Ministry proposes loosened conditions for access to support package

Businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have more opportunities to get access to the 62 trillion VND (2.6 billion USD) package, the first of its kind financed by the Government during the outbreak period.
Ministry proposes loosened conditions for access to support package ảnh 1Workers receive gifts after losing jobs due to COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemicwill likely have more opportunities to get access to the 62 trillion VND (2.6billion USD) package, the first of its kind financed by the Government duringthe outbreak period.

Thisis a key part of a proposal sent to the Government by the Ministry ofLabour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) this week, revising andsupplementing the Government’s Resolution 42/ND-CP on supporting people facingdifficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ifthe proposal is approved, some conditions and requirements for businesses andworkers will be eliminated and simplified. The number of beneficiaries isexpected to increase.

Peoplewho had to stop working temporarily will enjoy financial support fromFebruary 1, this year, instead of the current regulation from April 1.

Regardingconditions for loans to pay salaries during the work stoppage, MARDproposed the Government remove the requirement that employers have paid atleast 50 percent of the work stoppage salary. This proposal is in accordancewith Clause 3, Article 98 of the Labour Code.

MoLISAalso recommended revisions to loan applications, procedures, approvals anddisbursement, in which the employers will self-declare and takeresponsibility for the accuracy of the number of employees whostopped working, as well as their revenue, that satisfies the loan conditionsas prescribed.

Onthe 5th day of each month, the employers will send the loan application to theBank for Social Policies and its branches and offices.

ViceChairman and General Secretary of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises(Hanoisme) Mac Quoc Anh said the association's members agreed withMoLISA’s proposal to loosen the conditions, so that the 62 trillion VND packagecan be put into practice.

“Theapplication of this package is not effective because it includes too many stepsand procedures,” Anh told VietnamTelevision.

Anincomplete survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industryrevealed that only 20 percent of businesses have received support from theGovernment’s packages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile,a report from Hanoisme showed that, up to June 10, more than 400workers who had stopped working had received financial support fromthe 62 trillion VND package.

Accordingto economist Can Van Luc, the preliminary statistics to the end of July showedthat the number of applications was equivalent to about 30 percent of thepackage value, while the actual amount disbursed was about 12 trillion VND,about 20 percent.

“Withthe Government’s second package, the estimated scale from MoLISA is about 18.6trillion VND, I think this package shows the efforts of the State budget,however, its coverage is relatively limited,” Luc said.

Lucsaid it was necessary to drastically disburse these support packages tostimulate the economy.

“Itis necessary to provide additional support for informal workers andseasonal workers, which account for a sizeable portion of about 27 millionpeople, who have been severely affected by COVID-19,” he added./.
VNA

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