SGS Responsible Business Services - International News on Social Responsibility

1、MOF: Orders in Hand of Foreign Trade Enterprises Have Improved Compared to 2020- an Indicator of a Positive Start of Foreign Trade in the First Quarter
The gross value of imports and exports of China’s foreign trade has a year-on-year growth of 32.2% in the first two months of this year. According to the questionnaire conducted by Ministry of Commerce on more than 20,000 foreign trade enterprises, orders in hand of foreign trade enterprises have improved compared to 2020. Nearly half enterprises think that they benefit a lot from tax and fee reduction, export drawback and the improvement of trade facilitation. Meanwhile, some enterprises say that they are still faced with various unstable and uncertain factors in the development of foreign trade throughout this year. The uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic, the instability of international industrial chains and supply chains, and the complexity of international environment are still risking foreign trade enterprises.

2、Six Major Changes in China’s Social Security System This Year 
The State Council printed and distributed <Opinion on Carrying out the Distribution of Key Tasks in the Report on the Work of the Government>, which confirms the timetable of 6 policies related to social security as follows: 
1) Raising retirees’ basic pension;
2) Initiating personal pension system;
3) Guaranteeing the protection from occupational injuries in new industries; 
4) Implementing the pilot project of employment injury insurance;
5) Allowing participation in social insurance in the working places with abolishing the residence restriction;
6) Increasing the medical insurance by CNY 30 per capita.

3、Policy on Interim Reduction of Unemployment Insurance and Occupational Injury Insurance Premium is Extended Another One Year
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stated at the press conference held in the fourth quarter of 2020 that, the policy on deduction and exemption of social insurance premiums expired at the end of 2020. Levies on three types of social insurance premiums are restored from January 1^st, 2021. Meanwhile, given the existing risks of COVID-19 pandemic and the heavy tax burden of some enterprises, the reduction of unemployment insurance premium and occupational injury insurance premium will be extended to April 30^th, 2022 once it expires in the end of April 2021.

4、ILO Released Report on the Impact of Digital Labour Platforms on the World of Work 
The report was released on February 23^rd, 2021. It examines how digital labour platforms are transforming the world of work and how that affects employers and workers. The report draws on the findings from surveys and interviews conducted by the ILO with some 12,000 workers and representatives of 85 businesses around the world in multiple sectors. It also includes recommendations on how to ensure that digital labour platforms provide decent work opportunities and foster the growth of sustainable businesses.

5、COVID-19 widens existing gender inequalities, creates new gaps in Viet Nam
With remarkably high labour market participation rate, women in Viet Nam face multiple and persistent labour market inequalities, and carry a disproportionate double burden of work and family responsibilities. More than 70 per cent of Viet Nam’s working-age women are in the labour force, compared to the global level of 47.2 per cent and the average of 43.9 per cent in Asia and the Pacific.While the gender gap in labour force participation is narrower in Viet Nam than in the world, it has still stood at 9.5 percentage points (men’s rate higher than women’s) over the last decade.

ENQUIRIES AND REGISTRATION：

Ms Calla Huang
t: +86 (0) 755 2532 8137
e: cn.rbs@sgs.com

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 89,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.