The Ha Noi Social Security:

Over 1.4 million workers in Ha Noi have benefited from the Government’s relief package worth VND26 trillion. Near-poor households were provided with financial assistance to overcome difficulties during the lockdown periods.

As of July 28, the Ha Noi Social Security decided to suspend payments into the retirement and death gratuity funds of social insurance for 11 businesses and 726 workers worth over VND3.5 billion.

Besides, Ha Noi Social Security also decided to reduce payments into the labour accident and occupational disease insurance funds for 87,440 businesses with 1,436,865 workers worth a total of over VND48.6 billion.

Director of Ha Noi Social Security Nguyen Duc Hoa said Ha Noi Social Security completed procedures to suspend contributions into the labour accident and occupational disease insurance funds for 87,472 firms with 1,439,694 workers during the period from July 2021 to June 2022 with a total amount of over VND643 billion.

Illustrative image (source: internet)

Apart from support policies relating to social insurance and unemployment insurance for workers and businesses who are facing difficulties caused by COVID-19, Ha Noi Social Security also pays attention to pandemic-related medical check-up and treatment activities covered by health insurance.

Hoa said Ha Noi Social Security has fully implemented guidelines and direction from Viet Nam Social Security and the Ministry of Health to pay for health check-up and treatment and testing relating to COVID-19; and coordinated with the municipal Department of Health to deal with emerging problems, ensuring patients’ interests. The Ha Noi Social Security installed VssID app for 3,522,913 people, creating favourable conditions for people to undergo health check-up and treatment covered by health insurance.

However, Hoa said, during the implementation process, Ha Noi Social Security also encountered some difficulties in paying for health check-up and treatment expenses relating to COVID-19. Therefore, Ha Noi Social Security proposed to have guidance on identifying COVID-19 treatment expenses for specific cases.

Binh Duong Social Security:

Binh Duong Social Security said over 14,300 units and businesses with more than one million workers are eligible to get reduction of payments into the labour accident and occupational disease insurance fund with a total amount of over VND393 billion.

According to Director of Binh Duong Social Security Le Minh Ly, the Government’s Resolution No 68 and the Prime Minister’s Decision No 23/QĐ-TTg demonstrated the Government’s motto of leaving no one behind during the pandemic. There are seven out of 12 support policies relating to social insurance and unemployment insurance for employers and employees who are facing difficulties, including reduction of payments into the labour accident and occupational disease insurance funds; suspension of payment into the retirement and death gratuity funds; vocational training support to help maintain jobs for workers; and supporting employers to get loans and pay salaries for workers whose contracts were suspended due to the pandemic.

In order to soon implement support policies for those affected by COVID-19, Binh Duong Social Security has coordinated with competent agencies to consult the provincial People’s Committee to issue a Document on the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No 68 and Prime Minister’s Decision No 23.

Accordingly, Binh Duong Social Security established a steering committee to consult and guide employers and issued a document on July 14 on the implementation of some policies such as suspension of payments into the retirement and death gratuity funds and reduction of payments for labour accident and occupational disease insurance. It asked social security agencies of districts and communes to create conditions and reduce time to carry out related administrative procedures to help employers and employees soon get support.

Binh Duong Social Security has provided support for 14,359 firms with 1,011,449 workers who are obliged to contribute to the labour accidents and occupational disease insurance funds with total financial assistance worth VND393 billion.

It has also implemented other relief policies for employers and employees such as supporting those workers whose contracts were temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, or those who had to stop working due to quarantine or isolation requirements; and supporting employers to get loans to pay salaries for workers and resume operation.

Long An Social Security:

Despite difficulties caused by COVID-19, the Social Security of Long An Province has actively implemented the Government’s Resolution 68 on supporting businesses and workers who face difficulties due to the pandemic. The province has so far reduced contributions to the labour accident and occupational disease insurance funds for 5,237 units and businesses with 296,119 workers worth over VND104 billion.

In order to implement the Government’s Resolution 68, the provincial People’s Committee on July 12 issued a decision which confirmed the policy to suspend payments into the retirement and death gratuity funds for businesses and assigned the provincial Social Security to implement the policy.

Long An Social Security established a steering committee with the aim of carrying out Resolution 68 effectively.

The provincial Social Security immediately informed local businesses of the support policies and guided them on related process and procedures, according to director of the Binh Duong Social Security Tran Son.

It also asked social insurance agencies to simplify administrative procedures to help businesses and workers soon benefit from the policies./.