President Trần Đại Quang hands over gifts to residents in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI – President Trần Đại Quang visited the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and Cần Thơ City on Saturday ahead of the approaching Lunar New Year (Tết), the country’s biggest national holiday. 

While visiting poor households and welfare beneficiaries in Thoại Sơn District, President Quang extolled local efforts in various fields, such as investment, trade, agriculture and rural development, tourism, and defense-security. 
The President affirmed that the Party, State and people hope the underprivileged families will fare better in the future. 
He wished the ethnic groups in the area a warm and healthy Tết holiday and more accomplishments in 2017. 
The State leader later visited the commemorative site for late President Tôn Đức Thắng, and the provincial police and border guards. 
While visiting Military Zone 9 in Cần Thơ, President Quang praised officers and soldiers for ensuring units in border, sea and island areas can celebrate Tet.
He urged the armed forces to improve assessments and forecast of all possible complications, especially at sea and in border areas, to promptly detect and prevent all sabotage and activities of hostile forces, in addition to reinforcing the people-based national defence and tightening close relations between soldiers and the people. 
The forces must also improve defence relations with Cambodia according to the Party and State’s foreign policies, while enhancing friendship and solidarity with the army and people of Cambodia to build a shared border of peace and common development, he said.

Rice for the poor

As many as one million people suffering from poverty and disasters in 15 cities and provinces nationwide will receive rice by tomorrow at the latest to help them celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year) on Saturday.

This was confirmed by head of the General Department of State Reserves of Việt Nam, Dr Phạm Phan Dũng, who was tasked with the distribution by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc

Localities eligible for the food supply include Quảng Trị, Quảng Bình, Quảng Ngãi, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Kon Tum, Ninh Thuận, Lào Cai, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An and Cao Bằng.

“People in many areas, particularly in remote and disaster-hit areas, often go hungry. In order to supply rice so people can enjoy the holiday, the PM decided to use over 12,415 tonnes of rice from the State reserves,” said Dũng.

“Though the rice is just enough to provide 15kg for each person per month, it is expected to help recipients stabilise their life and welcome the New Year, and to contribute to ensuring political security, social order and stability for socio-economic development,” he told the baochinhphu.vn e-newspaper.

Local authorities are being asked to strengthen inspections to make sure that the rice is provided to the right people and that those who are eligible are not overlooked, according to Dũng. — VNS