HANOI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam will next year lift regional minimum salary in the private sector by 5.5 percent, local media reported on Friday.

Vietnam (Photo: VCG)

According to the latest decision of Vietnam's National Wage Council, minimum salary for workers in Region I, urban areas of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is set to rise to 4.42 million Vietnamese dong (190.57 U.S. dollars) a month, while that in Region II, rural areas of the two cities along with major urban areas in the country like Can Tho, Da Nang and Hai Phong, is set to increase to 3.92 million Vietnamese dong (169 U.S. dollars), daily newspaper Vietnam News reported.

Minimum salary for workers in Region III, cities and districts of northern Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces, is poised to climb up to 3.43 million Vietnamese dong (148 U.S. dollars), and that in Region IV, the rest of Vietnam, is poised to rise to 3.07 million Vietnamese dong(132 U.S. dollars).

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said the current minimum salary has met 95 percent of the labor force's minimum living standards so the hike next year would make their lives more comfortable.

Vietnam increased regional minimum salary by 7.3 percent, 6.5 percent and 5.3 percent in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Enterprises in Vietnam are not allowed to pay manual workers monthly salaries which are lower than the minimum salary. Salaries paid to employees who have undergone vocational training should be at least 7 percent higher than the minimum salary, according to the country's Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.