The Vietnamese Government will focus on substantial and sustainable poverty reduction for everyone and at any time.

Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung at the hearing. Photo: Nhat Bac

Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung made the statement in a National Assembly hearing today [July 27] that discussed the national target program on sustainable poverty reduction in the 2021-2025 period, with an estimated investment of VND75 trillion (US$3.2 billion).

According to Dung, investment in infrastructure development in poor districts, remote and coastal areas is a key item of the program.

“By 2025, the Government targets to reduce the number of poor and near-poor households under the multi-dimensional poverty standards by half compared to when the program was launched,” Dung said, noting 30% of backward districts and communes in remote and coastal areas are expected to be lifted from that status.

Meanwhile, the Government will support the implementation of 1,000 poverty reduction models to create a better and sustainable livelihood for those that have just escaped poverty, while improving the GDP per capita of households in the project by at least 25% per year.

The Government expected around 500,000 households to benefit from this project every year.

Other key goals of the program include 60% of workers in poor areas receiving job training, and 100% of those seeking vocational training can find it.

Deputy Au Thi Mai from Tuyen Quang Province. Source: quochoi.vn

At the subsequent discussion, Deputy Au Thi Mai from Tuyen Quang Province said while poverty reduction has been a government’s long-term priority, the lack of sustainability remains a key challenge as many in disaster-hit areas have returned to poverty. 

“Given the limited State budget, close supervision from legislative bodies is required to ensure effective implementation of the program,” Mai said.

“Priorities should be to improve transport infrastructure and inter-provincial linkage,” Mai added.

She said people living in areas subject to high risk of floods and landslides should be relocated to minimize the impacts of natural disasters on their lives.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Minh Trang from Vinh Long Province.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Minh Trang from Vinh Long Province said a comprehensive forecast on opportunities and challenges in realizing the national program on poverty reduction is necessary, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic is putting more hardship on vulnerable groups. 

Responding to issues raised by deputies, Minister Dung said for 2021-2025, the Government will raise poverty reduction standards by adopting a multi-dimensional poverty approach, including those affected by the pandemic.

Dung said the specific reduction rate for multi-dimensional poverty is expected to be an average of 1-1.5% per year.

“It is imperative to raise the minimum living standards and provides the people with an opportunity to access basic public services, as the goal is to promote inclusive development or to eradicate poverty for everyone everywhere, at any time and in any dimension,” Dung concluded.