VietNamNet Bridge – In HCM City, the number of people brought into the social, health, and unemployment insurance net increased by 10.3 per cent year-on-year to 142,943 in the first five months this year, according to the Viet Nam Social Insurance Agency.

An employee pays social insurance premiums for her colleagues on behalf of her company. — Photo: VNA/VNS

The premium collected by the agency rose by 15.8 per cent to VND18.9 trillion (US$8.2 billion).

HCM City has been assigned a target of VND50.7 trillion this year.

However, as of May 31, companies owed the agency VND2.6 trillion after defaulting on premium payments for their workers.

Over the last five months, it wrote to more than 4,500 enterprises that had owed premiums for three months or more, reminding them of the dues.

Sixty companies cleared their debts.

It has sent a list of defaulters to district people’s committees.

It wants to sue companies that fail to pay up despite the reminder.

Cao Van Sang, head of the agency’s HCM City office, admitted however that suing is difficult because several clauses in the 2015 Criminal Code have yet to come into effect.

As a result, enterprises are unafraid of defaulting on payment of insurance premiums for their staff, he said. 

VNS