The Vietnamese government has approved to spend VND27.5 trillion ($1.3 billion) on the national sustainable poverty reduction program from now to 2015 with an aim to cut the poverty rate by 2% annually, the government said on its website. The program will focus on providing local residents with healthcare, education, culture, clean water supply and housing as well as other basic social services. It aims to build infrastructure works such as transport, power and water supplies in poor districts, rural and remote areas, and central and coastal provinces. Under the program, the country targets to raise per capita income of poor households 1.6 fold from last year’s figure and that of poor families in mountainous areas and poor ethnic minorities 2.5 fold. By 2015, Vietnam expects to supply electricity to 90% of hamlets and to raise the percentage of households joining anti-poverty model expansion project by 10% per year. Accordingly, 10% of poor districts, 50% of specially disadvantaged communes in coastal and island districts and 30% of communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas will escape absolute poverty by 2015. Earlier, the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) pledged to call on further supports from individuals and enterprises for the program. The VND5.06 trillion national poverty reduction program this year aims to lower the poverty rate to 10% from 12% in 2011. By March 2012, up to 2.58 million households were deemed poor and 1.53 million near-poor, as shown in a national survey by the MoLISA. Poverty reduction in Vietnam remains a priority as new forms of poverty are emerging, experts said, urging the country to combine poverty eradication with disaster mitigation because they are closely linked. (baodientu.chinhphu.vn Oct 10)
