Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy receives citizens at regular August session

Overview of the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Ms. Hoang Thi Huong was a kindergarten teacher, working from September 1985 to October 1, 2020, then retired with a total working time of 35 years and 1 month. During that time, she worked as a teacher at Nghi Huong Kindergarten from September 1985 to August 1999 and from October 2004 to September 2020. From September 1999 to September 2004, she worked as a teacher at Nghi Hoa Kindergarten, Cua Lo town.

Previously, Nghi Huong Kindergarten where she worked belonged to Nghi Huong commune, Nghi Loc district. However, from August 29, 1994, it was separated to join with some other localities to establish Cua Lo town, which means changing from rural to urban area.

Meanwhile, according to state regulations, the calculation of working time before January 1, 1995 to enjoy social insurance for preschool teachers teaching in cities and towns and then being recruited into the state payroll, the working time to enjoy social insurance is from the time they became preschool teachers.

Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, Dien Bien block, Nghi Huong ward, Cua Lo town presented the petition. Photo: Thanh Duy

In the case of preschool teachers in rural areas or towns, the working time is counted for social insurance from the date of official recruitment. Meanwhile, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong was recruited by the People's Committee of Cua Lo town into the state payroll from September 1, 1997.

Along with that, based on the provisions of Joint Circular No. 09/1977 of the Ministry of Education - Finance - Agriculture guiding the implementation of Decision No. 152 dated April 8, 1976 of the Prime Minister on supplementing policies for kindergarten teachers, from September 1985 to September 1994, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong was a kindergarten teacher at Nghi Huong Commune Kindergarten, which was still in Nghi Loc district, a rural area, and was paid in cash or work points. Therefore, this period is not counted as working time eligible for social insurance. This is also the issue she filed a complaint about.

Mr. Hoang Van Minh - Director of Nghe An Social Insurance spoke at the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

In addition to the above problem, in the process of resolving the regime for Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, the Social Insurance agency of Cua Lo town also made mistakes, leading to having to adjust the insurance payment period many times to calculate the retirement regime.

Accordingly, on September 14, 2020, Cua Lo Town Social Insurance issued a Decision on monthly pension benefits for Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, with a total social insurance payment period of 35 years and 1 month (ie, counting the entire working time even when Nghi Huong commune was still in Nghi Loc district, a rural area), a monthly salary of more than 6.3 million VND and a one-time pension upon retirement of more than 23.4 million VND.

In December 2020, Cua Lo Town Social Insurance issued a Decision to adjust Ms. Huong's retirement regime due to incorrect determination of the social insurance benefit period. At this time, her social insurance payment period was determined to be from January 1995, meaning that the total insurance payment period was determined to be only 25 years and 9 months. Her monthly pension was reduced to more than 5.8 million VND and the one-time pension upon retirement was also no longer available.

Mr. Hoang Van Phuc - Vice Chairman of Cua Lo Town People's Committee spoke at the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Then, in April 2021, Cua Lo Town Social Insurance continued to issue a Decision to adjust the retirement regime of Ms. Hoang Thi Huong with the reason of calculating the additional time she worked as a preschool teacher from the establishment of Cua Lo Town in September 1994 to December 1994 in the social insurance payment process. At this time, Ms. Huong's social insurance payment period was determined to be 26 years and 1 month, the monthly pension was more than 5.2 million VND, and the one-time pension upon retirement was no longer available.

Disagreeing with the above decisions to adjust the retirement regime, especially the working time from September 1985 to August 1994 at Nghi Huong Kindergarten, Nghi Loc district was not counted as the time to receive social insurance, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong successively filed complaints to the provincial Social Insurance agency and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Comrade Ngoc Kim Nam - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission spoke at the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Accordingly, the provincial Social Insurance agency and the provincial People's Committee also intervened to resolve the complaint in accordance with regulations, clearly stating that the complaint that the period of social insurance benefits for her was from September 1985 to August 1994 was an incorrect complaint.

Citizen Hoang Thi Huong disagreed with the above conclusions and continued to make recommendations. At the meeting, leaders of the Provincial Social Insurance, Cua Lo Town Social Insurance, Cua Lo Town People's Committee, Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Committee, and Provincial People's Committee spoke, discussed, analyzed and clarified the related contents that Ms. Hoang Thi Huong proposed.

In particular, with the responsibility as the head of the provincial Social Insurance sector, Mr. Hoang Van Minh - Director of Nghe An Social Insurance directly apologized to Ms. Hoang Thi Huong because Cua Lo town Social Insurance is the unit directly assigned to resolve the regime for her and the professional departments of the provincial Social Insurance did not properly implement the regulations leading to errors, allowing the incident to drag on, affecting the rights of citizens.

It is known that, regarding the case of Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, due to errors in the settlement process leading to multiple adjustments, the Social Insurance Agency of Nghe An province has handled the responsibility of the Director, Deputy Director of the Social Insurance Agency of Cua Lo town and 3 related officials; especially the Deputy Director of the Social Insurance Agency of Cua Lo town who directly handled Ms. Huong's case has been disciplined and transferred to another job. Regarding the Social Insurance Agency of the province, 5 related officials have also been handled.

Comrade Le Hong Vinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Concluding the citizen reception session, Nghe An Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy highly appreciated and acknowledged the contributions, dedication and enthusiasm of Ms. Hoang Thi Huong to the education sector and her homeland.

With the responsibility of the head of the province, comrade Thai Thanh Quy directly apologized to citizen Hoang Thi Huong for the way of working at all levels, including the Social Insurance of Cua Lo town, which was not focused, not serious, not thoroughly researched, leading to errors that had to be adjusted many times; at the same time, when there were errors, they did not directly exchange, fully explain, and promptly inform citizens.

Through the incident of citizen Hoang Thi Huong, the head of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee noted that not only for the Social Insurance sector but also for all levels and sectors, this is a great lesson when implementing policies for the people; thereby requiring the spirit and working perspective to be in charge, thoroughly review; direct and urge cadres and specialists to have a firm grasp of their expertise, not to let shortcomings like in the process of handling policies and regimes for Ms. Hoang Thi Huong recur.

The Provincial Party Secretary also noted that all levels and sectors in the process of performing public duties, especially the way of contacting and exchanging with citizens, must come from understanding, responsibility, concern and the right working method.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee concluded the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Regarding the citizen's opinion on the need to add the working time of about 9 years from September 1985 to August 1994 to the time to calculate social insurance benefits, the Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee requested that the citizen agree with the conclusion of the Provincial People's Committee's complaint settlement when it has been strictly based on state regulations.

At the same time, considering that there may still be gaps and inadequacies between legal regulations and practice, the Provincial Party Secretary affirmed that, as a National Assembly delegate, he would accept the content of the citizen's petition to continue to study and learn more deeply; at the same time, he would invite citizen Hoang Thi Huong to meet directly and discuss further in the next 10 days to have a common consensus on the perception of the relevant legal regulations regarding her petition; then he could consider petitioning the relevant ministries and branches regarding the regime for preschool teachers in rural areas before 1995 to study and resolve it synchronously throughout the country.