A Khmer resident in Tập Sơn Commune, Trà Cú District, the Mekong Delta Province of Trà Vinh used the preferential loans for the poor to grow his own cow business. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Việt

TRÀ VINH — The Mekong Delta province of Trà Vinh spent more than VNĐ413 billion (US$17.8 million) from central and local budgets for implementing policies for local ethnic minority groups in the 2016-20 period, creating remarkable improvements in the living conditions for Khmer communities.  

Trà Vinh is home to over 300,000 Khmer people, or more than 31.5 per cent of the province’s population.

It is expected that by the end of 2020, the poverty rate among households will be reduced to 3.92 per cent, a decrease of 20.73 per cent compared to five years ago.

As part of the Government’s Programme 135, more than VNĐ250 billion was spent on building infrastructure, promoting production activities, diversifying livelihoods and replicating models for poverty reduction as well as building capacity for communities and officials in special communes and hamlets.

In 2016-17, over VNĐ20 billion was disbursed to build small water supply projects, benefiting 15,000 poor and Khmer households.

Meanwhile, under a special policy on socio-economic development support for ethnic minority areas under Decision 2085/QD-TTg, the province spent VNĐ49 billion creating jobs, providing loans and land for housing, and implementing clean water projects.

A non-refundable grant of nearly VNĐ30 billion sourced from the Irish Government was invested in constructing 34 rural infrastructure works.

The provincial authorities also provided support for Khmer pagodas in building crematoriums, and granted publications to local prestigious people.

By the end of 2019, Trà Vinh has only 9,214 poor households, including 5,395 Khmer families. — VNS