VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has to improve provision of social protection for women and girls because current policies are not inclusive enough, officials and experts said at a policy dialogue held in the capital city yesterday.

Customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City seized 2kg of methamphetamine being smuggled into Viet Nam yesterday.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The current social insurance in Vietnam is having a big discrimination where military personnel and civil servants are having an advantage over workers from the private sector, according to labor experts.

 Two men have been arrested by the Dong Da District Police for stealing electronic devices from the Centre for Gene-Protein Research at Ha Noi Medical University.

VietNamNet Bridge – Civil servants, members of the armed forces and socio-political organisation stafff will enjoy an increase of 9.5 per cent to their monthly minimum wage from July 1.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Enterprises that delay paying social insurance will be subject to a fine three times higher than the current level if the amended draft Social Insurance Law goes into effect.

"If wages continue to rise, it is forecast that by 2023, with about 10 million pensioners, the social insurance fund will have only enough money to pay retirement pension, not enough for investment," warned a senior official.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The number of people taking social and healthcare insurance amounted to over 60 million in 2012, equivalent to 68% of the population, according to the Viet Nam Social Security.

The Government's Decree 103, which takes effect this month, increases regional minimum wages for helpers employed by businesses, co-operatives, farms, households and individuals by VND250,000-350,000 per month.