Vietnam has recorded encouraging poverty reduction results, with the rate of poor households dropping by 2 percent each year on average and 4 percent in mountainous districts, a key government minister has declared.
Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen told the press that the Party and State remain committed to poverty reduction and pledged that resources for this goal will increase despite the current economic difficulties.
The minister cited the State budget for poverty reduction, which rose from about 90 trillion VND (4.23 billion USD) each year during the 2008-2010 period to around 120 trillion VND (5.64 billion USD) annually between 2011-2012.
She noted that at the same time, poverty reduction policies should be adjusted based on the real situation, shifting from providing direct support to investing in infrastructure and giving credit to create livelihoods for poor families so that they can rise above poverty by themselves. More attention should also be given to those living just above the poverty line.
Discussing the policy of housing support for poor households, minister Chuyen cited statistics of the Construction Ministry which showed that between 2009 and 2012, a total of 513,000 poor households nationwide received Governments housing assistance, exceeding the projected figure of 500,000.
The minister added that lifting households out of poverty in a sustainable manner remains an essential task between now and 2020. She suggested that besides State support, the target people should be guided to make effective efforts themselves towards this goal.
According to the minister, households who have escaped from poverty should be subject to policies that stop them falling back into the vicious circle of impoverishment. -VNA
