Vietnam’s poverty rate dropped by 2.12% in 2012 against the previous year, exceeding the National Assembly’s earlier set target of 2%, the government said on its website. The information was recorded in the government’s supplementary report on the implementation of the 2012 socio-economic development plan. By end-2012, the national poverty rate touched 9.64% and the number of hunger households fell to 27.6% against 2011. Especially, poverty rate in poor districts decreased sharply to 7.02%, lower than the preset goal by 4%. The good outcomes were attributed to the synchronous measures taken by the government, agencies and localities to assist the poor in boosting production and improving their living standards. In the first four months of this year, the government continued to implement social welfare policies such as job generation, famine relief and support for policy families and people with merits. As of April 18, 2013, poverty rate was reduced by 2.9% against the same period last year; the number of hunger families down 2.1% on year. The government will spend VND5.03 trillion ($238 million) on the national sustainable poverty reduction program this year, versus VND5.06 trillion last year, in a move to reduce the poverty rate by 2%, with a 4% reduction targeted in poor districts. So far, up to 2.58 million households are deemed poor and 1.53 million near-poor, as shown in a national survey by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. (news.gov.vn May 14, Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today May 15 p2)
