Creating conditions for people to participate in social insurance, aiming at the goal of sustainable social security

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired at Nghe An bridge point.Photo: Cong Kien.

Impressive growth in coverage

At the Conference, delegates listened to reports and evaluations of the 2020 work results of the Social Insurance sector. Accordingly, in 2020Covid-19 epidemiccomplicated developments; natural disasters, storms and floods..., causing significant impacts on the production and business activities of enterprises and the lives and activities of people. The Vietnam Social Insurance sector has implemented many synchronous solutions to ensure the completion and over-fulfillment of a number of targets.

Specifically, the number of peopleparticipate in social insuranceestimated at 16.101 million people, accounting for about 32.6% of the working-age workforce (an increase of 327 thousand people (2.1%) compared to 2019. Of which, the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance is 15.033 million people; compared to 2015 (with 12.1 million people), an increase of 2.93 million people (24.2%).

The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance is 1.068 million, an increase of 494 thousand people, nearly double compared to 2019; reaching about 2.2% of the working-age workforce including farmers and informal sector workers.

The number of people participating in unemployment insurance is estimated at 13.29 million people; accounting for about 27% of the working-age workforce.

The number of people participating in health insurance is estimated at 87.93 million, an increase of 1.99 million people (2.3%) compared to 2019; reaching a rate of about 90.85% of the population participating in health insurance, exceeding the target by 0.15%.

Total revenue from social insurance, unemployment insurance and health insurance is estimated at 387,168 billion VND, reaching 100.75% of the plan (an increase of 18,987 billion VND (5.16%) compared to 2019; compared to 2015 (revenue of 217,754 billion VND), an increase of 169,414 billion VND (77.8%).

Total debt for social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance is about 14,368 billion VND (accounting for 3.66% of receivables).

By the end of 2020, the health insurance coverage rate of Nghe An province reached 90.6% of the population, completing the socio-economic targets assigned by the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee; exceeding 0.6% of the target assigned by the Government in Decision No. 1167/QD-TTg; the whole province had 309,965 people participating in social insurance (reaching a coverage rate of 16.84%), an increase of 30,341 people (an increase of 10.85%) compared to 2019; of which: Compulsory social insurance was 234,953 people, reaching 100.09% of the plan assigned by the Provincial People's Committee; Voluntary social insurance was 75,012 people, reaching 124.06% of the plan assigned by the Provincial People's Committee; Unemployment insurance: 213,179 people, reaching 101.67% of the plan assigned by the Provincial People's Committee.

Nghe An is a province with a rapid increase in the number of people participating in voluntary social insurance and has a number of people participating in voluntary social insurance accounting for over 8% of the country; it is one of the few provinces with positive growth in the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance and health insurance.

Promote propaganda and data system connectivity

However, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic and natural disasters, many units and businesses have had to downsize.production and business, temporary suspension of operations, workers having to quit their jobs..., have caused many difficulties for the development of social insurance and unemployment insurance participants. The situation of arrears and late payment of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance is still quite common; handling of bankrupt, dissolved units and enterprises, owners who abscond, or stop operating... is still difficult and problematic...

Officials and employees of the provincial Social Insurance and Nghe An Provincial Post Office organized a parade to promote health insurance and social insurance policies. Photo: Cong Kien

Regarding the key tasks and solutions in 2021, the social insurance sector strives to increase the number of social insurance participants to 17.54 million, accounting for about 35.2% of the working-age workforce, exceeding the target by 0.2%. The number of unemployment insurance participants is 14.20 million, accounting for about 28.5% of the working-age workforce, exceeding the target by 0.5%. The number of health insurance participants is 89.38 million, reaching a rate of about 91.56% of the population.

Closely coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to complete and promote the dissemination of policies and laws on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance. Focus on completing infrastructure, centralized database system, national database on insurance, etc.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam suggested that the social insurance sector should develop plans and step up propaganda to change people's habits. Photo: Provided by Vietnam Social Insurance

Speaking at the Conference,Deputy Prime MinisterVu Duc Dam acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts and achievements of the social insurance sector, especially the voluntary social insurance coverage and the impressive growth of health insurance. At the same time, he shared the difficulties, obstacles and problems that the sector is facing, especially in the context of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To continue increasing coverage and growth, the Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the social insurance sector should develop plans and promote propaganda to change people's habits. Encourage people to participate in social insurance instead of accumulating financial habits. It is possible to offer low-value insurance packages to facilitate the participation of the majority of people, aiming at the goal of sustainable social security.

At the same time, it is necessary to connect the data system between the Social Insurance and Health sectors, creating the necessary conditions for the two sectors to be in the leading group in administrative reform and information technology application. All are aimed at creating convenience for people when participating in Social Insurance...

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam