A retiree receives pension at a Nhà Bè Social Insurance branch in HCM City. The HCM City Social Insurance Agency on Wednesday began to pay monthly pensions and social insurance benefits to pensioners through post offices in a few more districts. — Photo vov.vn

HCM CITY— The HCM City Social Insurance Agency on Wednesday began to pay monthly pensions and social insurance benefits to pensioners through post offices in a few more districts.

It has added Hóc Môn, Củ Chi, Nhà Bè and Cần Giờ besides three wards of Tân Phú. Last July it had begun a pilot scheme to pay through post offices in Districts 1 and Bình Chánh.

The new model is aimed at replacing the traditional one that requires pensioners to go to local people’s committees to get their money.

Nguyễn Thị Hồng Liên of Nhà Bè District said it took her just five minutes to complete the paperwork and get her monthly pension at the Nhà Bè town post office.

The post office workers were polite, Liên, who was among nearly 100 pensioners who went to the post office on Wednesday (May 4), said.

The Nhà Bè post office is scheduled to pay around 500 pensioners every month.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Vân, deputy director of the HCM City Post Office, said money would be delivered home to people aged above 80 and those who are sick for free.

Cao Văn Sang, director of the HCM City Social Insurance Agency, said most pensioners have expressed satisfaction with the service they receive at post offices nine months into the pilot programme.

The procedures for pension payment have been streamlined to make them faster and more convenient, he said.

A total of 5,217 people in District 1 have got pensions and social insurance benefits worth VNĐ21.1 billion (US$942,000) at post offices in District 1 since last July.

In Bình Chánh, VNĐ5.4 billion ($241,000) has been paid to more than 1,700 people.

The scheme will be expanded to all wards in the city by October when nearly 124,400 people will benefit. — VNS