued to disseminate information and encourage people to install the VssID app. By June 20, 280,847 people had registered to use the app.

Regarding the provision of support for workers from the unemployment insurance fund following the Government Resolution No 116, the provincial Social Insurance approved support for 105,407 eligible people with a total fund of VND259.2 billion and already paid VND233.96 billion worth of support for 96,700 people.

Director of Thua Thien Hue Province Social Insurance Nguyen Viet Dung speaks at the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, director of Thua Thien Hue Social Insurance Nguyen Viet Dung said in the first six months of the year, the social insurance sector has strived to fulfil all assigned tasks successfully. However, there are still difficulties in developing voluntary social insurance participants. The number of voluntary social insurance participants dropped in comparison with 2021 as a result of the increase in voluntary social insurance payment rates from 2022. At the same time, people faced many difficulties caused by natural disasters and diseases so they could not continue to participate in social insurance.

The number of health insurance participants also dropped slightly in comparison with 2021.

Concluding the working session, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh appreciated the achievements made by the province's Social Insurance agency. However, he noted that one of the difficulties facing the province is developing sustainable social security targets.

He urged the province to continue promoting their solidarity and determination to ensure social security in the future.

Regarding orientations and tasks for the future, Director General Manh asked the province Social Insurance Agency to focus on consulting and coordinating in implementing related policies with relevant agencies and departments and provincial authorities.

It is necessary to assign each commune and ward specific targets for developing social insurance and health insurance participants, he said.

He also pointed to the need to enhance information dissemination to encourage more people to participate in social insurance.

In order to expand health insurance coverage, it is necessary to keep the current rate of 99.2 per cent of participants while continuing to disseminate information to mobilise people to continue to take part in health insurance.

The provincial Social Insurance Agency also needs to continue consulting the provincial People’s Council to issue policies supporting people to take part in social insurance and health insurance; speed up administrative reforms and application of information technology; improve efficiency in controlling health examination and treatment fees covered by health insurance; ensure the interests of participants; strengthen inspection to prevent violations; and strictly punish violators in line with current regulations.

He instructed the provincial Social Insurance Agency to increase information dissemination and guide people to register online transactions; and encourage people to use the VssID app on their mobile devices./.