Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam at the Hà Nội meeting on sustainable poverty reduction. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has asked ministries and agencies to soon build the national multi-dimensional poverty standards for the 2021-25 period to submit to the Prime Minister for approval.
He made the request while chairing a meeting in Hà Nội on Tuesday of the Central Steering Committee for the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2016-20 period.
The Deputy PM also told ministries, agencies and localities to approve the National Target Programme on sustainable poverty reduction and social welfare for the 2021-25 period, and quickly re-arrange administrative units at communal and district level for 2019-21 for the effective implementation of sustainable poverty reduction policies and programmes.  
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Lê Văn Thành reported at the meeting that over VNĐ22.8 trillion (US$991 million) from the State budget has been allocated for the implementation of social welfare and poverty reduction policies.
Over VNĐ10 trillion from the State budget has been earmarked for carrying out the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction this year.
As of June 30, the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies offered loans worth more than VNĐ18.6 trillion to 423,000 poor and near-poor households.
The poverty rate is expected to decrease to below 3 per cent later this year from 3.75 per cent in 2019. The rate has been falling by 1-1.5 per cent on average each year, while the poverty rate in poor districts has reduced by more than 4 per cent, thus fulfilling goals set by the National Assembly and Government.
Regarding support for those hit by COVID-19, Thành said localities have approved a list of 15.8 million people eligible for total funding of VNĐ17.5 trillion, more than VNĐ11.2 trillion of which has been disbursed for more than 11 million people, including over 7 million poor and near-poor households.
Participants said the rate of poor households remains high in several mountainous provinces, especially in the northern mountainous and Central Highlands regions.
They highlighted a need to specify sustainable poverty goals in annual and periodic socio-economic development plan, and take into account specific conditions in each region when designing poverty reduction policies.
Several opinions also suggested pooling capital from organisations and businesses for poverty reduction efforts. — VNS