HCM City provides financial relief to poor, unemployed people hinh anh 1Le Minh Tan, director of the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, speaks at a meeting on a relief package for the poor (Photo: laodong.vn)
 
HCM City (VNA) - As many as 9,000 poor and near-poor households in Ho Chi Minh City that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will receive monthly relief payments of 1 million VND (42 USD) each for three months, starting in April, according to the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Up to 15,000 families who have made great contributions to the nation will receive monthly cash payments of 500,000 VND (21 USD) per household for three months to overcome difficulties due to the pandemic, said Le Minh Tan, director of the department.

A total of 600,000 workers who were laid off or put on leave without pay due to the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be provided 1 million VND a person a month, Tan said.

The total sum allocated for these payments amounts to 1,858 billion VND (78.8 million USD).

HCM City is now home to 32,000 poor and near-poor households and 43,000 families who have made great contributions to the nation, Tan said.

Around 3.2 million workers are employed by 415,000 enterprises in the city.

About 75 percent of enterprises have cut capacity or suspended production, resulting in 600,000 workers laid off or put on leave without pay.

Nearly 12,000 lottery ticket sellers have been affected as the issuance of lottery tickets was halted for 15 days starting April 1. They will receive financial aid of 750,000 VND (32 USD) a person./.
VNA