New policies to reduce poverty among ethnic minorities

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved policies to support development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2017-2020, which aim to reduce the poverty ratio in the areas by 3-4 percent annually.

The policies focus on tackling issues affecting locals’ living conditions and production, gradually improving the living standards for poor and ethnic minority families, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction and narrowing the development gap between ethnic minority and mountainous areas and other regions.

As many as 80 percent of poor and ethnic minority households in rural areas will be supported to transform their lives. They will also receive assistance to access clean water.

The aid will be directly given to the beneficiaries to ensure transparency.

Local governments will hand over land or 15 million VND in cash to households that need farming land. The capital will be sourced from the State budget and loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP).

If the local governments are unable to find land for the households, they will support them to change their occupation with 5 million VND, as well as loans from the VBSP.

The beneficiaries can choose either support in faming land or in changing careers.

Beneficiaries can borrow from the VBSP a loan that does not exceed the maximum sum for poor households in specific periods, with a duration of 10 years and an interest rate equal to 50 percent of the rate applied for poor households.-VNA