The plan targeted different objectives, including developing social insurance system and having 100 percent of population get health insurance by 2014, according to Huong, head of the Institute of Labors and Society Science under the Ministry of Labors, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

Assuring all people have an access to social services like health, legal supports and clean water, and decreasing poverty were other targets, Huong said, adding that nearly half of the investment would come from the state budget.

The project also aimed to strengthen equality in the labor market, supporting disadvantaged laborers join the market, she noted.

According to Huong, a large part of Vietnamese laborers, mainly those who come from countryside and work without signing contract, were yet to enjoy the same social welfare policies as contracted ones.

“Our labor market at the moment is yet to bring benefits to all laborers,” so the project wanted to guarantee that all people would enjoy the same policies and get the minimum living standards, she said.

The institute may propose the government launch preferential credit programs specific for uncontracted laborers so they could have better income, Huong added.

“Good income is the base for all social welfare programs,” she noted.

Building better infrastructure for the services and increasing people’s awareness about social welfares’ benefits were also significant to make the project successful, Huong said.

However, the official admitted that the 2011-2020 project was just an immediate solution and that Vietnam should help increase the number of employees working under contract as a long-term way out.

(Source: Thanhnien)