Participants included Deputy Chair Commissioner of the VSS Board of Commissioners Nguyen Van Cuong; Deputy Directors General of the VSS Tran Dinh Lieu, Dao Viet Anh and Chu Manh Sinh; heads of VSS agencies and leaders of social security offices of provinces and cities.

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh chairs the meeting

Key targets keep increasing

At the meeting, the Chief of the VSS Administration Office reported on the results of tasks of the social security industry in the first three months of 2023. During the period, the social security industry actively and proactively coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies in building and amending draft laws, draft decrees and circulars relating to the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies such as the Law on Social Insurance, the amended Law on Health Insurance and a draft decree on regulations about voluntary work accident insurance as well as building and completing documents and reports to submit to the National Assembly, the Government and ministries and sectors.

The VSS issued documents guiding its units such as the action plan to implement the master plan on developing the application of the population database, e-identification and e-authentication for national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030; and an internal audit plan for 2023. The industry has also sped up administrative reform, the application of information technology and digital transformation. Tasks relating to collection, inspection, examination, finance, accounting, communications and settling social insurance benefits for participants have gained positive results.

Regarding key targets, as of April 3, 2023, there were 17.1 million social insurance participants nationwide, up by 659,000 people in comparison with the same period of 2022. Of the total, voluntary social insurance participants totalled 1.404 million, up 123,000 people. The number of unemployment insurance participants reached over 14 million, a year-on-year increase of 568,000 people. The number of health insurance participants reached more than 89.9 million, a year-on-year rise of 4.574 million people.

Total collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums amounted to over VND104.5 trillion, a year-on-year rise of VND11.026 trillion. 

Representatives of the VSS attend the meeting

Apart from achievements, leaders of social security offices of some localities such as Dong Nai, Bac Giang, Binh Dinh, Dong Thap, Ha Tinh, HCM City and Hanoi mentioned difficulties and obstacles in implementing social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies in 2023 and proposed solutions to fulfill assigned targets and tasks.

Speaking at the meeting, leaders of VSS units assessed, discussed and suggested measures to help social security offices of localities tackle difficulties.

Director of the VSS Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card Duong Van Hao said most of the key targets of the industry increased but still failed to meet expectations. The number of compulsory social insurance participants, voluntary social insurance participants and health insurance participants of some localities declined. He asked localities to closely follow guidance from the VSS, build implementation plans from the beginning of the year, consult local authorities to assign quotas for each district and commune and to issue support policies. Particularly, localities need to urgently complete steering committees on implementing social insurance and health insurance policies at commune and district levels.

To develop compulsory social insurance, Hao instructed social security offices of localities to pay attention to reviewing data from the tax sector, coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to get information about workers in their localities, focus communication on potential groups of participants such as kindergarten teachers and contracted employees at organisations and unions.

To develop voluntary social insurance and self-paid health insurance, he asked social security offices of localities to regularly send lists of participants whose payment is due to collection service organizations to inform and mobilise the participants to pay; as well as develop communication products in line with each locality’s conditions.

Participants at the meeting

Regarding health insurance, Director of the VSS Department of Health Insurance Implementation Le Van Phuc briefed on the building of policies and amendments to some regulations about medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance as well as guide and answer questions about some issues relating to forecasts and payment for medical examination and treatment fees covered by health insurance.

Director of the VSS Department of Social Insurance Implementation Do Ngoc Tho asked social security offices of localities to pay attention to amending the Law on Social Insurance following guidance from the VSS.

Concerning communications, Director of the VSS Information and Communication Center Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong proposed social security offices of localities enhance providing information about issues of public concern, including the amendments to the Law on Social Insurance; prepare plans for the communication campaign about social insurance for the whole population in May; and call for businesses and donors to present social insurance books and health insurance cards to disadvantaged people in their localities.

Enhancing measures to increase collection and reduce debts

Speaking at the meeting, VSS Deputy Director Generals assessed tasks and targets of the industry and provided guidance for VSS professional units and social security offices of localities.

VSS Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu speaks at the meeting

VSS Deputy Director General Tran Dinh Lieu said the industry is facing difficulties in collection and participant development tasks due to the impacts of the economy and policy changes that required social security offices of localities to strive harder in carrying out these tasks. He asked social security offices of localities to closely follow data from the tax sector to find businesses that needed communication and advocacy as well as consult provincial leaders to assign quotas of participant development for districts and communes.   

VSS Deputy Director General Chu Manh Sinh asked professional units and social security offices of localities to enhance coordination in implementing data connection via the VSS infrastructure; set up working groups to implement the Government Plan 06; and speed up the digitalisation of dossiers and documents in line with Government regulations.

Concluding the meeting, VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh spoke highly of the achievements of the industry in the first three months of the year.

However, he noted that, production and trade activities of the country in the first quarter of the year faced many difficulties. The number of newly established enterprises dropped and was lower than the number of businesses that withdrew from the market. These factors would have huge impacts on the labour market and the implementation of the social security industry’s tasks.

In that context, VSS Director General Manh asked the whole industry to closely follow policies and guidelines of the Party, National Assembly and Government about social insurance and health insurance policies; coordinate with relevant ministries in building and completing related laws, particularly in contributing opinions to the amendments of the Law on Social Insurance.

VSS Director General Nguyen The Manh speaking at the meeting

He asked social security offices of localities to closely follow the situation of each locality and mobilise the involvement of authorities at all levels in implementing social insurance and health insurance policies; assign quotas for each ward and commune to ensure sustainable growth. In developing participants, it is necessary to review and assess data, find reasons and propose solutions; and continue to review tax data and strengthen supervision and inspection to find and strictly punish violators.

He required the whole industry to promote communication tasks, focusing on forecasts and closely follow socio-economic changes and development of the labour market to have appropriate plans and scenarios. It is also necessary to enhance communication and mobilise people to install and use the VssID application.

It is vital to ensure the interests of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance participants, he said.

He urged the whole industry to continue promote administrative reform, application of information technology and digital transformation as well as implement the Government Plan 06./.