Quang Nam works to alleviate poverty rate among ethnic minorities

Quang Nam (VNA) – The central province of Quang Nam’s efforts to reduce poverty rate among ethnic minority groups have given a new look to the rural mountainous areas as local livelihoods have been improved significantly.

Guided by the Prime Minister’s Decision No.1557/QD-TTg dated September 10, 2015 approving a number of targets in realising Millennium Development Goals for ethnic minorities associate with the Sustainable Development Goal after 2015, the province has paid due attention to planning works and building residential areas for residents in mountainous areas to ensure that they have stable accommodation and land for production.

Last year, nearly 106 billion VND (4.56 million USD) was arranged to help nearly 1,500 households settle down and branch out production.

The mountainous districts have combined forestry development with poverty reduction programmes while encouraging the cultivation of medicinal herbs in line with local policies.

During 2016-2017, the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction allocated over 165 billion VND (7.09 million USD) to Quang Nam to support infrastructure and production model development for six poor districts and 19 special difficult communes in coastal and island areas.

Particularly, after one year implementing the provincial policy on encouraging districts and communes to try and escape poverty, nearly 4,000 households, including 2,700 families in the mountainous areas, have registered to get out deprived situation sustainably.

Last year, average economic growth in the ethnic minority area reached 7.1 percent much higher than the province’s average level of 5.55 percent.

Poverty rate in the nine mountainous districts tapers off 5 percent per year. Nearly 92 percent of the ethnic population have been connected to the national electricity grid while the rate of households using hygienic water is over 81 percent.

The literacy rate reached nearly 98 percent among ethnic population from 15 years old.

In a bid to realise the sustainable poverty reduction goal for ethnic minorities, Quang Nam province plans to prioritise more resources and carry out a set of comprehensive measures like infrastructure development, socio-economic development programme and preferential loans.

Quang Nam province is currently home to 32,000 ethnic minority households with nearly 150,000 people, accounting for 10 percent of the province’s population. They reside mostly in six mountainous districts of Nam Tra My, Bac Tra My, Tay Giang, Nam Giang, Dong Giang and Phuoc Son.-VNA