The meeting was chaired by Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung, member of the Party Central Committee - Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs. There were also some special guests as Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, former Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs; Deputy Ministers Pham Minh Huan and Doan Mau Diep; Pham Vu Hong, Deputy Secretary - Chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Giang Province; representatives of the Department of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs from 32 provinces / cities in the southern region.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung has a speech at the beginning of the conference.

At the opening speech, the Minister of MOLISA, Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung said that the purpose of this conference is to review the results of the first 5 years in 2016, then assess the key tasks to the rest of the year. Meanwhile, the representatives will listen to comments and recommendations to solve existing problems and promote solutions for labour-social issues, specially in the field of people with meritorious services to the revolution. The Minister also asked the representatives to discuss, exchange topic, get feedbacks and effective solution to implement and achieves goals of the Party plan, then perform the Resolutions of the 12^th  National Party Congress and National Assembly.

Mr. Pham Vu Hong, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee, Chairman of Kien Giang province said that in recent years, the province had not only focus on economic development but also on social services and labour issues. The living conditions of poor families and people with meritorious services were improved eventually. However, this province still met many difficulties in financial and social factors. Therefore, besides the support from central offices, the advocacy and mobilization of resources from society and socialization of this work were still limited. The occupational training and promotion were not really effective, which lead to the shortage of high-quality employees on Phu Quoc Island.

 Deputy Secretary Pham Vu Hong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Giang Province

Moreover, at the conference, Deputy Minister Pham Van Huan summarized the report of the first 5 years and pointed out the keynote tasks for the remaining months of this year in labour field, people with meritorious services and social issues. At the conference, delegates also heard Deputy Minister Pham Minh Huan report presents a summary of the results of 5 months and a key task for the rest of 2016 in the field of labor, who have and social work.

According to the statistics, in the first 5 months of 2016, the country has created jobs for about 613.8 thousand people, reaching 38.3% and 96.2% plan compared to the same period in 2015. In particular, domestic employment has been up for 573 thousand people, which accounted 38.2% of the original plan and was equal to 96% over the same period of 2015. This result would reduce the unemployment rate of workers  in 2016 down to 2.23%.

Regarding to vocational training, until April 2016, there were 1,465 vocational training establishments, which included 189 vocational colleges, 279 vocational schools, 997 vocational training centres. Meanwhile, the country had about 282,000 admissions, reaching 13.11% of the plan. In particular, the enrolment at colleges and vocational secondary schools was over 10,300 people (reaching 4.12%), primary level enrolment and vocational occupations under 3 months of about were 271 700 people, got 14.3% of the plan. In particular, vocational training for rural workers Sports Decision 1956 was 50,000.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung answers questions from the representatives.

About the field of people with meritorious services, the province has implemented Directive No. 02 of the Prime Minister on strengthening the implementation of policies; held a meeting to review the policy in order to figure out the mistakes or misunderstanding in providing services, particularly in the recognition and certification to the right people. Besides that, the officials also reported the cases to the Prime Minister to acknowledge 316 new confirmed cases of martyrs and grant or renewal of more than 10,000 cases of State Recognition after 5 months. There were 1,173 sets of remains and burial of martyrs; 5,600 new confirmed cases of people with meritorious services; and posthumously awarded the 5228 Vietnam heroic mothers, nursing organizations 20,000 thousand people have contributed to the revolution ...

Regarding to poverty reduction, Southern provinces also collected and analysed results of the poverty rate in period 2011-2015 and this figure was 4.45% in the end of 2015, which decreased 1.52% compared with the same time in 2014. The rate of poor families in districts was under 28%.

Furthermore, work on social protection, child protection, gender equality has achieved remarkable results. Another point is that Southern province has Prime Minister issued Decision No. 361 / QD - TTg approving the program on prevention and control of prostitution period 2016-2020; completed and submitted to the Prime Minister for approval of network planning drug treatment facility until 2020 and orientation to the year 2030, and a list of investment projects supported from the central budget implementation of drug rehabilitation period 2016-2020.

Representatives at the Conference.

All Departments and Offices in Southern region will meet many difficulties to complete tasks until the end of the year, because social and economic situation now become more complicated and unpredictable. Therefore, to successfully implement the goals and tasks set out in 2016, the Ministry requested the units under the Ministry, the Department of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs of the provinces and cities to focus on 15 synchronously solutions  in the work program of labour, people with meritorious services and social issues in 2016, which was issued together with Decision No. 80 / QD - LDTBXH 15/01/2016.

Delegates at the conference also heard the presentations about the suggestions and proposals for solutions of the 10 provinces such as: Department of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Long An, Tay Ninh, Can Tho ... A general point that the delegates raised at the conference was the bass caught in the process of implementing policies for people with meritorious services. Specifically, the recommendation was about the improvement of Circular 41 provides for the user profile of Agent Orange, especially for peripheral nerve disease, diabetes, congenital malformations related to Agent oranges; handling backlog problems about Inspection of defects, deformities due to Circular 41.

To answer this question, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung has asked leaders of the departments of the ministries concerned to responds and measures to satisfy comments and recommendations of the local. Related to people with meritorious services, Mr. Hoang Cong Thai, Director of Department of People with meritorious service has stated the solution in the progress of implementing Circular 41.

Mr. Hoang Cong Thai, Director of Department of People with meritorious service answers questions from delegates.

At the conference, former Minister of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said, in the past 5 years, The Government and the National Assembly have approved the proposal by 6 laws, both new and old; decrees and circulars essentially  are completed. People now have a better living conditions or equal living standards as residence in local. She also confirmed that it was a big advantage to have Mr. Dao Ngoc Dung as the new minister because he had 3 times as Central Committee member and National Assembly deputies, which would help the Ministry to complete the tasks and goals successfully in the future.

To conclude the conference, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung stated that all local authorities needed to work more effectively and have strong moves to accomplish the goals and tasks from now until the end of 2016.

On the same day, after the conference ended, the representatives of the Ministry led by Minister Dao Ngoc Dung had a visit to the heroic martyrs in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province.

Hoang Canh

Translated into English by Minh Ngoc