VSI to cut social insurance debt to under 3%

November 16, 2017 - 07:00

Việt Nam Social Insurance (VSI) looks to reduce social insurance debt to below 3 per cent of its estimate this year, heard a conference on VSI operations held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

Bạch Mai Hospital has published the new price list of medical services in order to serve from 2,500 to 3,000 patients a day. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Ngọc
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam Social Insurance (VSI) hopes to reduce social insurance debt to below 3 per cent of its full-year collection plan for this year, heard a conference held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

According to Nguyễn Trí Đại, head of the collection department at VSI, by the end of October, compulsory social insurance and voluntary social insurance collection have failed to reach targets, hitting 95.2 per cent and 58.9 per cent respectively.

He also said unpaid social insurance premiums reached VNĐ16.6 trillion (US$731 million) by end of October, accounting for 6.3 per cent of the full-year collection plan.

He said that of the VNĐ16.6 trillion, a large portion had been owed for less than six months, with social insurance making up VNĐ7.3 trillion and unpaid health insurance VNĐ1.5 trillion.

Đại attributed the huge insurance debt to poor compliance with social insurance regulations by enterprises and insurance agencies. Some agencies do not report debt to local governments.

The VSI will take measures to cut social insurance debt owed by businesses to slash the insurance debt ratio to below 3 per cent of the plan in the last months of this year, he said.

Social insurance agencies in provinces were asked to collect from enterprises that have not paid for less than six months and work with law enforcement agencies to inspect those that have owed insurance for more than six months.

Trần Đình Liệu, deputy general of VSI said as of October 31, provincial social insurance agencies had conducted 2,328 inspections on the collection of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance, with few results.

Liệu said suing businesses owing social insurance premiums is a measure to reduce debt.

According to the Social Insurance Law, Labour Code and Civil Law, firms owing social insurance premiums can be taken to court, but suing businesses on the brink of bankruptcy has been problematic, with even successful lawsuits unlikely to yield payment.

The VSI was working with agencies to set up a decree which detailed the inspections as well as punishment on businesses who failed to obey insurance regulations to protect the interests of labourers. Cases will be referred to the police and settled in accordance with the law, he said. — VNS

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