 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at an online meeting to review poverty reduction activities during the 2016-2020 period (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) |
At an online meeting last Friday to review poverty reduction activities during the 2016-2020 period, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reiterated that the Party and State consistently pursue economic growth in tandem with social development and environmental protection giving priority to sustainable poverty reduction and social welfare.
Undeniable achievements
Vietnam’s poverty rate has fallen from 4.25% in 2016, when the country began its national target program of sustainable poverty reduction, to the current 2.75%. In 5 years, 6 millions Vietnamese people have escaped poverty. More than 4 billion USD, half of it from the state budget, has been allocated to the national target program on poverty reduction.
The National Assembly and the government have doubled the budget for poverty reduction. 21% of the State budget has been allocated to social welfare, the highest level in ASEAN. It is rare that a low middle income country like Vietnam provides free healthcare insurance to all poor and ethnic minority people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam provided direct support to more than 13 million people.
Vietnam’s achievements in poverty reduction are due to efforts by the whole political system, administrations at all levels, and the public, particularly the people living in poor areas.
Toward a Vietnam without poverty
Ravaged by wars and now by climate change, avoiding poverty has always been a major challenge for Vietnam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said: "In order to achieve the goals of poverty reduction and social welfare in the 2021-2025 period under Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030, Vietnam is determined to make greater effort and take more resolute actions to fulfill its tasks. We will submit to the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Party Secretariat resolutions and decrees on sustainable poverty reduction and social welfare until 2030, and submit to the National Assembly a resolution on poverty reduction goals and investment in the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction and Social Welfare in the 2021-2025 period, Orientation to 2030 and Vision 2045 for a Vietnam without poverty. Under the draft document to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, Vietnam intends to become a high-income country and a country without hunger and poverty by 2045."
To realize these goals, Vietnam will fine-tune its policies on supporting the poor and multidimensional poverty criteria with priority given to children, the elderly and ethnic minority people. In addition to the national target programs on new rural development and sustainable poverty and social welfare, Vietnam will implement the resolution on the National target Program on Mountain Ethnic Minority with more investment in socio-economic infrastructure in disadvantaged areas to facilitate transportation and trade and create more jobs.
Prime Minister Phuc said: "Each commune, village, and hamlet needs to develop poverty reduction role models based on local conditions and promoting creativity. Sustainable poverty reduction needs to start with children. Localities with better conditions need to help disadvantaged districts and communes and launch emulation movements to achieve sustainable poverty reduction goals in a more creative, practical manner."
Prime Minister Phuc said it’s important to ensure that everyone has an income and is not poor or hungry. This is what Vietnam intends to do to achieve sustainable national growth.