HCM City Increases Poverty Reduction Fund

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has recently issued an array of policies regarding financial assistance to poor households in the city in the 2012–2015 period. From 2013 to 2015, the City will annually take VND50-70 billion from its budget as well as district-level ones for the municipal Poverty Reduction Fund, as part of efforts to meet poor households’ demand for business loans. It will assist poor families that have an annual per capita income of at most VND12 million and cover for 15% of medical checkup and treatment expenses for poor people. The city will also cover all tuition fees for students of universities, colleges and vocational schools, if their families have an annual income of at most VND10 million per person. It will pay half of the fees for those whose households have an annual income of from over VND10 million to VND12 million per person. (news.gov.vn Aug 21)