28 years of efforts for social security

On the occasion of the Industry's founding anniversary (February 16, 1995 - February 16, 2023), Secretary of the Party Committee, General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh had an interview and shared about the 28-year journey of organizing and implementing social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies with many responsibilities but also many honors and prides of the Industry.

Reporter (PV): Can the General Director tell us about the "turning point" significance of the establishment of the Vietnam Social Insurance sector in organizing and implementing social insurance and health insurance policies for our people?

General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh : The establishment of Vietnam's social insurance industry is an inevitable trend. Since 1994, the Labor Code passed by the National Assembly has provided for the establishment of a centralized social insurance fund, independent of the budget, self-accounting by contributions from employers and employees, protected by the State. Accordingly, on January 26, 1995, the Government issued Decree No. 12/CP promulgating the Social Insurance Regulations regulating the implementation of compulsory social insurance for state officials, civil servants and employees working in enterprises, marking a major turning point in the development of social insurance policy with the unified implementation of compulsory social insurance for employees in all economic sectors instead of being "limited" to state agencies as before.

Next, the Government issued Decree No. 19/CP dated February 16, 1995 establishing Vietnam Social Security on the basis of unifying social security organizations at the central and local levels under the Labor - Invalids & Social Affairs system and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor . It can be said that the establishment of Vietnam Social Security is an important reform milestone to reduce the focal point for organizing the implementation of social security policies in a centralized and unified manner nationwide. The organizational system of Vietnam Social Security includes 3 levels: Central, provincial and district levels.

On January 24, 2002, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 20/2002/QD-TTg on transferring Vietnam Health Insurance to Vietnam Social Insurance and on December 6, 2002, the Government issued Decree No. 100/2002/ND-CP stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of Vietnam Social Insurance. Accordingly, Vietnam Social Insurance is a public service agency under the Government, with the function of implementing social insurance and health insurance policies and regimes and managing social insurance and health insurance funds in accordance with the law.

In particular, the legal status of Vietnam Social Insurance continues to be affirmed in the Law on Social Insurance 2014 (effective from January 1, 2016), which stipulates: The Social Insurance Agency is a state agency with the function of implementing social insurance regimes and policies, managing and using social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance funds; inspecting the payment of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance and other tasks according to the provisions of the Law and the Government's instructions. The Law on Social Insurance 2014 increases the authority of the Social Insurance Agency to conduct specialized inspections of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance payments and handle violations or make recommendations to competent state agencies to handle violations.

These are important documents for the unification of the organization and implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies in our country and are also a premise for the development of the Vietnamese social insurance industry, meeting the requirements of the task of organizing and implementing a flexible, diverse, multi-layered, modern and internationally integrated social insurance system.

PV : Over 28 years of construction and development, the Vietnam Social Insurance sector has achieved many remarkable achievements, gradually affirming that social insurance and health insurance policies are two policies that play a pivotal role in the social security system. Could you share specifically about some of the outstanding achievements that the sector has achieved in the past 28 years?

General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh : Developing social insurance and health insurance towards universal coverage is an important and consistent goal in the socio-economic development strategy of the Party and State. With that meaning and the participation of the entire political system, the organization and implementation of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies of the Vietnam Social Security sector over the past 28 years have contributed to bringing these policies increasingly into life and promoting positive effects, specifically as follows:

Firstly, proactively and actively participate in developing and perfecting policies and laws on social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance. Vietnam Social Security has regularly and proactively summarized difficulties in organizing and implementing policies; closely coordinated with sectors and levels to assess the implementation of policies and regimes and impacts to propose amendments and supplements to policies and laws to overcome existing limitations... practically and effectively serving the development and amendment of important bills; thereby contributing to perfecting policies and laws on social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance in accordance with reality, creating favorable conditions for employees and people to participate and fully enjoy policies and regimes.

Accordingly, the social insurance and health insurance policies have been gradually improved in line with the socio-economic development of the country and expanded the coverage and benefits of participants and beneficiaries of the policy. The health insurance policy has ensured people's access to health services and improved the quality of health services, aiming to improve the health of people and the community; reduce the financial burden when using health services and reduce the risk of poverty, especially for the poor, near-poor, people living in remote and mountainous areas.

Second , the communication of policies and laws is valued and innovated in both content and form in a modern, diverse, flexible direction, suitable for each group of subjects, characteristics of each region, customs and practices, focusing on the group participating in voluntary social insurance and health insurance by household; implementing many solutions to promote communication nationwide. Thereby, contributing to creating unity in leadership, direction, consensus and support of the whole society throughout the process of building, organizing and implementing policies; helping to raise awareness of law compliance; inspiring and helping people understand the value and humanistic meaning of policies to mobilize more proactive participation in the social security network.

Third , the development of participants is an important political task of the Industry, contributing to expanding coverage, moving towards the goal of social insurance and health insurance for all people as set out in the Resolutions of the Party and the Government. The coverage of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance is increasingly expanding with impressive growth: The number of social insurance participants is 17.5 million people, reaching 38.08% of the working-age workforce (of which: The number of people participating in compulsory social insurance increased from 2.3 million people in 1995 to more than 16 million people in 2022, an increase of over 7.5 times; The number of people participating in voluntary social insurance increased from 6,000 people in 2008 to nearly 1.5 million people in 2022, an increase of 250 times); The number of people participating in unemployment insurance increased from nearly 6 million people in 2009 to more than 14.3 million people in 2022, an increase of nearly 2.4 times; The number of people participating in health insurance increased from 7.1 million in 1995 to more than 91.1 million in 2022, an increase of 12.8 times, reaching a coverage rate of 92.04% of the population - basically completing the goal of universal health insurance.

Fourthly , the settlement and payment of social insurance, unemployment insurance and health insurance regimes and policies are carried out promptly and in accordance with regulations by the Vietnam Social Insurance sector; in particular, the effective conversion of management methods from manual to modern, the settlement of regimes for participants is based on data on the management of the participation process, ensuring the principle of "contribution - enjoyment"; the system's operation method is innovated towards service. As a result, from 1995 to the end of 2022, the whole sector has settled for more than 136 million people to enjoy sickness, maternity, and health recovery regimes; from 2010 to the end of 2022, it has coordinated to settle for nearly 8.7 million people to enjoy unemployment insurance regimes; by the end of 2022, the total number of people receiving monthly pensions and social insurance benefits is about 3.3 million people; From 2003 to 2022, the entire industry has coordinated with medical facilities to ensure health insurance benefits for over 2,368 million people.

Notably, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic severely affecting the lives, work and employment of people and employees, over the past 3 years (from 2020 to 2022), the Vietnam Social Insurance sector has proactively and resolutely joined with ministries and branches to advise the Party, State, Government and Prime Minister to issue many mechanisms and policies to support employees and employers facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it has focused on mobilizing all resources, based on available data sources, to promptly deploy support packages from the Social Insurance and Unemployment Insurance funds with a total support amount of over VND 47.2 trillion (of which, 99.3% of people received support payments via bank accounts).

In difficult times, paying support money quickly and accurately to beneficiaries is of great significance: Helping to stabilize the lives of workers; Restoring production and business for enterprises. Thereby, continuing to affirm the proactive, drastic role, sense of responsibility, and efforts of the Industry in ensuring social security for participants in the context of unprecedented difficulties caused by the pandemic, as well as contributing to enhancing the prestige of the Party and the Government. With the achieved results, at the 39th ASEAN Social Security Association Executive Committee Meeting (ASSA Meeting), Vietnam Social Security was honored to receive the Award "Effective practices on Vietnam's policy solutions to support workers and employers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic from the Unemployment Insurance Fund".

Fifth , financial management and fund investment. The Social Insurance and Health Insurance Funds have become the largest social security funds, managed and used for the right purposes, safely, effectively, publicly and transparently under the supervision of the National Assembly, the Government and the Social Insurance Management Council. The scale of the insurance funds has increased year by year, affirming their sustainability and ensuring long-term balance, thereby making employees and people increasingly confident and confident when participating in Social Insurance and Health Insurance. The proportion of expenditures from the Social Insurance Fund is increasing; the proportion of expenditures from the state budget for Social Insurance is decreasing, affirming the Party's correct viewpoint in encouraging people to improve their capacity to ensure social security themselves.

Sixth , the reform of administrative procedures (AP), application of information technology (IT) and digital transformation (DTS) of the Industry have received special attention and been directed to be implemented resolutely. Accordingly, ADTTs have been reviewed and reduced to the maximum; business processes have been simplified and restructured, electronic transactions have been promoted, and online public services (DVC) have been provided to create the most convenience for participants; all policy-solving procedures of the Industry are implemented on interconnected software, sharing data with other business software and databases (DBs) of ministries and branches; the Industry's DTS work has been focused on and implemented resolutely and most of the targets on building e-Government set by the National Assembly and the Government have been completed.

It can be affirmed that these results were achieved thanks to the close and drastic direction of the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister; the active participation and coordination of ministries, branches, and localities in organizing and implementing social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies; especially the spirit of solidarity, responsibility, determination, and efforts to overcome difficulties of the staff in the entire Vietnam Social Security sector to well perform the work of ensuring social security assigned by the Party, the State, and the People.

Reporter: The results that the Vietnam Social Insurance industry has achieved over the past 28 years are very comprehensive. In particular, the administrative reform, IT application, and digital transformation of the industry have brought great benefits to participants and beneficiaries of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies, and have been highly appreciated by all levels, sectors, and the social community. How does the General Director evaluate these "breakthrough" changes of the industry?

General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh : With the motto "Taking people and businesses as the main subject and center of service", the Vietnam Social Security sector attaches special importance to and has focused all resources, implemented many strong solutions, minimized administrative procedures, promoted the application of IT and digital transformation in all professional activities, gradually modernized the professional activities of the sector, met the requirements of building e-Government, digital Government; recognized and highly appreciated by all levels, sectors, business community and people. The transformation of management methods from manual to modern, working style from administrative to service of the sector has been drastically implemented, creating favorable conditions for people and businesses.

As a result, the number of administrative procedures has been reduced from 263 (in 2009) to only 25, with 100% of administrative procedures being provided with full online public services and integrated on the Vietnam Social Security Public Service Portal; and gradually integrated on the National Public Service Portal; the number of hours for performing administrative procedures for people and businesses has been reduced from 335 hours/year (in 2015) to over 100 hours. The entire Vietnam Social Security sector currently has nearly 30 IT application systems to manage business processes, with more than 20,000 civil servant accounts regularly accessing, exploiting and using them to perform the sector's operations.

Along with that, the Industry has deployed the application "VssID - Digital Social Insurance" on mobile platforms, currently there are over 28 million accounts used to manage and control the process of participating in and enjoying policies; implementing public services on social insurance and health insurance; using the image of the health insurance card on the VssID application and the chip-embedded citizen identification card (CCCD) to go to medical examination and treatment... At the 38th ASSA Conference, Vietnam Social Security was honored to receive the "Effective Practice" Award in the IT category for the smartphone application "VssID-Digital Social Insurance".

Notably, in recent years, the digital transformation work of the Industry has made steady progress, bringing about breakthrough changes, contributing to the creation and successful construction of the digital Vietnam Social Insurance industry in accordance with the orientation of the Digital Government of our Party and State. The Industry's database system is continuously enriched and updated with information of over 98.7 million people; interconnected with nearly 13,000 medical facilities; there are about 620,000 units registering and using online public services. The electronic transaction system and the Health Insurance Assessment Information System receive about 300 million online transaction records/year; perform more than 500 million authentications and share information with local ministries and branches... These are important premises for the organization and implementation of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance policies in the digital environment; are the foundation for digital transformation, application of Big Data and AI technologies with the goal of becoming a modern social security organization of the Industry.

Implementing Project 06 of the Prime Minister, Vietnam Social Security is the first unit to successfully connect with the national population database as soon as it was officially put into operation. The system has authenticated over 74.1 million demographic information in the national insurance database with the national population database. At the same time, the industry has provided and shared nearly 72.3 million information to the national population database. To date, over 12,200 health care facilities have looked up health insurance card information using chip-embedded ID cards (accounting for 95.4% of the total number of health insurance health care facilities), with over 10.5 million successful searches of health insurance information using chip-embedded ID cards to serve health insurance health care. In addition, the integration and deployment of public services on the National Public Service Portal has been actively implemented.

In particular, in the face of the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, over the past 3 years, thanks to administrative procedure reform and modern IT systems, social insurance agencies at all levels have promptly provided and shared information and data on participants and beneficiaries of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance to serve disease prevention and control activities in localities; at the same time, contributing to the rapid and effective implementation of policies to support businesses and employees facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic according to the Resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government.

With a regularly updated database and a widespread IT system, the interconnection and data sharing of the Vietnam Social Security sector with ministries and sectors helps standardize data, serving both management and reform, connecting administrative procedures, contributing to the construction of an e-Government, for the rights and interests of people, units and enterprises. This is also evidence that the digital transformation work of the sector is on the right track, bringing positive results, contributing to serving social insurance and health insurance participants better and better.

PV : After 28 years of establishment and development, the Vietnam Social Insurance industry has continuously developed in all aspects, the position and role of the industry have been increasingly affirmed. However, to meet the increasing demands and complete the goal of social insurance and health insurance for all people, what solutions should Vietnam Social Insurance focus on in the coming time, sir?

General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh : To continue to successfully implement long-term and sustainable plans towards the goal of universal social insurance and health insurance, we have determined that solutions in the direction of "creation" must be implemented by the entire industry in a proactive, synchronous and comprehensive manner. Specifically, in the coming time, the entire industry will focus on the following groups of solutions:

Firstly , continue to strive to successfully implement the goals stated in Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW of the 7th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee; Resolution No. 125/NQ-CP of the Government promulgating the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW; Projects approved by the Prime Minister (according to the roadmap to 2025, 2030); effectively organize the implementation of the Social Insurance Law, Health Insurance Law, Employment Law, Labor Safety and Hygiene Law, etc.

Second , closely coordinate with ministries, branches, Party committees at all levels, local authorities and political and socio-political organizations to organize and effectively implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance regimes and policies; develop the Vietnamese social insurance sector in accordance with the country's socio-economic conditions and in sync with the development of social services.

Third , continue to innovate communication work in both content and form in a professional, focused and key direction; suitable for each target group, focusing on the group of people participating in voluntary social insurance, family health insurance and employees working in industrial parks and export processing zones.

Fourthly , ensure that the coverage of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance continues to develop sustainably; resolve and pay fully and promptly social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance benefits to participants; strive to complete the goals and plans assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

Fifth , step up inspection and examination of compliance with laws on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance; especially specialized inspection work; promptly detect and handle violations of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance regimes and policies; acts of fraud and profiteering from social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance funds.

Sixth , continue to strengthen, review and simplify administrative procedures, promote the application of IT in business processes to implement social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance policies to ensure the simplest, easiest and most convenient for businesses and people; continue to expand and diversify forms of public service provision, improve the quality of online public services throughout the industry; promote payment of regimes through public service organizations, non-cash payments according to the Government's direction; invest in facilities, improve the quality of service provision, ensure the best benefits and increase satisfaction with participants.

Seventh , focus on promoting the application of IT, digital transformation, perfecting the infrastructure, specialized database systems on social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, especially the national database on insurance; integrating, connecting, sharing information and data with ministries and branches; researching and deploying new platforms and technical solutions to serve digital transformation of the Industry, especially building a Big Data analysis and processing system, applying artificial intelligence (AI). These are strategic solutions, playing a pivotal role in the management and service work of the Industry, aiming to bring the most convenience and benefits to the People, units and enterprises of the Industry.

Eighth , continue to review, arrange, consolidate, and streamline the organizational structure; build a team of civil servants with qualities, capacity, prestige, and equal to the task, especially the leaders; develop the Vietnamese Social Insurance industry to be modern, professional, and meet the satisfaction of the people and businesses. Continue to maintain and expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities to mobilize and maximize international resources and experiences to serve the development of the industry.

Ninth , grasp and closely follow the actual situation, especially arising issues that cause difficulties and affect people's social security and business operations; be proactive, flexible, creative, and promptly handle problems; or propose competent authorities to remove and resolve arising difficulties and problems, ensuring the best social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance benefits for employees and businesses according to regulations.

I believe that, with the sustainable growth achievements over the past 28 years, under the close leadership and direction of the Party, the National Assembly, and the Government; with the proactive and active coordination of ministries, branches, local Party committees and authorities; and the efforts, solidarity and unanimity of all civil servants and public employees, the Vietnam Social Security sector will continue to successfully implement the set goals and plans, marking an impressive development milestone for the 30-year period of construction and development in 2025.

PV : Thank you very much, General Director!

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