BẠC LIÊU — The Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu plans to lift 5,000 poor households above the poverty line this year, reducing its poverty rate to 1.9 per cent, according to its steering committee for national target programes.

To achieve the target, it will provide vocational training and jobs to at least 4,000 poor and near-poor people this year.

It will also build houses for poor households and issue health insurance cards for free to all poor and near-poor households and households in especially difficult communes.

It will study and classify the reasons for poverty to come up with detailed solutions for helping each household do business or undertake production, including loans on easy terms and setting up production facilities for them.

Nguyễn Quang Dương, secretary of the province’s Party Committee, said reducing poverty drastically is one of the most important targets.

Localities and relevant agencies should implement the province’s poverty reduction programmes more efficiently, he said.

Last year the province had helped 8,650 families escape poverty, 4.2 per cent higher than the target.

It also provided vocational training for more than 14,000 people and introduced jobs for 24,5000 people in companies in the province and outside last year.

The province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and localities effectively implemented policies for providing vocational training and jobs and introduced farming models for breeding fish, shrimp, crabs, and ostriches to poor and near-poor households.

The local Fund for the poor and social security programmes last year mobilised more than VNĐ121 billion (US$5.21 million) from various sources. The money was used to build charity houses, provide vocational training and jobs and undertake other activities to support the poor.

The province carried out poverty-reduction advocacy activities to raise people’s awareness of sustainably escaping poverty.

Nguyễn Thị Mộng Nghi of Phước Long District’s Phước Long Commune said she had received a soft loan of VNĐ30 million ($1,290) to learn sewing and open a tailoring shop at home.

She now earns more than VNĐ6 million ($258) a month as a tailor to escape poverty, she said.

But she said poor people have to be determined to escape poverty and work hard.

The province has more than 8,800 poor households now. — VNS