How VSS Handles Administrative Procedures during Social Distancing Period

During the social isolation period under the Prime Minister’s Directive 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 on urgent measures to prevent and control Covid-19 pandemic, to effectively enforce this directive, the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) pays special attention to directing local social security agencies to carry out measures on administrative procedure reform, information technology application to professional activities to ensure best interests of policyholders of social insurance and health insurance.

Specifically, on March 31 and April 1, VSS issued Official Dispatches 1061/BHXH-PC and 1068/BHXH-PC on receiving and resolving administrative procedures during the peak phase of preventing the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, VSS requires social security agencies of provinces and cities to:

Firstly, promote the receipt of administrative procedures and return of settlement results in electronic platforms, ensure best benefits of policyholders of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance in accordance with the law.

Secondly, for receiving administrative procedures and returning settlement results at the single-window division of social security agencies from April 1, 2020 through April 15, 2020: Arranging employees to best serve policyholders of social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance while ensuring Covid-19 pandemic prevention as directed by the Government and the Prime Minister.

Thirdly, with respect to receiving applications and returning results of administrative procedures through public postal service from April 1, 2020 through April 15, 2020, social security agencies agreed with post offices on receipt of documents and return of results as per Directive 16/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister.

Fourthly, for administrative procedures concerning social security conducted at the Provincial Public Administration Center, the division in charge of receiving administrative procedures and returning results will work with directions of local authorities.

After April 15, 2020, receiving administrative procedures and returning settlement results will comply with laws on social security and the Government’s and the Prime Minister’s directions on Covid-19 epidemic prevention solutions.

With solutions to accelerate the receipt of administrative procedures and return of settlement results via electronic platforms, organizations and individuals do not have to visit social security agencies to perform social insurance procedures, thus avoiding face-to-face contacts when the Government is advocating social distancing. In addition to carrying out electronic transactions, the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is effectively providing support for organizations and individuals with VSS’s online transaction systems such as the Customer Service Center at the telephone hotline 19009068 (about 2,000-4,000 calls per day), the website, the Facebook page with chatbot, and multimedia interactive messaging system.

By Huong Thom, Vietnam Business Forum