FDI firms fret over social, health insurance for foreigner

Foreign invested enterprises in the southern province of Binh Duong are anxious about social and health insurance regulations for non-resident employees, heard a dialogue between the provincial government and foreign investors on September 26.

In particular, foreign nationals who have work permits in Vietnam, trade certificates or practicing licenses will be subject to compulsory social insurance contributions from early next year.

This is the first time they will join the social insurance program in the country. However, local enterprises employing foreign nationals are fretting over the possibly complicated procedures.

Enterprises are wondering who will be obliged to join the program, how much they will contribute, and how they will benefit from it. Another question is how they can recover their fees in case they quit their jobs.

Duong Thi Anh Tuyet, administration and human resources director of Rheem Vietnam Co Ltd in Binh Duong, said the regulation will come into force within the next three months, but there has been no decree or circular guiding its implementation to date. Therefore, her company is deeply concerned.

Foreign workers often work on a fixed term. Thus, after they retire or quit their jobs, they will have to come back to Vietnam to claim insurance allowances. Enterprises asked whether that amount of money might be enough to pay air tickets for foreign employees to return to Vietnam to complete the procedures for their social insurance claims.

A representative of Liwayway Vietnam JSC said the company applies two ways of salary payment. If employees are dispatched to Vietnam, the parent company will pay salaries for them, while those who sign labor agreements with the Vietnam-based company, the local subsidiary will pay them.

As such, the representative pondered how Liwayway Vietnam will have to pay social insurance for its foreign employees starting January 1. Other foreign invested enterprises also shared the same concern.

In addition to social insurance, many enterprises complained purchasing health insurance for their foreign employees is tough. They have already bought health insurance for their foreign staff but most of them do not use such insurance coverage.

They said a majority of health workers in Binh Duong Province could not communicate with their foreign workers in English, so they had no way but to employ interpreters.

Therefore, they suggested social insurance agencies allow the insured to take medical examinations and treatments at international hospitals so that their foreign employees can talk directly with doctors.

However, the problem is that the province does not have many international hospitals and clinics, so purchasing health insurance will put foreign employees in a tricky situation.

In a related development, fresh foreign direct investment (FDI) pledges in the province have amounted to roughly US$2 billion in the year to September, a year-on-year rise of 27% and 40% higher than the full-year target. The figure includes more than US$1.1 billion registered for 148 new projects and US$765 million as additional funds for 87 operational ventures.

Source: The Saigon Times

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