On the afternoon of December 10, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc met with ministries and branches on restructuring and streamlining the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) apparatus.

At the meeting, General Director of Vietnam Social Security Nguyen The Manh gave an overview of the social security network, its characteristics and operations and management of the Social Security and Health Insurance Funds.

Based on practice and international experience, in recent years Vietnam Social Security has implemented the arrangement, streamlining of the apparatus, and reduction of staff.

Implementing the instructions of the superiors, based on the requirements to ensure sustainability and increase coverage, Vietnam Social Security has developed a plan to transfer Vietnam Social Security from being under the Government to being under the Ministry of Finance. Organized into a public service unit under the Ministry of Finance.

At the same time, it is proposed to streamline the apparatus as follows: Currently, Vietnam Social Security has 21 departments and equivalents, and will implement mergers and consolidations to reduce 5 units.

Similarly, at the provincial and municipal social insurance agencies, arrangements will be made to reduce 24.6% of the number of focal points. At the district level, we will continue to streamline and organize inter-district models in favorable localities, while taking into account the characteristics of disadvantaged districts, thereby reducing the number of social insurance focal points at the district level.

Vietnam Social Security also made proposals related to unemployment insurance management and implementation of supplementary pension insurance.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc stated that streamlining the apparatus to be compact, reducing regular expenditures, operating effectively, and improving national governance capacity. Outlining the timeframes to be implemented, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the arrangement must be more compact than before, operating more effectively, with less regular expenditures, and the level of focal points must be reduced by at least 15%; reducing intermediaries; decentralizing and delegating powers more strongly and clearly; applying information technology and cashless payments vigorously.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the requirement that the working apparatus must remain stable to ensure the rights of social insurance participants.

It is recommended that Vietnam Social Security calculate the name to be appropriate for a non-budgetary State fund at the national level, located at the Ministry of Finance but operating independently in accordance with the provisions of law; ensuring continuity, interconnectivity, and serving the people best, anytime, anywhere. The Ministry of Finance only performs the function of state management.

The Deputy Prime Minister also gave his opinion on the Social Insurance Management Council; ending the activities of the Party Executive Committee, establishing a Party Committee; and drafting a Decree on functions, tasks, and scope of work.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested to reduce the central social insurance apparatus, keep only the "backbone" units, merge and consolidate units with similar characteristics; reduce the provincial insurance apparatus. For mountainous districts, due to the terrain characteristics, it should be kept intact. As for the plain areas, it can be reduced and an inter-district social insurance model established.

Vietnam Social Security still manages the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Health Insurance Fund.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that Vietnam Social Security receive comments to complete and submit the report within the prescribed time.