The effort to ensure social security

In the first eight months of 2020, the social insurance industry has achieved a number of results, specifically: In terms of the number of participants, the whole country has 15.3 million participants in social insurance, reaching 31.2% of the workforce in the age group; 12.81 million people participated in unemployment insurance, reaching a rate of about 26% compared to the workforce in the age group. The number of people participating in health insurance is 86.42 million people, reaching 89.2% of the population. The total revenue reached 60.34% compared to the plan.

The whole industry has closely coordinated with relevant departments and agencies to promptly support units in overcoming the damage caused by the epidemic; promptly appraise dossiers and settle the suspension of contribution to the retirement and survivorship fund for enterprises affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. (According to the report of the social security agencies of provinces and cities as of September 2020, 954 units have been approved to temporarily suspend payment to the fund, corresponding to 79,522 employees), etc.

Speaking at the Conference, General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh commented, in the first eight months of 2020, the whole industry has proactively and closely followed the direction and administration solutions of the Government and the Prime Minister; closely coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies to perfect the system of policies and laws on social insurance and health insurance; actively coordinated with Party committees and local authorities at all levels in implementing tasks; well performed the settlement of the regimes of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance for the participants; applied various measures to develop beneficiaries, reducing debts of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance; managed and utilized the social insurance and health insurance fund in accordance with the law.

The reform of administrative procedures and the application of information technology in management have been promoted, in which the operating modes are renewed in the direction of quick and timely payment, ensuring the benefits of participants. They gradually conducted transparency, publicity and strengthening the management of curative care activities in order to limit and prevent self-seeking purposes from the health care fund of health insurance; consolidated the organizational structure of social insurance at all levels; improved the capacity of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees in the entire industry; expanded international cooperation to step by step modernize the management system of social insurance and health insurance.

In addition to the achieved results, the Conference also spent most of the time discussing and sharing difficulties and shortcomings in implementing policies on social insurance and health insurance nationwide. Accordingly, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, units and businesses had to narrow their production and business or temporarily suspend operations, and unemployed workers had to quit their jobs, etc., leading to a decline in the number of participants in social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance; a decrease in the collection amount of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance; a rise in the debt of social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance.

The status of outstanding debts and late payment of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums of some employers is still common; and the ratio of outstanding debt remains high. The abuse and profiting from social insurance and unemployment insurance funds still occur in some localities and units, which especially has a tendency to increase due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, such as: faking documents; buying, selling and over-issuing papers, making false declarations for entitlement dossiers, collecting and selling social insurance books for self-seeking purposes.

Overview image of the briefing conference in September 2020

In order to overcome these difficulties and shortcomings, key groups of tasks and solutions for the whole industry were set out at the Conference to drastically implement and focus on in the last months of 2020, including:

1. Continue to effectively implement the tasks assigned in the resolutions of the Party and the Government in the field of social insurance and health insurance.

2. Continue to closely coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in completing the system of policies and laws on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance; complete documents, regulations and instructions for implementation in the entire Industry of the project named "To renovate and rearrange the organizational structure of Vietnam Social Security in a streamlined, effective and efficient manner".

3. The provincial and municipal social security agencies to actively be in an advisory capacity for the Municipal Party Committee and Provincial Party Committee to issue a directive to strengthen the leadership and direction of the work of social insurance and health insurance in the locality; continue to review data provided by tax authorities to exploit and develop participants of social insurance and health insurance.

4. To continue timely implement the instructions of the Government and the Prime Minister on the tasks and solutions to support enterprises and people facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 epidemic; elaborate and implement operating plans and scenarios to ensure the comprehensive completion of the Industry's targets, tasks and plans by 2020.

5. To continue coordinating with ministries, branches, mass organizations, society, news agencies and press agencies to comprehensively renovate contents and forms of propagation and dissemination of policies and laws on social insurance and health insurance.

6. Regularly inspect, supervise and promote the social insurance bodies of the provinces or cities in the implementation of the plan and estimate of revenues and expenditures, and to develop the subjects of social insurance, unemployment insurance and health insurance assigned in 2020; conduct proactive extraordinary specialized inspection for businesses with debt of 03 months or more and units that have not paid or fully paid for the employees.

7. To coordinate with the postal service in closely managing beneficiaries and renewing modes of service and payment through public service organizations; promote non-cash payments under the direction of the Government. Strictly manage the payment of short-term social insurance regimes, lump-sum subsidies and unemployment insurance benefits; strengthen and proactively control medical care costs covered by health insurance in medical facilities, ensuring the correct implementation of the estimates assigned by the Government in 2020.

8. Continue to promote administrative reform and effectively deploy a multi-media interaction system between people and businesses; expand the provision of online public services at level 3 and 4, integrating interconnection to provide public services under the jurisdiction of the Industry on the National Public Service Portal.

9. Continue to perfect the national insurance database under the Prime Minister's decisions; complete the infrastructure, centralized database system, and professional software of the Industry.

10. Strengthen the administrative discipline, official ethics, code of conduct of civil servants, public employees and workers; maximize the features and effects of the document management system and administration and the professional software of the industry, ensuring improvements in the quality and efficiency of processing and solving the work of units and public officials and employees in the whole industry./.