National Target Program on Poverty Reduction for 2011-2020

The Government has issued a national target program which outlines orientations for sustainable poverty reduction from 2011 to 2020.

Objectives of the program

Sustainable poverty reduction is a central issue of the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy aimed at improving and incrementally raising the living conditions for the poor, first of all those in mountainous and ethnic minority areas; to make strong and comprehensive improvements in poor areas; and to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas, among regions, ethnic minorities and population groups. Specifically, the average income per capita of poor households is expected to increase 3.5 times; the rate of poor households will drop 2% a year, particularly 4% in poor districts and communes by poverty standards set for each period. The poor’s living conditions will be markedly improved, first of all in health, education, culture, daily-life water and housing. The poor will have more and more convenient access to basic social services. Socio-economic infrastructure facilities in poor districts and communes and extremely disadvantaged villages and hamlets will receive concentrated and synchronous investment according to new-countryside standards, first of all essential infrastructures such as transport, electricity and daily-life water supply.

Policies

In a bid to realize the aforesaid objectives, the Government plans to implement a range of policies on. Supporting for the poor’s production, vocational training, job creation and income increase to create favorable conditions for the poor to have access to funding sources in association with guiding them how to do business, and to agricultural and industrial extension work and transfer of techniques and technologies to production. The Government will implement vocational training policies for rural laborers, particularly poor laborers; to prioritize resources for investment in school buildings, classrooms and equipment and vocational teacher training; to combine vocational training with creating jobs for poor laborers as well as expands the application of labor export support policies to poor laborers nation wide. In terms of education and training, school fee will be reduced or exempted to support poor students at all educational levels, particularly preschool level. The Government prioritizes early investment in school buildings and classrooms in poor communes and extremely disadvantaged villages and hamlets to reach set standards. In terms of health and nutrition, the national target program effectively implements the policy on issuance of health insurance cards for the poor and support members of households living just above the poverty line to buy health insurance cards; formulates a policy on support for the poor with serious or dangerous diseases and studies policies to support the supply of nutrition for poor women and children in poor areas. It also further enhances policies on preferential treatment toward health workers working in poor areas as well as prioritizes early investment in hospitals and health centers in poor districts and communes to reach set standards. In terms of legal assistance, the Government will provide free legal aid for the poor, create conditions for the poor to be aware of their rights and obligations and proactively access the State’s aid policies and escape poverty. (http://news.gov.vn May 25)