This afternoon (December 10), Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc met with ministries and branches on restructuring and streamlining the Vietnam Social Security apparatus.
At the meeting, General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh gave an overview of the social insurance network, its characteristics and operations and management of the Social Insurance Fund and Health Insurance.
Implementing the instructions of the superiors, based on the requirements to ensure sustainability and increase coverage, Vietnam Social Security has developed a plan to transfer Vietnam Social Security from being under the Government to being under the Ministry of Finance. Organized into a public service unit under the Ministry of Finance.
At the same time, it is proposed to streamline the apparatus as follows: Currently, Vietnam Social Security has 21 departments and equivalents, and will implement mergers and consolidations to reduce 5 units.
Similarly, at the provincial Social Insurance, arrangements will also be made to reduce 24.6% of the focal points. At the district level, we will continue to streamline and organize inter-district models in favorable localities, while taking into account the characteristics of disadvantaged districts, thereby reducing the number of social insurance focal points at the district level.
Vietnam Social Security also made proposals related to unemployment insurance management; implementing supplementary pension insurance.
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need to streamline the apparatus, reduce regular expenditures, operate effectively and improve national governance capacity.
Stating the timelines to be implemented, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the arrangement must be more streamlined than before, operations must be more efficient, regular expenditures must be reduced, and the level of focal points must be reduced by at least 15%; intermediaries must be reduced; decentralization must be stronger and clearer; information technology and non-cash payments must be strongly applied.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the requirement that the working apparatus must remain stable to ensure the rights of social insurance participants.
It is recommended that Vietnam Social Security calculate the name to be appropriate for a non-budgetary State Fund at the national level, located at the Ministry of Finance but operating independently in accordance with the provisions of law; ensuring continuity, interconnectivity, and serving the people best, anytime, anywhere. The Ministry of Finance only performs the function of state management.
The Deputy Prime Minister also gave his opinion on the Social Insurance Management Council; ending the activities of the Party Executive Committee, establishing a Party Committee; drafting a Decree on functions, tasks, and scope of work...
The Government leader requested to reduce the focal point of the Social Insurance apparatus at the Central level, keeping only the "backbone" units, merging and consolidating units with similar characteristics; reduce the focal point of social insurance in the provinces.
For mountainous districts, due to the terrain characteristics, it should be kept intact. Meanwhile, the plain areas can be reduced and an inter-district social insurance model can be established.
Vietnam Social Security still manages the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund.
