Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked ministries, agencies and localities to take bold, focused and effective actions to achieve the goal of basically wiping out makeshift and run-down houses nationwide by October 31, two months ahead of the initial target.
PM Chinh made the request while chairing the fourth meeting of the central steering committee for the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses across the country in Hanoi on May 11, which was connected with all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities.
The PM praised relevant ministries, agencies, the mass media, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), socio-political and mass organisations, business community and people nationwide for their active contributions that led to positive outcomes in the campaign.
Since its launch on October 4, 2024, nearly 209,000 substandard homes have been addressed, with 111,000 completed and handed over, and construction of 98,000 others underway. Notably, since the third review meeting, work on nearly 87,000 houses has been either started or completed.
Despite the progress, he called on delegates to continue identifying challenges and bottlenecks, particularly those related to land use, funding for housing support for families with service to the revolution and relatives of fallen soldiers, and two national target programmes.
The construction or repair of houses for martyrs’ families must be completed by July 27 and for revolution contributors by September 2, he said, urging the mobilisation of local forces, especially military and public security forces, to meet these targets.
He stressed accountability, demanding swift reporting of issues beyond local control and rigorous oversight to prevent misuse of funds, profiteering, misconduct, and wastefulness. He also advocated for timely rewards to high-performing localities and disciplinary actions for those responsible for setbacks.
Specific tasks were assigned to ministries, ministers, heads of sectors, Secretaries of the municipal and provincial Party Committees and Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, the State Bank of Vietnam and the mass media.
According to the steering committee, all localities nationwide have completed reviews and committed to meeting the target. As of May 7, 15 provinces had already completed the task.
The campaign faces a tight timeline, with over 61,800 houses need to be built, including around 24,800 for revolution contributors, some 27,000 under two national target programmes, and 10,000 for other vulnerable groups.
Funding remains a critical factor, with 3.14 trillion VND of the required 3.46 trillion VND secured from ministries, agencies, banks, and corporations. The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s “For the Poor” fund has raised 84.44 billion VND, allocating 13.74 billion VND to build or repair 240 homes, with nearly 92 billion VND still available.
Notable contributions include 645 billion VND, equivalent to around 12,500 houses from the Ministry of Public Security, 595 billion VND aiding 11,550 homes from the Ministry of National Defence, which also deployed 21,167 personnel contributing 76,543 workdays to lower construction costs. The banking sector has pledged over 1.34 trillion VND in support./.
