Reviewing the progress of supporting people with meritorious services with difficulty in housing and freelance workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

– On the morning of July 27, the Provincial People’s Committee held a meeting to review the progress of supporting people with meritorious services with difficulty in housing and freelance workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee chaired the meeting.

At the meeting, the leader of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA) presented a report on the implementation plan to support people with meritorious services with difficulty in housing. Accordingly, the whole province has 1,202 households supported in 2021 – 2022 with a total budget of 33.16 billion VND. According to the progress, in 2021, 618 households will have been supported by July 26, 2021, the whole province has 108 households that have built and repaired their houses; 173 households have not yet started to build new house; 337 households have not been repaired.

Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee concludes the meeting

Recently, because the districts and cities have not been provided with funds, the households have not yet started to newly construct and repair, some families are preparing materials for construction and repair. It is expected that from now until the end of 2021, the supported households will complete the construction and repair.

The support funding is 70% from the provincial budget and the socializing mobilization fund of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee and the provincial socio-political organizations, the rest is supported by the People’s Committees of districts and city from district budget and other lawful mobilized sources for implementation.

As for supporting workers without labor contracts affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to statistics until July 23, 2021, the province has 6,221 people, Huu Lung district itself has about 4,000 people; the remaining districts and city have from 100 to 500 people; the total support in need is about 9.3 billion VND with a support level of 1.5 million VND/person/time.

Currently, the funding mobilized from the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels is not enough to support this number of freelance workers, therefore the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has reported and submitted a proposal to the Provincial People’s Committee to consider allocating financial support from the provincial budget, and at the same time, developed a draft decision on the implementation of the policy to support freelance workers affected by the pandemic and submitted it to the Provincial People’s Committee for consideration and promulgation.

Speaking at the meeting, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee suggested that for housing support for people with meritorious services, after the review for a balancing support funding in 2021, the departments, sectors, mass organizations and localities continue to prepare funds for 2022, through launching and mobilizing from the level of province to district and city. He also suggested that after the meeting, the Department of Finance provide guidance on the payment and settlement of support according to regulations and send it to districts and city.

The leader of Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reports at the meeting

Regarding the support for freelance affected by the pandemic, he agreed on promulgating the decision of the Provincial People’s Committee, which agreed on a number of implementations as well as regulations on the subjects, levels of support, and support funding sources. In particular, it was emphasized that those who would be eligible to receive the support that included the employees losing their jobs for 15 consecutive days or more at the request of competent State agencies to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic from May 1 until the end of December 31, 2021.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee assigned the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to coordinate with the Office of the Provincial People’s Committee and the Department of Justice to edit documents and carefully review the subjects to advise and issue a decision on the implementation of policies to support employees without labor contracts with difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the province on July 28, 2021.