Digital transformation supports social welfare

With the policy of "bringing maximum benefits to the people", provincial sector of labor, war Invalids and social affairs is promoting non-cash payments on allowances for social welfare policy beneficiaries. This activity has created favorable conditions for beneficiaries, contributing to ensuring the local social welfare.

Payment mode via ATM card

This year, Nguyen Thi Ra in Phu Giao district’s Phuoc Hoa commune turned 80. Since 2001, she has begun receiving allowances for those infected with Agent Orange. Previously, she had to go to the communal People's Committee to receive her monthly allowance. By making non-cash payments, she now does not need to go to the communal People's Committee and can still receive the full amount of benefit via her bank account. This change brings a lot of convenience to her.

A patient is guided how to use her integrated citizen identification card to obtain medical examination and treatment registration numbers at provincial General Hospital

As of now, the whole province has had 36,384 subjects paid regular allowances via ATM cards, accounting for 79% of total. Among them, revolutionary contributors account for 89% and those under social support account for 69%. The organization of non-cash payments is carried out scientifically and reasonably, ensuring safety and saving time for social welfare recipients.

Under the social welfare model through the electronic identification application (VNeID), provincial DoLISA has coordinated with sectors and localities to clean data and manage it on the specialized software system with 2 groups, including revolutionary contributors and those under social support. Currently, provincial DoLISA has provided a specific list of 36,384 subjects paid allowances via ATM cards for provincial Department of Information and Communications (DoIC) so that the unit will coordinate with the Police Department on administrative management of social order (C06 under the Ministry of Public Security) to deploy a solution to display the status of social welfare payment management on the provincial digital citizen app and VNeID application.

The reality shows that non-cash payment on social welfare allowances has created convenience for policy beneficiaries. Some recipients who do not live locally do not need to make a power of attorney and still receive full and timely allowances. On the other hand, this payment method ensures high safety for relevant units when making payments.

There are still many obstacles

In the process of implementing non-cash payments, the province's sector of labor, invalids and social affairs has also encountered many difficulties. Most people with meritorious services and social support are old with special circumstances, so they don’t have complete information to be issued identification codes and citizen identification cards.  Many cases cannot open ATM cards, due to lack of information or not being able to sign their names under the regulations of the banking system.

Phu Giao district’s youth propagandizing and guiding people how to make non-cash payments

In fact, opening accounts and using ATM cards for these subjects is limited in terms of access to technology. Meanwhile, there are very few ATMs installed, making them difficult to withdraw money. Some subjects register permanent residence in the locality, but often go to work, live temporarily in other localities or change addresses, so updating information is sometimes not timely.

In order to make non-cash payments for social assistance policies effectively, contributing to successfully implementing the Government’s Project No.06, provincial sector of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has recommended authorities to improve, upgrade, complete additional functions and utilities on public service software; share data connection from a specialized software to support people and officials more easily and conveniently. In addition to maintaining the implementation of non-cash payments to social welfare beneficiaries as directed, the sector has continued making payments in cash for a number of people with meritorious services and social protection, including the elderly, the mentally ill, the disabled, children with difficult circumstances under 15 years old through the postal system…

Trinh Duc Tai, Director of provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DoLISA) said that in order to promote digital transformation in non-cash social welfare payments, provincial DoLISA has directed specialized departments and units under the department to promote the task of setting up, completing the industry's ecosystem and database on the basis of maximizing the results of the national population database, ensuring synchronization, saving and efficiency. “With the determination to successfully implement non-cash subsidy payments under the Project No.06, officials across the sector have joined forces to promote the implementation of this policy. Up to now, non-cash payments for subsidies in the province have brought positive results. This has not only brought convenience to subjects, but also actively contributed to the province's digital transformation process", Mr. Tai affirmed.

Reported by Kim Ha-Translated by Kim Tin