The Vietnamese government will support unskilled laborers directly affected by Covid-19 pandemic from May 10, local media reported.

It is expected that as of May 15, the government will finish paying the relief money to beneficiary groups, including revolutionary contributors, social assistance beneficiaries and poor people.

At a recent regular meeting of the Vietnamese government, Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung affirmed that the support package delivery must ensure seriousness, publicity, transparency.

“We have not received any negative feedback from the localities regarding the payment of the financial aids," Dung said.

So far, 63/63 localities in Vietnam have delivered the welfare packages to the people in need; 40/63 provinces and cities have paid over VND20 trillion (US$855.57 million) for revolutionary contributors, social assistance beneficiaries and poor people.

People in Nguyen Trai ward, Ha Dong district receive government aid. Photo: Thuy Truc

At a recent regular meeting of the Vietnamese government, Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung affirmed that the support package delivery must ensure seriousness, publicity, transparency.

“We have not received any negative feedback from the localities regarding the payment of the financial aids," Dung said.

So far, 63/63 localities in Vietnam have delivered the welfare packages to the people in need; 40/63 provinces and cities have paid over VND20 trillion (US$855.57 million) for revolutionary contributors, social assistance beneficiaries and poor people.

On April 24, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a decision to roll out a relief package worth VND62 trillion (US$2.7 billion) to support vulnerable people directly affected by Covid-19.

The package covers six beneficiary groups who would receive financial support in cash during three months starting April.

The funding for the package would come from state and provincial budgets, including savings from regular expenditures for meetings, workshops, abroad working trips, festivals and others.

In addition to direct financial support, workers are entitled for deferral in contribution for pensions and death gratuity funds in 12 months.

Workers could submit application for financial support via postal services, email, and fax, among others, without having to seek certification from local authorities.

Hanoi urgently identifies the beneficiaries

There are three groups of employees entitled to benefit from the US$2.7 billion package, including employees whose labor contracts were suspended, those taking leave without payment; laid-off employees not eligible for unemployment benefits; and workers who have no labor contracts and have lost jobs.

The Hanoi Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has requested district People's Committees to screen 1.477 million employees entitled to receive the aids, of them 840,000 are people without labor contracts and have lost their jobs. Currently, the districts keep identifying the beneficiaries in accordance with the process and procedures.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Hong Dan said that his department has made a written request and guidelines for identifying people affected by Covid-19 for assistance.

In order to identify the right beneficiaries, the city’s authorities will ask the districts to set up a review council headed by the Chairpersons of the local People's Committee, Dan added.