Vietnam will spend nearly VND1.81 trillion ($86.73 million) on a sustainable poverty reduction program this year in line with a Resolution 30a/2008/NQ-CP by the government. Of the sum, more than VND1 trillion will benefit needy people in the northern mountainous provinces and the rest for the poor in central and central highlands region, the Dau Tu newspaper reported Mar 14. Earlier, the Prime Minister approved to set up a negotiation team to work with the World Bank about loan agreement and relevant legal documents for the Program 135 Phase 2 Support Credit. The group was assigned to collaborate with relevant agencies to prepare necessary procedures for the negotiation and report to the PM after completed negotiation. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) is rushing to finalize a database on poverty reduction serving for a national target program on poverty reduction for the 2011-2015 period, which is expected to facilitate making policies and monitoring poverty reduction in the country. The country targets to cut the poverty rate to between 4% and 5% by 2020, from the current rate of 9.45%, under the new poverty line took effect from Jan 1, 2011, the ministry said. (Dau Tu - Investment Mar 14 p10)
