Proposal to spend 23,000 billion from the Unemployment Insurance Fund to support workers

Workers are paid support money from the surplus of the Unemployment Insurance Fund. (Illustration photo: PV/Vietnam+)

During the National Assembly 's question-and-answer session on labor, war invalids and social affairs this morning, June 6, delegate Ly Tiet Hanh, National Assembly Delegation of Binh Dinh province, said that businesses and workers are currently facing more difficulties than when they were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and raised the question of whether there will be direct support packages for workers in the near future like during the pandemic period?

Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc said that in 2021, 47,356 billion VND was spent from the Unemployment Insurance Fund to support workers affected by COVID-19, of which 30,800 billion VND was spent directly from the fund to support those affected by COVID-19.

The Minister of Finance said that in 2023, the unemployment insurance fund balance will be 59,357 billion VND and the Ministry of Finance is currently designing a support package for workers from this surplus to submit to the Government and the National Assembly Standing Committee. Accordingly, the support package will spend about 23,000 billion VND from the Unemployment Insurance Fund to support workers during this difficult period. Thus, the remaining fund balance will be about 39,405 billion VND.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs pay special attention to support solutions during difficult times and will use all mechanisms and policies to support workers,” Ho Duc Phoc affirmed.

Also participating in answering questions about support policies for workers, Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung added that according to the Law on Employment, the nature of the Unemployment Insurance Fund is a tool to contribute to labor market management and is a "midwife" for the labor market.

Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc participated in answering questions and explaining policies to support workers. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

During the time affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Assembly Standing Committee decided to spend tens of thousands of billions from the Unemployment Insurance Fund balance to support workers, and this policy has made a very important contribution to improving the lives of workers and strengthening the confidence and enthusiasm of insurance participants.

According to Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, the current surplus is about 60,000 billion. In the current situation, with a high surplus plus a number of other funds, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has also asked the social insurance agency to study and, together with Minister Ho Duc Phoc, calculate how to use this surplus more effectively.

"The support policy focuses on three main contents: One is to support affected and unemployed workers; the second is to support vocational training; the third is to consider reducing the contribution level to partly help businesses overcome difficulties," said the commander of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung added that in the upcoming revision of the Employment Law, there will also be a separate chapter on unemployment insurance. In order for unemployment insurance to truly be a "midwife" for the labor market, regulations will be developed and amended so that when employees and employers encounter difficulties, unemployment insurance can be used for support. In particular, the new regulations will pay more attention to supporting vocational training and retraining, and exempting and reducing support costs from surplus sources when the surplus is high.

Regarding the implementation of the housing rental support package under Decision No. 08/2022/QD-TTg that has not been fully disbursed, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung said that the National Assembly allowed the use of a maximum of VND 6,800 billion in support to attract workers back to the market. After the National Assembly approved the policy, the Government decided to assign distribution criteria to provinces and cities.

“The support package has used up more than VND4,500 billion. All beneficiaries have received the money according to regulations,” said Minister Dung.

The head of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said that the remaining VND2,300 billion from the unused housing support package will be returned to the budget. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs will seek opinions to use this amount to support workers in other packages and the decision-making authority belongs to the Government and the National Assembly.

Source link