Kien Giang works to promote sustainable poverty reduction

Kien Giang (VNA) – Authorities of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang intend to mobilise nearly 3.3 trillion VND (around 148.5 million USD) from all sectors to realise its sustainable poverty reduction goals.

The locality aims to cut the number of poor households by 1-1.5 percent annually and help about 30 percent of households with difficult circumstances in coastal and inland areas escape poverty.

The plan also seeks to provide vocational training to 1,000 labourers from poor and near-poor families and those from ethnic minority groups.

Additionally, local authorities planned to arrange 304 billion VND (13.7 million USD) to support over 10,000 poor households to construct and improve their houses from now to 2020.

In response to the “Month for the poor” from October 17-November 18, the provincial Party Committee urged all Party organisations, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s local chapter, sectors, and organisations to raise funds for local poor people.

Campaigns have been intensified to raise public awareness of sustainable poverty reduction.

Local authorities have implemented the national target programme on poverty reduction and social security of the Government, and the campaign “Day for the poor” launched by the VFF Central Committee, contributing to helping local poor households.

Poor families in the locality have been provided access to low-interest loans, free medical check-ups and vocational training courses.

However, the rate of poor households in Kien Giang remains high. Under the new criteria for the poverty line in the 2016-2020 period, Kien Giang has over 41,200 poor households and 13,700 near-poor families accounting for 9.7 percent and 3.2 percent of the province’s population, respectively.-VNA