Since 2001, the State has provided about 193 trillion VND (more than 11 billion USD) to help those living in poverty nationwide.

Through 21 programmes, projects and decisions, poor people nationwide, especially those among ethnic minority groups, have been helped to develop production, eliminate poverty and gradually improve their standard of living, Financial Minister Vu Van Ninh said at a regular meeting of the government in September.

The star of the effort is Decision 134/2004/QD-TTg, or programme 134, which has been provided with nearly 4.5 trillion VND as of 2008, 94 percent of which has been disbursed. Nearly 494,000 minority households in 51 provinces have benefited from the programme.

Another key programme is programme 135, which aims to develop infrastructure in the 1,734 poorest communes in 44 provinces.

More than 10 trillion VND has been provided for the second phase of the undertaking, from 2006-2009. Over 80 percent of the capital has been disbursed.

In June, 2008, the Prime Minister signed Decision 74/2008/QD-TTg with the purpose of providing land for housing and farming as well as jobs for ethnic minorities and the poor in the Mekong Delta.

More than one trillion VND, most of which is from the state budget, has been spent for the implementation of the decision.

In order to help the poor reduce poverty in a quick and sustainable way, the government issued Resolution 30a/2008/NQ-CP in December, 2008. 62 poor districts across the country are benefiting from the resolution.

Apart from more than 1.5 trillion VND advanced from the state budget, the poor people in the concerned districts also receive assistance worth over 800 billion VND from 37 groups and businesses./.