Localities speed up disbursement in support of pandemic-hit labourers

HCM City (VNA) – So far, more than 138,300 labourers in Ho Chi Minh City have received housing rent support under the Prime Minister’s decision, according to the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The document, dated March 28, 2022, aims to assist workers who face housing difficulties and to help enterprises maintain production and attract back employees who left the country's largest economic hub for their hometowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the decision, labourers working in enterprises will receive 500,000 VND (22 USD) per person each month and those returning to the labour market 1,000,000 VND. The policy targets some 3.4 million labourers.

The beneficiaries, who are working for 2,723 businesses in 18 districts, have received aid worth some 73 billion VND, the department said at a meeting on July 28.

The city insurance sector has completed procedures for over 818,000 employees of 23,000 firms to benefit from the policy. Meanwhile, Thu Duc city and districts in HCM City issued decisions on nearly 217,000 labourers, with total funding of over 115 billion VND.

The department proposed the municipal People’s Committee to instruct the localities to step up the work, noting that dossiers should be submitted to competent agencies before August 15 and the disbursement must be done at the end of August.

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang has also worked hard to implement the Government’s Resolution dated July 1, 2021, on a number of support policies towards employees and employers affected by the COVID-19.

Ma Chi Thanh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said nearly 420 billion VND has been allocated to 1,379 enterprises, 14,270 household businesses and 281,179 labourers.

Soc Trang will work to ensure that nobody is missed, the official said, adding that agencies and localities have also called on donors to support poor and near-poor households hit by the pandemic./.