Chairwoman of Việt Nam’s National Assembly, Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân hands over gifts to families of social welfare policies, poor households and victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin in Tiền Giang province yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

TIỀN GIANG — Chairwoman of Việt Nam’s National Assembly, Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, presented gifts to families of social welfare policies, poor households and victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin in the Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang during her pre-Tết visit to the locality yesterday.

She also granted gifts to children with disabilities and their peers in extreme difficulties in the province.

On this occasion, the top legislator attended a programme in support of the poor, needy children and AO victims jointly held by the Việt Nam Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the National Fund for Vietnamese Children.

At a working session with local leaders, Ngân asked them to pay attention to social policy beneficiaries, the poor, children in special difficulties and AO victims, along with socio-economic development, and national defence and security.

She also lauded achievements the province recorded in 2017, with gross regional domestic product (GRDP) expanding by 9 per cent, budget collection at over VNĐ7.3 trillion (US$321.2 million), up 4.9 per cent against the set yearly target and 10.7 per cent year-on-year, and export turnover at $2.5 billion.

In 2018, the province’s GRDP is expected to grow by 9-9.5 percent while its per capita income is projected at up to VNĐ48.2 million ($2,121) annually and export revenue at $2.65 billion. The number of poor households is hoped to fall by 3.69 per cent.

Ngân on Saturday also paid a pre-Tết visit to the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre, where she presented more than 3,500 gifts worth some VNĐ2.5 billion ($110,000) to families of social welfare policies, needy children, poor households and AO victims.

She also attended a ceremony to hand over 140 houses, six education facilities and medical equipment funded by Việt Nam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) to Bến Tre.

Earlier, the top legislator and her entourage visited families of martyrs and war invalids in Châu Thành district, Bến Tre Province.

Also yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình visited workers in the Mekong Delta province of Long An ahead of the Lunar New Year, praising their contributions to national socio-economic development.

The same day, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, Trương Thị Mai, and representatives of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour presented Tềt gifts to workers of metro route No 1 in HCM City. — VNS