Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs works with Vinh City on implementing support under the social security package

This afternoon (October 27), Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Tien Tung and a working delegation of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs had a working session with Vinh city on the results of implementing social security policies and supporting employees and employers facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Comrade Doan Hong Vu - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs also attended. Representatives of departments, branches, units, wards and communes in the city also attended the meeting.

Payment progress has not met the requirements.

Delegates attending the meeting. Photo: Thanh Nga

The representative of Vinh City reported on the progress of implementing social security policies according to Resolution 68/NQ-CP and Decision No. 23/2021/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on supporting businesses and workers facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Decision 22/2021/QD-TTg of the Provincial People's Committee on supporting those facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic; at the same time, he said that steps had been taken to implement the policies in accordance with the procedures from the grassroots level, but because the social distancing period according to Directive 16 of the city lasted for more than 1 month, the work progress could not be achieved as initially set out.

Representative of Vinh City People's Committee speaking at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Nga

Furthermore, the number of beneficiaries is large, especially individual business households and workers without contracts, up to now there are 20,262 people and the city is still receiving applications. In addition, the work of identifying and reviewing still faces many difficulties because some groups of beneficiaries can enjoy many policies or many groups of beneficiaries but only 1 beneficiary, causing confusion among the people.

Many localities want to adjust and expand the group of freelance workers. Photo courtesy of Tien Dong

Regarding the city's parameters, the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said that the city's payment approval progress is still slow, and the method of payment by post to the beneficiaries at this time is not suitable for workers facing difficulties due to the epidemic. "People need timely support, and we need to implement this State policy in the spirit of "a piece when hungry is worth a package when full". Regarding the disbursement progress for 20,262 people who are freelance workers, it is only over 3 billion VND, according to the report, while the estimated budget is over 30 billion VND, the Chief Inspector said that is too slow.

Responding to this issue, Mr. Thai Van Hung - Finance - Planning Department of Vinh City People's Committee said: Decision 22 clearly states that the documents must be completed within 2 days and we have completed the rolling work and so far have met the schedule and we have submitted 20,000 sets of documents and approved the disbursement of more than 18 billion VND, just waiting for the Department of Finance to review and the People's Committee to decide to pay support to the people.

Regarding people's questions about the provisions on beneficiaries, the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs affirmed: Ward, commune, block and hamlet officials need to clearly define their authority in explaining and propagating to the people. "We must answer immediately so that people understand, at which level we must explain according to the authority at that level, we cannot let people go all the way to the city or the Provincial People's Committee to ask questions about these issues."

Policy is implemented as it is.

Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Hong Vu speaks at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Nga

Also at the meeting, many opinions from wards and communes in the city stated: "People wonder why construction workers are eligible for support, but formwork workers or railing painters are not eligible even though they are bricklayers." Mr. Nguyen Van Canh - Vice Chairman of Quang Trung Ward People's Committee said: "Therefore, when receiving documents, it is very difficult for us to explain to people, and many times we receive mixed opinions from the people."

Or as the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghi An Commune - Vinh City stated: The labor subjects are similar (painters, bricklayers, carpenters, welders) but we only choose one subject, so should we expand the subjects and lower the benefits to ensure fairness.

Nghi An commune representative expressed his opinion at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Nga

Regarding this issue, comrade Doan Hong Vu - Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs affirmed: City officials and grassroots levels need to propagate so that people understand that we cannot equalize, we only choose important industries that are affected, and support those who are really in difficulty. We will implement the policy as it comes. Because in fact, before advising the province to issue Decision 22, the Department also sought advice from departments, branches, sectors and localities across the province.

Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Tien Tung speaks at the meeting. Photo: PV

“The Government's policy is to support those who are truly in difficulty, so we need to determine the subjects who can access the policy and must meet the criteria of the profession, corresponding to the locality. Therefore, it is necessary to propagate so that people understand that the support policy at this time of the epidemic cannot be a cake that must be divided equally. Therefore, it is impossible to level the groups of subjects, those who are in the most difficulty will be supported first, if there are adjustments later, the next people will be supported" - Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Tien Tung affirmed.

At the meeting, many opinions were also concerned: For individual business households that are not on the list of essential goods specified in Directive 16, can they access this policy package? Comrade Nguyen Tien Tung said: All workers who have to take leave according to Directive 16 are entitled to it, without having to consider the business goods, that is too rigid.

"Regarding the regulations under Decision 23, we must follow the Prime Minister's regulations and cannot mix up the regulations," the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs affirmed.