Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung (left) had talks with Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO — Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Đào Ngọc Dung had a working session with Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo on September 5, suggesting that the Japanese side consider the exemption of residence tax and income tax for Vietnamese interns as applied to those from other countries.

Kato thanked the MOLISA for working closely with ministries and sectors of Japan in bringing Vietnamese apprentices to Japan to work over the years, affirming that Japan prioritises cooperation with Việt Nam in receiving Vietnamese apprentices, skilled workers and engineers.

He said that his ministry has given strict punishments, including the withdrawal of licences, to businesses violating regulations in receiving foreign apprentices, especially acts of violence against foreign workers or unsatisfactory working conditions.

Dung highly valued the coordination of the MHLW over the years as well as the cooperation outcomes between the two ministries in labour and social welfare, especially in human resources development.

He said that Japan is one of the favourite destinations for Vietnamese workers. For higher cooperation efficiency, he suggested that Kato propose to the Japanese Government expanding areas receiving Vietnamese workers, especially sectors that face workforce shortage such as restaurant, hotel, and bus services.

Minister Kato committed to coordinating with relevant ministries to consider Dung’s proposals.

The same day, Dung had a working session with Hitoshi Kanamori, President of the Public Interest Foundation International Manpower Development Organization (IM Japan), during which the Vietnamese labour minister highly valued IM Japan’s programme to receive foreign interns. He noted that over the past 17 years, 17,838 Vietnamese interns have arrived in Japan within the programme.

He proposed that IM Japan continue to support Vietnamese interns, while increasing the inspection over Japanese businesses to ensure good working and studying conditions for the interns.

Dung expressed his hope that the memorandum of understanding on the technical internship training programme for Vietnamese technical interns in Japan signed by the MOLISA and IM Japan in June will be implemented effectively and become a model of labour cooperation between the two countries.

Kanamori committed to enhancing its management capacity and directing member enterprises to improve the living and working conditions for Vietnamese workers.

During his stay in Japan, Minister Dung has also visited Taisei Industry Corporation and Aioi Denshi company in Kanagawa Prefecture.

On September 6, he has a working session with Japanese Minister of Justice Hanashi Yasuhiro to discuss measures to further increase the sending of Vietnamese workers to Japan, improve the workers’ working conditions and minimise illegal residence by the workers. — VNS