They include suspending payments to retirement and survivor funds; assisting employees to suspend labour contracts or leave jobs without payment; and loan applications for employers to pay wages for workers asking for leave.

Following a resolution on building e-Government, the VSS has made efforts in reforming administrative procedures, applying information technology and modernising the administrative system, looking towards developing e-Government in the social security sector.

The agency has reviewed and simplified the sector’s administrative procedures to integrate more online services on the nation’s and sector’s portals with an aim to improve service quality for the benefit of people and businesses.

The service portal of the VSS has provided 19 out of 27 online services at levels 3 and 4. From the beginning of this year to August 31, the agency has received and resolved 52.7 million electronic transaction records of more than 500,000 employers and more than 7,000 individuals.

As of August 31, 2020, the social security agency has received and processed nearly 3,500 applications from people and businesses through the National Public Service Portal.

Among those, there have been 1,499 dossiers applying for reissuing damaged or lost health insurance cards; 925 online payments (extension of health insurance cards of households; payment of voluntary social security insurance) and 838 applications from people and enterprises affected by COVID-19 asking for support.

Among 838 applications related to COVID-19, the agency has approved nearly 300 applications. Many applications were listed to be invalid mainly due to incorrect information in the unit’s code or code of the social security agency.

The VSS has returned invalid applications and provided detailed instructions so enterprises can fix the mistakes.

The VSS has also put into operation the social security online collection and payment system which is integrated into professional software for automatic accounting. The move follows the Prime Minister’s order on strengthening non-cash transactions.

It is estimated that on average, in first six months of 2020, the number of people receiving monthly pensions and social security allowances through ATM accounts in urban areas reached 28 per cent of receivers, increasing by 4 per cent compared to that of the same period last year.

The number of people receiving one-time social security allowances via ATM accounts in urban areas nationwide hit 44 per cent of receivers on average, a 7 per cent year-year increase.

As many as 69 per cent of unemployment allowance receivers received the allowance through the ATM system, up 16 per cent compared to results achieved in the same period last year.

According to the Vietnam Post, more than 3.1 million people received monthly pensions and social security allowances in August with more than VND14 trillion paid. Among that, more than VND4.1 billion was paid for about 730,000 people through personal ATM accounts.

In order to help people, reduce time and costs, the VSS continues to provide online services on the agency’s portal at https://dichvucong.baohiemxahoi.gov.vn.

Users can apply for basic services such as re-issuance of damaged or lost health insurance cards and allowances in different cases.

With non-stop efforts in recent years, in three consecutive years between 2017 and 2019, the VSS has maintained its leading position in the ranking of IT application among Government agencies. In the future, the agency will continue its efforts to work with ministries and localities to build e-Government, provide more services, helping reduce time, costs and satisfying organisations and individuals./.