A general view of the meeting

At the meeting, leaders of the VSS’s Department of Internal Audit and Inspectorate Department reported the progress and results of implementing inspection conclusions and audit recommendations by the Government, and related ministries and sectors at VSS and social security offices in some localities over the past time. The VSS General Director requested that the units compile and timely submit reports to the inspection and audit agencies; concurrently, provide advice to the VSS leaders to direct social security offices in localities to rectify and resolve common difficulties.

Regarding the expansion of social insurance coverage, leaders of the Department of Social Insurance Book and Health Insurance Card said the progress has been facing many challenges due to the lackluster performance of businesses [post-pandemic]. Except health insurance, the number of people joining the compulsory and voluntary social insurance schemes is currently growing at a slower pace.

Addressing the working session, VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh asked relevant units to quickly analyse and forecast the national socio-economic and labour situations during the remaining months of the year to develop a proper scenario, setting specific targets and drastically working out solutions to increase the number of participants. The social security industry set targets to overcome all difficulties and be determined to fulfil all assigned objectives and set plans, especially to ensure over 93 per cent of population get access to health insurance.

He also called for increased communications and inspection and examination; close coordination with local authorities and bringing into full play the role of insurance premium collection bodies in the localities.

Currently, communications and customers’ conferences have proved effective in disseminating insurance policies as well as mobilising potential insurance participants. Nevertheless, VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh said there is an overlap between the two kinds of conferences, causing difficulties for the implementation of social insurance policies at district’s level. Therefore, he assigned relevant VSS’s units to study to clarify the purposes of these two conferences, which should be managed and organised by one body from the Central to local level. The events should also specify objectives and contents.

Regarding the IT application, VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh requested the Information Technology Centre to quickly carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the social security industry’s IT system, and propose tasks and investments in the coming time, satisfying requirements for the industry’s digital transformation and modernisation, keeping up with the trends and pace of IT development domestically and internationally.

The General Director also asked the Information Technology Centre to soon complete the upgrade the system of VSS’s business software; actively participate into developing business processes for units, implementing digitisation goals and providing 100 per cent of online public services; accelerate the progress of developing e-invoices and e-receipts; and continue to upgrade and improve features to automatically screen and completely resolve the issues of duplicate social insurance books and health insurance cards, among others.