On the afternoon of June 25, the National Assembly discussed in groups the Government's report on the contents of wage reform, adjusting pensions, social insurance benefits, preferential allowances for meritorious people, and social allowances from July 1.

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh informed that the Party and State aim to deeply innovate wage policies so that workers can fully devote themselves to their work.

“Paying wages based on job position is a very new idea, it will have to be done, but at this time there are still many shortcomings, it cannot be implemented yet,” the Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly expressed agreement with the Government's proposal.

Standing member of the National Assembly’s Finance and Budget Committee Le Minh Nam also agreed with the report of the Government and the auditing agency on implementing salary reform and related policies according to the roadmap "step by step, ensuring feasibility, efficiency, and suitability with the budget's ability to pay."

Regarding the adjustment of the basic salary from the current VND 1.8 million to VND 2.34 million/month (an increase of 30%), Mr. Nam said that the goal of this salary increase is to improve the lives of salary earners. However, the Government needs to pay attention to controlling inflation.

"The Government needs to have solutions to limit negative impacts, especially to minimize salary increases leading to price increases, reducing the meaning of salary increases," Mr. Nam noted.

Nam also recommended strictly implementing the provisions of the Law on Prices related to price declaration, publicly and transparently disclosing price information to avoid speculation, profiteering, or improper implementation of the provisions of the Law on Prices.

For items that cannot be intervened by legal tools and must operate according to market mechanisms, the State also needs policies. "It is necessary to inspect and check to control the implementation of prices," Mr. Nam suggested.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council Nguyen Xuan Thang also noted the need to control prices when increasing salaries from July 1. Because, if not careful, the price increase rate will exceed the salary increase rate, thereby making it impossible to improve and enhance the lives of cadres, workers, and civil servants.

Reporting further to the National Assembly, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that adjusting the basic salary by 30%, adjusting pensions, social insurance benefits, preferential allowances for meritorious people, and social benefits will affect more than 50 million people currently attached to the basic salary. Therefore, the total funding source for this is very large.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that the initial plan implemented according to Resolution 27, the Government calculated the total funding need for salary increase for three years (2024 - 2026) at about VND 760,000 billion, an average increase of more than 20%.

However, when adjusting the basic salary, it increased by 30%, along with a 10% bonus in the total basic salary fund and related policies, bringing the total funding source to VND 913,300 billion.

Therefore, in the coming time, the Government proposed to add additional resources for salary reform and related policies for 2024 and the following years. The Government can ensure this source.

According to Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, the Government has so far accumulated VND 680,000 billion. In the remaining two years, when there are signs of positive economic recovery along with many solutions to increase revenue, the Government will strive to ensure sources of salary reform to implement the overall program.

Along with that is controlling inflation, because there is currently a concern that salary increases will increase prices. "When implementing the 20.8% adjustment in 2023, there was such a mentality, but in reality, the CPI increase was insignificant, not exceeding the threshold prescribed by the National Assembly," said the Minister of Home Affairs.

Currently, the Government is trying to control inflation at 4 - 4.5%. The Government has developed a detailed scenario, issued a resolution to both promote economic growth, control inflation, stabilize the macro economy and has issued many telegrams requesting early initiative. From there, ensuring the value of salary increases for related subjects.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra also emphasized that the journey after 2026 must have very drastic solutions, save expenses, increase revenue, report to competent authorities to supplement Resolution 27 to implement salary reform synchronously, specifically, and fully.

"This is the best possible solution, the general spirit is to create a sense of satisfaction and try to spread this spirit to motivate the team of civil servants, public employees, and workers to make greater efforts, fulfill political tasks well, and promote economic development of the locality and the country," Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra shared.

Thu Hang