According to the VSS, social insurance debt premiumsnationwide have amounted to more than 6.6 trillion VND (280.9 million USD),increasing by 1.3 trillion VND (55 million USD) compared to the end of lastyear. The debt ratio accounts 2.7 percent of the full-year collection plan.
Social insurance debt has been reported to increase in allprovinces and cities in all economic sectors, especially at private, jointstock, partnership and joint venture enterprises.
The VSS named and shamed enterprises that owe debtsamounting to billions of VND.
LILAMA 3 Joint Stock Company in Hanoi’s Me Linh districtowed 32.2 billion VND (1.37 million USD).
Nam Phuong Limited Company in HCM City’s Cu Chi district hasnot paid 28.9 billion VND (1.22 million USD).
Sai Gon Postel Corp in HCM City’s district 1 owed 27.9billion VND (1.18 million USD).
Mai Duc Thang, deputy head of the VSS Collection Department,said at a regular VSS briefing on March 26 that long overdue payments are dueto a lack of regulations on debt management and settlement.
The VSS and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and SocialAffairs have been working on the issue but have not reached an agreement.
A number of enterprises spend payments on Tet (LunarNew Year) bonus, leading to the social insurance debt payment delay, he said.
Thang said grassroots trade unions try to advocate for theenterprises to pay their debts and ensure benefits for labourers, but theirinfluence remains limited.
To reach the whole year debt reduction target, the VSS plansto cut the debt ratio from the first months of the year.
The VSS will conduct unscheduled inspections of debt-owingunits. If units that owe debts for more than three months have not beeninspected, warning will be issued through the national database.
Results of the inspections must be reported to police,labour unions and other related authorities for further punishments.
The VSS plans to take stronger actions against overduesocial insurance payments by publicising a list of debt-owing enterprises on themass media.
The enterprises that have been penalised but stilldelay payment will be reported to the police to start criminal proceedings.
The VSS has ordered local social security agencies sendmonthly debt collection reports to local authorities to better supervisepayments.-VNS/VNA