National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man recently signed an ordinance amending and supplementing several articles of the Ordinance on Benefits for Meritorious Individuals. The ordinance will take effect on 1/1/2027.

A key new provision expands the scope of individuals involved in the resistance for national liberation, national defense, and international duties who are eligible for preferential policies.

Specifically, in addition to those who participated in the resistance wars against France and the United States and were awarded the resistance order, victory order, resistance medal, or victory medal, as per current regulations, the ordinance now includes individuals who served in border areas and on islands, performed international duties in Laos and Cambodia, and were awarded the feat of arms order. The government will specify the duration of service in border areas, on islands, and for international duties.

According to the drafting agency, current regulations do not fully encompass all individuals who participated in post-1975 national defense wars and international duties. This addition aims to more fully recognize their contributions in protecting borders and islands and fulfilling international obligations.

After 1975, Vietnam continued to undertake numerous defense tasks, including the southwest border war, the northern border war, international duties in Cambodia, and maintaining forces in border and island areas. Expanding the category of meritorious individuals ensures that the policy system more accurately reflects the entire process of national defense.

Comrades and relatives in Da Nang and Khanh Hoa hold a memorial service for 64 martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending Gac Ma reef, part of Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: Nguyen Dong

In addition to expanding the category of meritorious individuals, the ordinance also introduces several new preferential benefits.

Veteran revolutionary cadres and pre-insurrection cadres living at home will receive an additional attendant allowance. The drafting agency noted that most of these individuals are currently over 90 years old, with declining health, and many are no longer able to care for themselves, requiring constant support. This new policy is expected to apply to 793 people.

The ordinance also expands annual health rehabilitation for wounded soldiers, those eligible for policies like wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, and resistance fighters exposed to toxic chemicals (Agent Orange victims) with a body injury rate of 61% to 80%. Previously, this group received rehabilitation once every two years. The drafting agency estimates that 151,222 people will now be eligible for annual rehabilitation.

Regarding the conditions for recognizing meritorious individuals, the amended ordinance unifies regulations, adding cases of injury sustained while directly combating crime. It also merges some provisions on national defense and security duties and removes qualitative criteria to facilitate the process of recognizing wounded soldiers, those eligible for policies like wounded soldiers, and martyrs.

For the recognition of martyrs, the ordinance no longer stipulates that wounded soldiers with a body injury rate of 81% or more upon death are automatically recognized as martyrs. The condition of death due to a relapsed injury now only applies to wounded soldiers with a body injury rate of 61% to 80%. The drafting agency states that this new regulation resolves issues that arose when many severely wounded soldiers were cared for at home or in nursing facilities before their deaths, making it difficult to meet current documentation requirements.

The ordinance also authorizes the government or competent agencies and individuals to recognize meritorious individuals even with incomplete documentation, provided there is clear practical or historical evidence, or in special circumstances. This provision aims to resolve outstanding cases where documents were lost or misplaced during wartime or clandestine operations.

Furthermore, the ordinance adds the principle of ensuring that meritorious individuals and their families achieve a living standard at least above average compared to the general population in their residential areas. Concurrently, policies supporting housing improvement for meritorious individuals and martyrs' relatives will be implemented regularly and stably, aligning with the country's socioeconomic development conditions.

Son Ha