Vietnam to Spend More on Poverty, Disaster Mitigation despite Economic Woes

The Vietnamese government has pledged to increase its spending on poverty reduction and disaster mitigation next years despite economic uncertainties, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said. Vinh made the statement at the closing of the 2012 mid-term Consultative Group (CG) meeting held in the central province of Quang Tri from June 4-5. In 2009-2011, the state budget allocated a total of VND8.5 trillion for the poverty reduction program. The government would not cut spending for such programs this year despite negative impacts of the global economic woes, leading to big public investment cut so far, Vinh said. “The country would mobilize social resources for social security programs, including support in healthcare, education, house construction for the poor,” Vinh noted. “Vietnam needs to draw the involvement of communities in the planning and implementation of projects in the fields, as well as integrating gender issues into poverty alleviation efforts,” participants at the meeting said. The World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, Victoria Kwakwa, warned that poverty reduction in Vietnam remains an urgent priority as new forms of poverty are emerging, which require new approaches and ideas. She emphasized that disaster-prone central coastal provinces should combine poverty reduction with natural disaster mitigation because they are closely interlinked. Minister Vinh said that the local government will consider proposals put forward by donors to improve the effectiveness of foreign aid in reducing poverty and mitigating disasters. Vietnam is seemed to have poured big investments into less important projects in the context thousands of local residents are living in miserable situation, experts said. (Nhan Dan – The People June 5)