Information and communication technology resources are vital elements for governance in social security institutions, Ortiz D. Maribel, of the International Social Security Association, said.

Maribel spoke at a workshop on good governance for better social security services held on Wednesday in HCM City.

“Good governance is when the exercise of authority provides transparent availability and accessibility to stakeholders about timely and accurate information. It is also accountability, which means that officials and staff of the institution are held responsible,” she said.

Moreover, good governance is predictable, participatory and dynamic, she added.

Philip O’ Keefe, practice manager for social protection and jobs at the World Bank in East Asia Pacific, said: “Social insurance coverage has barely shifted in most developing countries in recent decades.”

In Asia, the growing middle classes expect better and more client-centric services, he added. 

“As the private sector goes online, a more connected population wants multiple channels to connect to social security services online and through mobile devices, leading to massive technology change processes across society and government."

Most governments are responding with e-service initiatives, he said.

Nguyễn Hoàng Phương of Việt Nam Social Security said that his agency was building a digitalised ecosystem to serve the public and businesses via text messages, online transactions, phone applications, and customer services through chatbots.

The agency is working on a phone application for research and digital transactions for its services which is expected to be in operation in the third quarter, Phương said.

The agency has implemented e-government in accordance with the national e-government framework and the industry’s specific traits and circumstances, he said.

“Reform of administrative procedures and specialised processes is a significant step towards applying IT and implementing digitalisation,” Phương said.

The Vietnamese insurance industry has digitalised and archived 4.7 million paper documents of insurance enrollees, comprising 25 million pages of digital documents accessible and usable by insurance agencies at the provincial level.

Last month, the health insurance assessment system received more than 160 million digital transaction documents on medical payments.

“We will assist employers in listing and managing insurance, and improve customers’ experiences through better access to Việt Nam Social Security‘s data,” Phương added.

Nguyễn Thị Minh, vice minister of finance and director general of Việt Nam Social Security, who took over the chairmanship of ASEAN Social Security Association for the 2018-19 term, said that good governance in social security institutions contributes to better services to citizens and businesses around the world.

The workshop discussed new methods of governance in the 4.0 industry era that would ensure that no one would be left behind. — VNS

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