The conference was chaired by the Director General of Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen The Manh and Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Luong Quoc Doan. Attendees included Deputy Director General of VSS Dao Viet Anh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Nguyen Xuan Dinh, and leaders of units affiliated with the two agencies.

Overview of the conference

On July 14, 2022, the Vietnam Farmers' Union and the VSS signed the Coordination Mechanism Regulation No. 04/QCPH-HND-BHXH for the period 2022-2025. Over the past 2 years, the two agencies have implemented many specific activities and achieved positive results.

The implementation of the coordination mechanism between VSS and the Vietnam Farmers' Union has been actively conducted in accordance with the agreed plan, content, and form; helping the two agencies to establish a close coordination relationship, leverage each other's strengths in implementing communication activities on social insurance policies and laws, thereby contributing to raising awareness of members and farmers about social insurance policies and laws in general, and voluntary social insurance and health insurance for families in particular, thereby actively and voluntarily participating.

Representatives of the Vietnam Farmers' Union reported on the coordination results at the conference

With diverse and flexible communication forms, there has been a clear change in the perception and actions of union officials at all levels regarding the role, responsibilities, as well as the purpose and significance of participating in voluntary social insurance and health insurance. At the same time, it has spread widely among union members and farmers about the humanitarian values and advantages of social insurance policies, contributing to building deep trust in the society about the social security policies of the Party and the State in general, and social insurance and health insurance policies in particular.

At the Central level, the Vietnam Farmers' Union and the VSS have cooperated to organize 43 dialogues and consultations on voluntary social insurance and health insurance policies with farmers in 43 districts and towns of 18 provinces and cities, with the participation of nearly 9,460 union officials and farmer members.

At the conference, leaders of some units affiliated with the Vietnam Farmers' Union and the VSS presented reports, provided additional information, and clarified prominent results; at the same time, they pointed out some existing issues in coordination work and proposed directions for future tasks.

Director General Nguyen The Manh's delivering a speech at the conference

Speaking at the conference, Manh congratulated the Vietnam Farmers' Union on the achievements they have made in 2023, which have been highly appreciated by the Government and the Prime Minister. Among these notable results, the coordination between the Union and VSS has also achieved many positive outcomes. The collaboration between the two agencies has become increasingly close, contributing significantly to the outstanding achievements of the VSS sector. Among them, there is the development of participant coverage, with health insurance coverage reaching 93.35% of the population, and social insurance participants reaching 39.25% of the labor force in the working age. Regarding health insurance participants, a large number are households engaged in agriculture, as well as many farmers participating in voluntary social insurance.

Based on the results achieved, in the coming time, Director General Nguyen The Manh proposed that the coordination between the Vietnam Farmers' Union and VSS be further strengthened and expanded in various aspects; closely following the targets and tasks set forth in the Resolutions of the Party, Government, and National Assembly regarding social insurance and health insurance policies, thereby translating them into specific programs and coordinated plans between the two sectors for implementation, especially in the development of voluntary social insurance participants and household health insurance, which still have significant potential among the farmer population.

Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Luong Quoc Doan's delivering a speech at the conference

Speaking at the conference, Doan assessed that the results achieved in the coordination work between the two sectors in the past time have been very practical. The coordination work has closely followed the Party's and Government's guidelines and policies on implementing social security policies; including the effective implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies for farmers.

Regarding the construction of the Project "Enhancing the Role of the Vietnam Farmers' Union in Propagating and Mobilizing Farmers to Participate in Voluntary Social Insurance and Household Health Insurance for the Period 2023 - 2030", Doan expressed his hope that VSS will actively participate more in perfecting this important Project. This is the foundation for the coordination work between the Union and VSS to reach new heights in the coming time.

Regarding coordination work in 2024 and the following years, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union stated that the Union will focus on innovating communication activities on social insurance and health insurance policies for farmers, tailored to each region, production conditions, economic situations, and religious beliefs.

With the results achieved and the direction of future tasks, the leadership of VSS and the Vietnam Farmers' Union are confident that the coordination work between the two sectors will improve further, with more farmers participating in health insurance and voluntary social insurance, thereby contributing alongside the Party and the State in implementing social security policies and stabilizing the country's political and social situation./.