Vietnam to Earmark VND1.25T for Action Program for Children by 2020

Vietnam will spend VND1.25 trillion ($64.1 million) on a national action program for children in the period of 2011-2020 under a regulation issued by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). The program is aimed to protect, educate and take care of all children best and ensure effective implementation of basic rights of children, the Thoi Bao Tai Chinh newspaper reported Nov 17.
The program will focus on disadvantaged children under 16 years old and expand to a group of under 18-year-old children who are specially disadvantaged, with priority to 12 poorest provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ninh Thuan, Quang Nam, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Lao Cai. Vietnam is estimated to have 1.54 million of underprivileged children or over 6% of the country’s total children this year, compared to the respective figures of 1.4 million and 5.5% in 2011, the MoLISA said. The ministry added that around 1,400 children suffering from sexual abuse, nearly 3,900 kids are victims of violence and 18,000 teenagers are law violators yearly. (Thoi Bao Tai Chinh – Financial Times Nov 17 p3, baodientu.chinhphu.vn)