Politburo member Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue hailed robust achievements made by the Vietnam Social Securities (VSS) in 2017 at a meeting with the VSS on January 4.

The working session saw the participation of Vice Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Sy Hiep, Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Quan, Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan, VSS Director General Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Minh, VSS Deputy Directors-General Nguyen Dinh Khuong, Pham Luong Son, Tran Dinh Lieu, and Dao Viet Anh, and others.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue delivers speech at the meeting (Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

Deputy PM Hue expressed his impression at the total amount of social insurance premium collection in the year, which was estimated at over 290 trillion VND (12.8 billion USD) - the highest number since 2007 when the Law on Social Insurance took effect.

According to a report presented by VSS Deputy Director Pham Luong Son, 13.9 million people joined social insurance (0.8 percent higher than the assigned figure), 79.9 million people held health insurance cards (2.1 percent higher than the assigned number), and some 11.4 million people participated in unemployment insurance scheme.

The sector also worked to curb the corrupt use of health insurance, making significant contributions to ensuring social security and promoting the nation’s socio-economic development. The VSS spent 270 billion VND (11.9 million USD) on payment of social, health and unemployment insurance. Frequent inspections helped social insurance debts stand below 3 percent, the lowest level ever and down 0.8 percent from 2016. Health insurance coverage accounted for 86.4 percent of the population, 2.1 percent higher than target assigned by the Prime Minister.

The VSS reaped a fruitful year thanks to its efforts to renovate administrative procedures, apply information and technology in management as well as effectively implement online public services, Deputy PM Hue noticed.

In 2017, the sector ranked second among 25 ministries and governmental agencies that provide online public services in the ratings of Vietnam ICT Index 2017. Breakthroughs were seen in building database for the sector, completing health insurance medical information system and effective management of health insurance fund.

The VSS also worked to simplify administrative procedures, cutting the number of required procedures from 32 to 28, he said, adding that this helped Vietnam move up 14 places to rank 68^th among 190 countries in the 15^th edition of the World Bank’s Doing Business 2018 report. “The outcomes are very impressive.” Deputy PM Hue said, adding “The social security sector has accomplished excellently the tasks assigned by the Party and State.”

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue visits VSS’s IT operating centre (Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

The VSS must enhance inspections and join hands with relevant agencies to ensure transparency and prevent health insurance fraud, he noted. He pointed out that coverage of social insurance in the country only stood at 29 percent of the total population, far below the Party Central Committee Resolution 21-NQ/TW’s set target of 50 percent by 2020, and asked the VSS to channel efforts into increasing the number of participants and branching out social insurance fund.

The VSS should join hands with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security to ensure transparent bidding for medicines covered by health insurance as well as other medical commodities, Hue noticed.

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue is introduced to the health insurance medical information system (Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

As social insurance and health insurance are the two key pillars in the national social welfare, contributing to ensuring social security for people, the VSS should work towards creating a professional, transparent, reliable and efficient system helping spread social and health insurance coverage to all people, Hue stressed.

At the meeting, representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance also lauded the VSS’s sound results in the year. They said that they will join hands with the VSS to carry out tasks assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Quan addresses the meeting (Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

On behalf of the VSS, VSS Director General Nguyen Thi Minh pledged to coordinate with relevant agencies and ministries to accomplish missions. The VSS will promote IT application, further reforms of administrative procedures and improve services for local people to build a modern and professional social security sector.
 

VSS General Director Nguyen Thi Minh acquires directions at the event (Source: Viet Nam Social Security)

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