Participants also included heads of units of the VSS and representatives from social insurance agencies of districts in Lao Cai Province.

Reporting at the meeting, Director of the Lao Cai Province’s Social Security Duong Minh Tan said Lao Cai Social Security has consulted with provincial authorities in managing and guiding the implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies; and proactively coordinated with local departments and agencies to effectively conduct social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies.

During the period, the province’s Social Security also strictly followed related directions and management of the VSS and provincial authorities; and took many measures to fulfill assigned tasks.

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh speaks at the meeting

Lao Cai Social Insurance has guided its units to build detailed plans and solutions to effectively carry out assigned tasks monthly and quarterly, focusing on developing the number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants, particularly voluntary social insurance participants and household health insurance participants.

It also launched movements to encourage its public cadres and employees to mobilise more people to participate in voluntary social insurance and household health insurance.

As a result, in the first eight months of 2022, Lao Cai Social Security developed an additional 59,593 social insurance participants and 685,060 health insurance participants. Collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance contribution reached VND1.1 trillion, equivalent to 58.9 per cent of the assigned target.

During the period, the Lao Cai Social Security paid a total of VND71.5 billion worth of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance benefits.

Director of Lao Cai Social Security Duong Minh Tan delivers a report at the meeting

In the first eight months of the year, the provincial Social Security inspected 140 units, equivalent to 76.9 per cent of the assigned target.

The agency has also continued to improve administrative reform, apply information technology and speed up digital transformation to better serve people and businesses.

Director of Lao Cai Social Security Duong Minh Tan said in the past eight months of the year, the whole social insurance industry of the province has made great efforts to fulfill assigned tasks.

However, difficulties and shortcomings remained, particularly in increasing the number of voluntary social insurance participants, due to the impacts of COVID-19 which has seriously affected both businesses and employees. 

Representatives from Lao Cai Social Insurance’s offices speak at the meeting

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh and representatives from VSS agencies listened to and put forward some measures to help tackle difficulties and obstacles facing the Lao Cai Social Security and social insurance agencies of districts and communes.

Accordingly, Lao Cai Social Security was suggested to comprehensively carry out solutions, including improving the efficiency of the collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance contribution; developing the number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants; enhancing the supervision and inspection to prevent businesses’ social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance debts.

Regarding health insurance, Head of the Health Insurance Policy Implementation Department of the VSS Le Van Phuc, said Lao Cai Social Security needs to use the health insurance fund for medical check-ups and treatment economically and effectively; and increase supervision to ensure the benefits of medical check-ups and treatment covered by health insurance for participants.

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh visits a one-door system of the Lao Cai Social Security

Concerning communications and development of participants, Director of the Communication Centre of the VSS Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong proposed the province’s Social Security speed up information dissemination about social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies and about the benefits of participants.

Attention should be paid to enhancing communication campaigns to develop the number of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants with the goal of mobilising an additional 2,000 participants.

Regarding inspection, Head of the Inspection and Examination Department of the VSS Lo Quan Hiep said Lao Cai Social Security should enhance unexpected disciplinary inspection and examination at those businesses showing signs of having social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance debts or abusing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies to illegally get benefits; and strictly punish violators.

A view of the meeting

Concluding the meeting, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh spoke highly of the results gained by Lao Cai Social Security.

Regarding orientations and tasks for the coming months, Manh asked Lao Cai Social Security to focus on consulting and coordinating with provincial authorities, departments and agencies in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies; speed up communication to raise local people’s awareness of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies; and consult with local authorities to issue policies to support people to participate in social insurance and health insurance.

The agency should also increase administrative reform and apply information technology, improve the efficiency of medical check-ups and treatment covered by health insurance to ensure benefits for participants and strengthen inspections over the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies and strictly punish violators./.