The National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs convened its 14th plenary session in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on March 2 to prepare for the upcoming National Assembly sitting.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen.

At the event chaired by deputy head of the committee Bui Sy Loi, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen delivered the government’s draft report on the management and use of social insurance fund.

As of late 2015, overdue payment of compulsory social insurance amounted to 5.69 trillion VND (258.6 million USD), with 60 percent of which owed by non-State businesses. Overdue payment of unemployment insurance hit 315 billion VND (14.3 million USD), according to the report.

The Minister took the occasion to urge the NA to increase supervision of the enforcement of the Law on Social Insurance at the central and local levels, as well as add revisions to the Labour Code to deal with existing flaws regarding wage as a base to calculate social insurance payment.

As of December 31, 2015, more than 12.29 million people were covered by social insurance, 12 million of them joined compulsory social insurance, or 24.44 percent of the total workforce.

Over 225,000 joined voluntary social insurance scheme.

The committee also pointed to the slow progress of building and issuing legal documents in the field last year.

The session also mulled over the government report on the implementation of the national target programme on gender equality for 2015 and for 2011-2015.

On March 3, participants are due to listen to a report on acquiring feedback on the revised Pharmaceuticals Law and draft reports on the committee’s performance between the two NA sessions and during the 13th tenure.

VNA