The Vietnamese government will spend VND3.1 trillion ($148.33 million) to help low-income earners partly cover increasingly daily expenses, state media reported Mar 31. The sum will benefit five groups, including state employees and armed servicemen with salary coefficient of below 3.0; pensioners; revolutionary contributors and poor households who will receive VND100,000-VND300,000 each. Currently, the country is applying minimum salary levels to employees in domestic firms from VND730,000 to VND980,000 per month and in foreign-invested companies between VND1 million and VND1.34 million. The payments, however, can only covers between 60% and 65% of basic living costs for workers and are 20% lower than the must-paid salary, local experts said. Experts added with soaring goods prices, the vulnerable groups would face more difficulties, urging the government to work out proper measures to deal with the issue. Earlier, the government decided to support VND30,000/monthly worth of power for poor households as well as raise loan for needy students in a move to ensure social security. In March, the consumer price index rose 6.12% from last December, resulting in a 12.79% on-year increase in the first quarter of this year. (An Ninh Thu Do – Capital Security Mar 31 p3, Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi Mar 31 p1, vovnews.vn Mar 31)
