Vietnam Aims to Annually Cut Poor Ethnic Households Rate by 3% by 2015

The Central Highlands provinces in Vietnam are striving to reduce the percentage of poor households among ethnic minority groups by 3% or more per annum by 2015.According to the Central Highlands Steering Committee, by now, the region has brought the number of poor households down by 3% on year or 26,325 households to 15.59%. The number of poor ethnic minority households was reduced to 33.26%, falling by 4.76% from last January.Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces saw the fastest rate of poverty reduction in the region.Under the government’s poverty reduction policies, localities nationwide have prioritized and provided more investments to help the needy in remote areas and ethnic minority-inhabited areas develop production and improve their standards of living.Notably, Dak Lak province has made it easier for poor people to access preferential loans and assistance. It has organized vocational training, generated jobs and helped them apply new technology to production activities. In a new report, the World Bank (WB) has called for a “dynamic” approach to poverty reduction in Vietnam as it is facing tremendous challenges, including changes in regional patterns of poverty and wealth, high and persistent poverty among ethnic minorities, and rising inequality in outcomes and opportunities.Although Vietnam has 53 ethnic minority groups, which accounts for 15% of the national population, they made up 50% of poor people across the country in 2010. The groups mainly live in rural and remote areas, which have low labor productivity, are vulnerable to natural disasters, and suffer numerous socioeconomic difficulties. (Vietnamplus.vn Jan 31)