Da Nang will give its poor residents over 10 billion VND (510,000 USD) in cash and 800 tonnes of rice so that they can celebrate the lunar New Year like their more fortunate brethren.
This is the third year that authorities in the central city have planned to dole out Tet largesse.
Last year cycle driver Tran Van Phuc, 50, of Hai Chau district was among those who received 250,000 VND in cash.
“The amount was not big but it was equal to one month’s saving for me. It helped buy new clothes for our children and some food and wine to worship our ancestors during Tet,” he recalled.
Xe om (motorbike-taxi) driver Quy is another who received money which helped him have a simple but joyful festival.
But migrant workers will not benefit. Quy said: “Motorbike-taxi drivers who get the dole plan to concede their customers to their migrant colleagues before Tet.”
Four years ago, city Party Committee secretary Nguyen Ba Thanh witnessed a sight which persuaded him to help the poor celebrate Tet – a group of cycle and motorbike-taxi adrivers wrangling over customers before the New Year.
Authorities will publicly announce the list of beneficiaries and how much they will get.
Other cities and provinces also plan to donate gifts to the needy.
Hanoi has earmarked 109 billion VND (5.5 million USD) for Heroic Mothers, invalids, revolutionary veterans, families of martyrs, military and labour heroes, and others who will get between 100,000VND and 600,000 VND.
In HCM City , 2,777 poor households will each received 500,000 VND while 28,000people aged 85 and above and 14,000 beneficiaries of social subsidies will each get 400,000 VND.
Heroic Mothers, invalids and revolutionary veterans will get 1.2 million VND./.
