A landlord in Bình  Phước Province, who has reduced rent for tenants, presents masks to renters. — VNA/VNS.Photo Đậu Tất Thành

HCM CITY — Financial assistance from the Government, organisations and sponsors is being given to many businesses and individuals affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

In HCM City, local authorities will allocate VNĐ1.8 trillion (US$77 million) to provide allowances to 600,000 workers who have been affected by the crisis, including job losses. The allowances will be provided for a maximum of three months, beginning this month.

Affected workers in industrial parks, export processing zones and Sài Gòn Hi-tech Park, as well as teachers at private kindergartens, will be the beneficiaries.

The HCM City Labour Federation has raised a fund of nearly VNĐ8 billion ($343,198) to support 4,700 workers who have lost their job due to COVID-19.

The Labour Federation in eight districts has called on 93 landlords to reduce rental fees from VNĐ100,000 to VNĐ1 million per month for 4,500 workers. Many of the landlords have presented rice and other essential items to workers who rent their rooms. Workers have been allowed to pay rent at a later date. 

Nguyễn Thị  Giám of District 8 has reduced rent on 200 rooms for workers, while Nguyễn Thị Xuân Hà of District 8 has donated 20 kilogrammes of rice and is taking care of children of workers who rent her rooms. She has also decreased their rent.

Phạm Ngọc Lan, chairwoman of the Labour Federation in Tân Phú District, said that monthly rent for rooms in the district has been reduced from VNĐ1.8 million – VNĐ2 million to VNĐ800,000 – VNĐ1.4 million.

Lê Thị Thu Hương, who rents a room in Tân Phú District’s Tây Thạnh Ward, said that her rent was reduced by 50 per cent. 

The Labour Federation in the neighbouring provinces of Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Bình Phước and others have called on landlords to reduce rent.

In Đồng Nai Province, more than 27,000 workers at 29 enterprises have seen their working hours cut or have lost jobs because their enterprises have gone bankrupt.

Lê Hữu Hiền, chief of the Đồng Nai Province’s Labour Federation, predicted that more and more enterprises in the province will be affected, leading to an increase in job losses. 

According to the Đồng Nai Province Employment Service Centre, the number of unemployed visiting the centre for unemployment benefits has increased.  

Last month, nearly VNĐ120 billion from the province’s unemployment insurance fund was paid to unemployed workers in the province.

As many as 6,600 people who have lost jobs have been introduced to new jobs by the centre.

In Bình Dương Province, more than 500 landlords have exempted or reduced rent for people affected by the pandemic.

Several of them have exempted 100 per cent of rent for two months, and others have exempted rent for this month. Landlords who have reduced a part of the rent have also presented food to tenants who rent their rooms.  

In the first quarter, 34,900 enterprises in the country temporarily suspended operation or were dissolved, an increase of 2 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. — VNS