National Assembly Delegate: Many support policies issued but unclear 'what is low income'

Delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan (Ho Chi Minh City Delegation) highly appreciated the results of the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for 2024; the socio-economic development plan for 2025 is expected but still needs a breakthrough in thinking and human resource utilization.

According to him, the country has achieved important achievements in hunger eradication and poverty reduction. The next goal that needs to be determined is to ensure a minimum standard of living for the people, suitable to the country's situation. In other words, it is necessary to determine the minimum standard of living for each stage.

In fact, for decades, the Government has never announced the living standards and minimum wages to ensure people's lives. For example, in Korea, they often announce the living standards, minimum wages and minimum living wages, through which we can see the picture of sustainable development of the country.

Delegate Nguyen Thien Nhan (HCMC Delegation) spoke this afternoon.

In Vietnam, the Government has recently launched a program to support low-income people in learning a trade and improving their lives, but in the past four years, localities have had difficulty implementing it due to the lack of "regulations on what constitutes low income".

"Therefore, I propose that the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs soon publish the minimum living standard index, minimum wage and minimum living wage. Until these figures are published, it is impossible to determine what is considered low income. Units should research and publish them in 2025, as a basis for better policy planning for the people," said delegate Nhan.

In addition, implementing the spirit of the Party Resolution in 2018 on the issue of wage reform, the State statistical agency was assigned to announce the minimum living standard as a basis for announcing the minimum wage. However, this task has not been carried out to date, so it is recommended that the Government should do so in 2025 to have a basis for planning the minimum living standard and future development.

In addition, delegate Tran Hoang Ngan (HCMC delegation) said that it is necessary to pay attention to adjusting pensions, social allowances, and preferential allowances for people with meritorious services in 2025, because this is a year with many important events for the nation. He hopes the Government will propose to increase pensions and allowances.

"We can not increase public sector salaries, but we must increase pensions and allowances," said a delegate from Ho Chi Minh City.

Concerned about people's lives, delegate Tran Thi Quynh (Nam Dinh delegation) said that it is necessary to continue to substantially loosen fiscal policies and research stronger support for families and businesses affected by storms, floods, and natural disasters.

Inflation has increased over the past four years, but people's taxable income has not increased. Therefore, delegates proposed to study the loosening of taxable income to increase disposable income for taxpayers, contributing to improving spending, and continuing to remove bottlenecks to promote disbursement of public investment capital.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue to have stronger solutions to quickly implement the credit package to support social housing for low-income people and state-owned enterprises should participate in realizing this goal.

Minh Khoi

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/dbqh-ban-hanh-nhieu-chinh-sach-ho-tro-nhung-khong-ro-the-nao-la-thu-nhap-thap-ar905551.html