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Ho Chi Minh City has given financial support to 6,618,823 out of 7,367,865 people, merely reaching 88.48 percent with the corresponding amount of nearly VND6.52 trillion. (Photo: SGGP) |
The remaining 849,042 people, with the corresponding amount of VND849 billion, could not be supported due to a shortage of funds.
The HCMC National Assembly Deputies Delegation, on the morning of December 21, had a meeting on the supervision of the mobilization, management, and use of resources for Covid-19 pandemic prevention; the implementation of legal policies on grassroots health and preventive medicine with the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the HCMC Social Security, and the State Bank of Vietnam - HCMC Branch.
Review and support spending face difficulties
Ms. Huynh Le Nhu Trang, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said that in 2020, units under the department spent more than VND1 trillion on the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and fight. In 2021, when the pandemic broke out strongly, units expended more than VND17 trillion and are estimated to spend about VND8.5 billion in 2022.
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Ms. Huynh Le Nhu Trang, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, speaks at the meeting. (Photo: SGGP) |
Regarding the results of management, use, and settlement of funds for Covid-19 prevention in 2020 and 2021, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs has settled with a total amount of nearly VND19 trillion; the budget for pandemic prevention and control in 2022 is about VND994 billion. Regarding the implementation of groups of solutions to support businesses and people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, 562,817 subjects were resolved in 2020, with an amount of more than VND615.5 billion.
From 2021 to November 2022, support for 3,883,894 subjects under Resolution No.68/NQ-CP and Decision No.23/2021/QD-TTg was implemented with an amount of nearly VND4.28 trillion.
Along with that, by November 2, this unit has also provided support for 9,912,965 subjects, with more than VND11.33 trillion under the HCMC's private support policy. In 2021 and 2022, the city also mobilized VND21.5 billion from socialization sources to care for orphans and disadvantaged children affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The unit has also mobilized resources to support children with special circumstances and orphans due to the Covid-19 pandemic with VND106.3 billion on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, International Children's Day, and Lunar New Year. It is expected at the end of December 2022, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs will continue to give savings books and support funds to orphans due to the Covid-19 pandemic with a total budget of VND2.2 billion.
However, according to Ms. Huynh Le Nhu Trang, although the support programs of the Government and the city have been timely implemented by departments, agencies, and districts, close to reality, contributing to ensuring social security, order, and safety, due to the rapid change of the pandemic, prolonged social distancing, and an increasingly enlarged target, departments, agencies, and districts have faced many difficulties in reviewing and providing financial support for underprivileged subjects.
The biggest difficulty is the funding source to conduct support expenditure. "Up to now, the city has not completed the payment to beneficiaries of support policies because some localities lack funds," Ms. Huynh Le Nhu Trang informed and said that the implementation of Resolution No.97/NQ-HDND of the Standing Committee of the HCMC People's Council on support policies for people facing difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, so far, the city has provided support for 6,618,823 out of 7,367,865 people, reaching 88.48 percent, with the corresponding amount of VND6.52 trillion. The remaining 849,042 people with the corresponding amount of VND849 billion could not be supported due to a lack of funds.
Ms. Van Thi Bach Tuyet, Deputy Head of the specialized delegation, the HCMC NA Deputies Delegation, said that the delay in spending support for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic would make the initial goal of the policy unable to achieve.
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Ms. Van Thi Bach Tuyet, Deputy Head of the specialized delegation, the HCMC NA Deputies Delegation, speaks at the meeting. (Photo: SGGP) |
In the process of contacting voters in localities, the delegation has received feedback about the fact that they have not yet received support from the policies of the Government and the City.
"We are surprised. We did not expect that until today, many people still have not received support," Ms. Van Thi Bach Tuyet expressed and asked the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to urgently coordinate closely with other departments, agencies, and localities, especially the Department of Finance, and proposed the HCMC People's Committee to provide funding and timely support for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, the HCMC Social Security and the State Bank of Vietnam-HCMC Branch also reported to the delegation the difficulties and obstacles in the process of implementing support policies and, at the same time, proposed measures to remove them promptly and in accordance with the actual situation.
Members of the HCMC NA Deputies Delegation also acknowledged the efforts of units that promptly reported. According to the plan, in December 2022 and January 2023, the HCMC NA Deputies Delegation will supervise the mobilization, management, and use of resources for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic; the implementation of policies and laws on grassroots health and preventive medicine in four districts, ten departments, agencies, and the HCMC People's Committee.
In the afternoon of the same day, the HCMC NA Deputies Delegation also had a working session with District 7 on this matter.
