Government agencies across Da Nang, for the time being, are speeding up the implementation of support policies for employees affected by COVID-19, thereby boosting post-pandemic labor market recovery.

Engineers working at the Trung Nam Electronics Manufacturing Services JSC located in the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park in Hoa Vang District. Photo: M.QUE

Over VND45 billion loaned to pay salary for employees

Most recently, the Da Nang-headquartered Thuan Phuoc Seafood and Trading JSC has showed its keen interest in the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP)-launched loan programme. The programme aims to help businesses pay salaries for their workers during work suspensions and for the recovery of production.

After a few working days, the company has approached the loan package for 3 consecutive months to pay salaries for about 1,600 employees with a total amount of VND 17.7 billion.

Mr. Tran Van Linh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, highly appreciated the effectiveness and high practice of the loan programme at 0% interest rate. He also added all loan procedures are simple, making it convenient for his company to access the loan package.

Similarly, the Dana Plywood Production and Trading One Member Limited Liability Company has recently accessed a 0% interest loan package in late 2021 to pay salaries for 42 employees with a total amount of VND 164.6 million.

According to Ms. Truong Thi Phuong Linh, the company's sales director, it took the company only a week to complete necessary dossiers and receive the loan package.

Earlier, in mid-October 2021, a total amount of about VND200 million from the city branch of the VBSP was disbursed to the Lien Chieu District-based Phu Thanh Construction Investment JSC for paying wages to its employees in August, September and October. Thanks to the VBSP's 0% interest loan package, the company has removed temporary difficulties triggered by the pandemic.

Many credit contracts to help businesses pay salaries for workers during work suspensions and for the recovery of production in general have been signed only a short time after the Prime Minister signed and promulgated Decision No.23/2021/QD-TTg on the implementation of a number of policies to support employees and employers facing difficulties due to the COVID-19.

As of February 25, 2022, the Da Nang branch of the VBSP had approved loans to 98 employers with over more than VND45.67 billion to pay salaries for over 11,900 employees.

Mr. Doan Ngoc Chung, Director of the city branch of VBSP said that the loan period has been extended until late March 31, 2022, so VBSP at all levels citywide have been actively involved in popularizing the preferential loan programme among the business community as well as employees.

Moreover, the city branch of VBSP has coordinated with the municipal Social Insurance Department to accelerate the processing of loan documents of customers in an effort to benefit both employers and employees in the city.

All businesses that are eligible for loans can meet 100% of their loan needs to pay salaries for employees and to pay for production recovery.

In addition, the city has entrusted VBSP with VND100 billion from the beginning of 2022 to strengthen the implementation of credit programmes to support job maintenance and creation. In the coming time, VBSP will continue to increase disbursement of social housing loan programmes, especially for low-income workers and employees.

Active support for employees at educational establishments

The Hai Chau District-based V.B.P.O JSC is one of the companies in the city that have accessed loan packages to pay salaries for employees and restore production and business. Photo: M.QUE

Currently, the district-level Offices of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs are receiving applications to support employees with labour contracts or no labour contracts according to Resolution No. 68 /NQ-CP and Plan No. 135/KH-UBND dated July 19, 2021 issued by the Da Nang People's Committee on implementing and supporting employees and employers facing difficulties due to COVID-19.

Accordingly, employed teachers and staffs at non-public preschool and secondary school educational institutions (except for teachers and employees of private preschools who work without labour contracts), foreign language centres and computer centres in the city who temporarily ceased working without salary for 15 consecutive days or more, from 1 May 2021 to the end of 31 December 2021, are entitled to a lump- sum allowance of VND1.5 million/person/time.

As of February 28, 2022, localities nationwide have received 2,613 applications and issued decisions to support 703 people with an amount of more than VND1.05 billion.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Hoang, Director of the city's Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, said “We want all eligible workers to have access to the support policy, especially those who do not enjoy the allocated pay fund, without labour contracts. Currently, most foreign language and informatics centres are closed, so teachers and staff have not returned to work, leading to slow access to such support policy”.

The Department is directing the local Offices of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs at all levels to publicise the support policy amongst employees and employers.

In addition, in order to soon restore the labour market, the Department is strengthening the implementation of consulting activities, introducing jobs, and organising online job fairs, to support enterprises to overcome the labour shortage".

Reporting by MAI QUE - Translating by M.DUNG