HÀ NỘI – Avoiding paying social security fees and social security debt has continued to increase, said the Social Insurance Agency’s Deputy Director General Phạm Lương Sơn.

According to the agency, the number of employers that don’t pay workers’ social insurance or health insurance has risen in the first two months of this year.

Non-payment of the obligations is a problem at State-owned, private and foreign-invested enterprises, Sơn said.

By the end of last year, total social security, health and unemployment insurance debt was VNĐ7.58 trillion (US$336.8 million), equivalent to 3.2 per cent of the collection plan.

Of that, social security debt was VNĐ6.55 trillion, unemployment insurance debt VNĐ323 billion, and health insurance debt was VNĐ705 billion.

The causes of the situation, according to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Doãn Mậu Diệp, was a lack of awareness from employers, few inspections from the State, weak punishments and labourers lacking knowledge of their rights to insurance.

The deputy minister said punishments for employers who avoid paying social security obligations have been applied, while the labour inspection force was urged to collect social insurance money. 

Meanwhile, the Việt Nam Social Insurance Agency’s Deputy Director General Phạm Lương Sơn said this year, under the direction of the Government and insurance company, the agency would name and shame enterprises that were in social security debt.  

By the end of February, the number of people participating in compulsory social insurance was 13 million, unemployment insurance 11.2 million, voluntary social insurance 225,000 and health insurance 76.1 million people.

In the first two months of 2017, the whole sector earned VNĐ33.37 trillion, up VNĐ7.53 trillion over the same period of last year.

Of which, compulsory social insurance was VNĐ22.99 trillion, voluntary social insurance was VNĐ130 billion, unemployment insurance was VNĐ1.83 trillion and health insurance was VNĐ8.42 trillion. — VNS