Social policy development linked to resources for implementation

The senior government official made the suggestion while chairing a working session with the authorities concerned on December 13, held by the Central Steering Committee on the Implementation of Resolution 70/NQ-CP by the Government to Implementing Resolution 15/NQ-TW on Several Social Policies (during 2012-2020).

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Quan said, at present, 1.3 million people who have made contributions to the national revolution are receiving regular allowances. The poverty rate in the whole country decreased to 5.35% (lower by 1.35% compared to 2017).

Furthermore, the country has implemented monthly social allowances and granted health insurance cards to more than 2.8 million people. The number of people participating in social insurance is 14.63 million, accounting for 26.55% of the labour force, an increase of 810,000 people compared to 2017.

The policy system continues to be improved in the direction of expanding the entitlement to and enjoyment level of preferential social welfare for local people, while implementing resources for social policies and programmes has been strengthened and given priority by the Government and local authorities, with great contributions from the whole society, helping improve the material and spiritual lives for local people, especially those with meritorious services to the nation, disadvantaged and ethnic minorities.

Deputy PM Dam, who is also Head of the Central Steering Committee, urged its members to focus on handling newly emerging social issues, such as increased income inequality that is widening the gap between the rich and the poor, and a new phenomenon in society, with the appearance of increasing numbers of adults and children suffering from emotional disorders, depression and autism that requires the develop of supportive policies to deal with and prevent major consequences.

Dam asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to chair and coordinate with the relevant ministries and agencies to sum up the implementation of Resolutions 15 and 70, while setting up working teams to review the implementation of the relevant regimes and policies, with clearly defined direct and indirect support policies for the people.

The Vietnam Social Security should continue to consolidate and strengthen more forms of voluntary social insurance, while promoting the use of the social insurance database to complete a unified database on social security.

The deputy PM also suggested that the Vietnam Fatherland Front continues to play a key role in mobilising resources from social and community-based organisations to combine with the State budget to provide more effective social assistance.