The central province of Binh Thuan has increased implementation of policies on preferential credit; production land; agricultural, forestry and fishery promotion; vocational training; healthcare and land and housing assistance to benefit poor and nearly-poor families. Accordingly, nearly 130,000 poor families have been given loans worth VND983 billion to expand production; and nearly 25,000 poor and nearly-poor families have been assisted with over VND362 billion for housing. Over the past 10 years, the central and provincial budget has invested nearly VND934 billion to build essential constructions to serve people’s production and daily life, especially those in mountainous and highland communes, ethnic minority people and those in coastal areas. To sustainably reduce poverty, the province has focused on assigning land for production, assigning forests, supporting loans for the breeding industry and technical transfer, and instructing ethnic minority people to grow advantageous plants, contributing to creating jobs and increasing people’s living standards. Vocational training and job creation activities for rural and coastal laborers have gained positive achievements. Each year, over 6,000 laborers get vocational training, with over 4,000 getting jobs. Therefore, in the 2003-2013 period, the province’s poverty rate was reduced by 20.8%. For sustainable poverty reduction, the province will continue to combine poverty reduction programs and projects; mobilize all resources for poverty reduction; complete essential infrastructure for poor and nearly-poor families; address production land and give housing for poor and nearly-poor families; focus on vocational training and job creation for the poor, especially in rural and mountainous areas; and apply social welfare policies for poor and nearly-poor families. In terms of housing for the poor, the province will strive to build houses for 1,000 poor families and complete the program by 2015. (http://dangcongsan.vn [1] Feb 11)
