Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s social welfare system ne✱eds further improvements to reach targeted social care goals set by the Party and State,♔ according to experts.

The statements came from those attending a conference to evaluate the ten-year implementation of social welfare policies in Vietnam, held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation in Hanoi on April 20. Participants at the April 20 event agreed that in the 2012-2022 period, social welfare policies in Vietnam were developed in a complete, comprehensive and inclusive manner, becoming an important factor to ensure the wellbeing of all, especially the poor and disadvantaged people and those from ethnic minority groups, mountainous and remote areas. The experts said Vietnam attained great strides in ensuring social welfare for its people since the Resolution No.15-NQ/TW on social policies was issued in 2012. With focus on the rights of women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, social policies were built based on four pillars of job creation and poverty reduction, social insurance, social support and expansion of basic social service policies. In the past decade, a one-time subsidy was granted for up to 8,000 people who rendered service to the nation while 1.3 million others received monthly allowances. The nation created jobs for 1.6 million workers each year, stabilizing the unemployment rate at 2-2.2 percent. Social insurance - the key pillar of social welfare - has drawn the participation of a rising number of local residents, they said, stressing that the majority of disadvantaged and needy people received regular support. The number of people joining social insurance increased from 10.2 million in 2011 to 16.6 million in 2021.  Additionally, the national target programme on sustainable poverty alleviation during 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 was carried out in an effective fashion, with average income of the impoverished rising 3.5 times as compared to 2010. Notably, Vietnam had completed the Millennium Development Goal on poverty reduction 10 years earlier than the set deadline, and the country has been recognised by the international community as a model of hunger elimination and poverty reduction, they said. According to Director of the Institute of Labour and Social Sciences Bui Ton Hien, Resolution No.15-NQ/TW helped raise public awareness on the significance of social policies in the nation’s socio-economic development. However, experts pointed out that there are still loopholes in the social welfare system in Vietnam, requiring further efforts. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi said several policies were not able to benefit all people and lacked sustainability while there was a giant gap in spiritual life among regions and people. “Social allowance for people is still low. Besides, social welfare quality is not good enough to assure a better life for the people”, he highlighted. In the meantime, Vietnam is facing formidable challenges to carry out social policies since the country is on the cusp of a dramatic aging of the population. Some 10 percent of its population was 60 and older from 2011.  The nation is going through the demographic transition to an older society at an earlier stage of economic development and a lower level of per capita income than other countries who have experienced a similar shift. Vietnam will become an aged society by 2039 and likely to face the prospect of “getting old before financial stability”. Additionally, climate change and sea level rise have left critical impacts on local livelihoods, exerting pressure on the nation’s social welfare system in ensuring human rights in accessing job opportunities and basic social services. At the event, Andre Gama, Social Protection Programme Manager at the ILO Vietnam highlighted future reforms to be made in accordance with the country’s socio-economic development, and based on the attained achievements in the past decade. Experts said reforms must be designed based on the principle that “no one is left behind”, with a combination of different policies that meet diversified needs. Deputy Minister Hoi affirmed people will continue to be the centre of all social welfare policies which will be built in accordance with the economic development. “Investment in people and social policies aims at realising sustainable development goals”, he stressed./.