Reporting the working delegation, the Municipal Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs informed that the city has over 6.5 million people subject to receive financial support with a total amount of over VND6,523 billion (US$283 million) under the Resolution No.97/NQ-HDND of the HCMC People’s Council.
However, there are still three districts having low rates of spending financial support due to expense shortages including Cu Chi with 76 percent, Binh Tan with 56 percent and Binh Chanh with over 41 percent.
Deputy Director of the Municipal Department of Finance Tran Mai Phuong informed that the city had allocated the expense quotation for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control and had implemented the supported policy being applied to residents affected by the pandemic for departments, the People’s Committees of Thu Duc City and districts with a total amount of nearly VND18,370 billion (US$796 million).
Meanwhile, the actual demand is over VND32,400 billion (US$1.4 billion), therefore, the city needs around VND14,000 billion (US$606 million) to comprehensively implement the supported policy.
According to Ms. Tran Mai Phuong, during tough times of the pandemic, the localities and units had submitted the high quotation causing huge pressure on the city on budget balancing. The quotation dedicated to the pandemic prevention and control had also been changed continuously. The quotation demand for pandemic prevention and control and people support have not been reviewed and identified so far.
Concluding at the working session, Head of the working delegation, Head of the Department of Society and Culture under the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council Cao Thanh Binh proposed the departments, districts and Thu Duc City to review the spending on supporting people affected by the pandemic, re-collect the spending for inappropriate subjects; protect the officials, staff and relevant people related to false rumors.
Regarding the proposal for additional expenses, Mr. Cao Thanh Binh stressed that the authorities would spend the expense following the regulation and the Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Health and Department of Finance needed to collaborate and consult the Municipal People’s Committee to timely remove the barriers.
