Perfecting the institutional framework for Ho Chi Minh City to make a breakthrough - Part 4: Expanding the social security network, improving service spirit

After more than 2 years of implementing Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City (referred to as Resolution 98), tens of thousands of families have overcome difficulties and risen up, and staff have more motivation to work with peace of mind and serve the people. The amendment and supplementation of Resolution 98 is expected to continue to replicate humane and compassionate policies so that each disadvantaged person has more immediate support and the opportunity to stand firm and change their lives in a sustainable way.

Creating a new social security foundation

On the morning of early November, the hall of the People's Committee of Tan My Ward (HCMC) was packed with people attending the launching ceremony of the peak month "For the poor" in 2025. The program was as warm as a meeting of love, where the government, the Fatherland Front and businesses shared livelihoods and burdens with those who are still struggling in life.

One of the people who received the livelihood grant, Mrs. Pham Thi Kim Lan (58 years old, living in alley 103 Nguyen Thi Thap) sat in the lower row, her two veiny hands tightly holding the invitation. When her name was called to step up on stage to receive the sugarcane juice cart, Mrs. Lan held the hand of the Vietnam Fatherland Front official, her eyes red: "I am very happy, I have a stable means of making a living, I will try to take care of my husband and children."

Along with being given means of livelihood, households in difficult circumstances who need to borrow capital for production and job creation are supported by the locality through capital entrusted from the city budget for the Social Policy Bank to provide preferential loans, according to the mechanism of Resolution 98.

In the 2023-2025 period, Ho Chi Minh City has allocated nearly VND4,700 billion from the budget to provide preferential loans to support poverty reduction and job creation under this mechanism. Therefore, when Ho Chi Minh City proposed to amend and supplement Resolution 98, the locality wanted to continue maintaining the social security policy.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Ha, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tan My Ward, means of livelihood, funding for house repairs... are just the beginning of a more solid policy foundation. Therefore, Ms. Ha hopes that the revised Resolution 98 will bring about key changes for sustainable poverty reduction.

Leaders of Tan My ward (HCMC) gave a sugarcane juice cart as a livelihood to Ms. Pham Thi Kim Lan. Photo: THU HOAI

From another perspective, Mr. Nguyen Phuc Duc, an officer of the Party Building Department, Tang Nhon Phu Ward (HCMC), shared that since the operation of the 2-level local government model, the workload at the grassroots level has increased, requiring each officer to make more efforts to meet the requirements of the task. However, what makes him more confident is the policy of increasing income expenditure according to the mechanism of Resolution 98.

“If we only rely on a salary of more than 8 million VND/month, it will be very difficult to cope with the increasing cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City today. The increased income helps us reduce the economic burden and allows us to focus more on work,” Mr. Duc confided.

Motivation to strengthen the quality of staff

After more than 2 years of implementation, Ho Chi Minh City has applied the mechanism of using the remaining salary reform fund, balancing more than 28,000 billion VND to spend on additional income; at the same time, spending about 17,000 billion VND from the remaining salary reform fund for development investment.

According to Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Hien, the spending of additional income under Resolution 98 has achieved many positive results, contributing to promoting the reform of the public service and civil servant regime in Ho Chi Minh City. To ensure transparency and non-equalization in spending additional income, the city has implemented regulations to evaluate and classify the quality of work completion of cadres in a scientific and objective manner. This has created motivation, strengthened trust and encouraged the cadres to strive to overcome difficulties and strive to complete assigned tasks well.

Therefore, at the 5th session in mid-November, the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City passed Resolution No. 27/2025/NQ-HDND, continuing to regulate the policy of spending additional income in accordance with the spirit of Resolution 98, applied throughout Ho Chi Minh City. The issuance of Resolution No. 27/2025/NQ-HDND shows that Ho Chi Minh City is persistent in implementing incentive mechanisms, creating motivation in work for the team of cadres and civil servants.

Through records from the grassroots, this policy is showing clear effectiveness, contributing to strengthening the quality of cadres and civil servants, increasing the effectiveness of serving the people and improving the efficiency of local government operations in the renovation period.

Along with increased income expenditure, the application of Resolution 98 to allocate public investment capital for loans to support poverty reduction and job creation contributes to removing bottlenecks and bottlenecks in loan capital sources, especially in the context of businesses facing difficulties, narrowing production and business scale, affecting the lives of workers. The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City assessed that this preferential loan source has contributed to reducing unemployment rate, reducing "black credit", helping workers have capital to organize production and business, create jobs, and create income to stabilize life for themselves and their families.

In the report on the results of 2 years of implementing Resolution 98, the Ministry of Finance stated that many mechanisms have entered people's lives in the period of 2023-2025. Specifically, the policy of allocating capital for loans to reduce poverty and create jobs has brought many important meanings in ensuring social security, sustainable poverty reduction, bringing great efficiency and benefits to people and poor workers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thereby, contributing to the implementation of the target that by the end of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City will have basically no poor households according to the national poverty standard, and less than 0.5% of poor households according to the city's poverty standard. This is especially meaningful in the context that some businesses are facing difficulties, narrowing the scale of production and business, leading to some workers losing their jobs, affecting their lives. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City has expanded the beneficiaries of increased income, creating even greater motivation for the city's cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers.

Mr. NGUYEN QUOC DUNG - Retired officer, Hiep Thanh 8 quarter, Phu Loi ward, HCMC:

Mechanism for sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City

The amendment and supplementation of Resolution 98 should focus on specific development mechanisms in the fields of culture, health, education and social security. In particular, it is necessary to design more specific and flexible policies to care for the poor and disadvantaged, helping them have better access to housing, jobs, health care, education for their children and basic services. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to policies for retired cadres and the elderly.

This will create a solid foundation to help Ho Chi Minh City develop sustainably in both breadth and depth, while strengthening trust and solidarity among the people.

Ms. NGUYEN NGOC DUNG - Head of Culture and Social Department of Hoa Loi Ward, HCMC:

Ensuring objectivity and transparency

Ho Chi Minh City applies the mechanism of Resolution 98 to pay additional income, showing concern for each individual in the city's political system. The additional income not only helps improve our lives but also helps us feel secure in our work, have more motivation to work more effectively, improve our sense of responsibility, proactively innovate in performing our tasks and serve the people better. In reality, leaders at agencies and units are always under pressure when evaluating and taking responsibility.

Therefore, I propose that superiors calculate responsibility allowances appropriate to the leadership position of the commune level in the new situation.

Ms. TRAN THI HA - Worker in Thuan An ward, HCMC:

Hope for more settlement policies

Every month, if I don’t work overtime, my salary is more than 7 million VND. After deducting the rent of nearly 2 million VND, food, electricity and water, tuition for the two children, etc., the remaining amount is so fragile that we don’t dare to think about saving up to buy a house. The rented room is also the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and study corner for the children. Many days, when I see my children spread out their notebooks on the folding table next to the bed, I can only swallow my sadness.

I hope that when Resolution 98 is revised and supplemented, there will be more policies on increasing wages for workers and developing social housing so that workers can soon reach their dream of settling down.

THU HOAI - NGO BINH - TAM TRANG - THU HUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hoan-thien-khung-the-che-de-tphcm-but-pha-bai-4-mo-rong-mang-luoi-an-sinh-nang-cao-tinh-than-phuc-vu-post825855.html