Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s southern economic hub, targets to cut the poverty rate to 5.5% this year, compared to 6.6% currently, said the municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Under the city’s poverty reduction program, up to 18,000 families are expected to escape poverty and 24,000 households will have income of over VND8 million/person/year as well as 23,000 ones will get annual income of over VND10 million. To reach the preset goal, local authorities plan to mobilize VND2.5 trillion to help the poor, of which VND250.8 billion will come from the city’s Fund for the Poor, it added. They also boost providing vocational training for poor laborers and offer incentives to ensure social security for local poor residents. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said 19,303 poor households in the city have escaped from poverty for a year in line with the municipal new poverty standard of VND12 million/person/year. (Cong An Nhan Dan – People’s Police Feb 23 p6)
