Hanoi (VNA) – Seventy businesses, organisations and individuals who setbright examples in helping the poor were honoured at a meeting held in Hanoi onOctober 1 by the Central Steering Committee for National Target Programmes andthe Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister VuongDinh Hue highlighted that Vietnam is among the first countries in the world tocomplete the UN’s Millennium Goal on poverty reduction and implement the 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

The Government leader, who is also head of the steeringcommittee, emphasized that the Party and State have always paid attention topoverty reduction and social welfare. He noted that spending on social securityhas been increasing at an average of more than 20 percent a year, far higherthan the annual economic growth of 7-8 percent.

Besides spending from the State budget, the Governmentalso channeled more than 200 trillion VND through loans of the Bank for Social Policiesto needy people over the past 15 years.

“Notonly the better-off help the poor, but also the needy share among each other,which is the valuable tradition of our nation,” Deputy PM Hue said.

Hewent on to praise organization and individuals both in and outside thecountries which have joined hands with the Party and State in reducing poverty.In total, philanthropists have donated more than 50 trillion VND over the pastnine years to help the poor in the country, not to mention many donors who donot want their contributions to be made public.

Thatis why the Steering Committee and the VFF think it is necessary to expressgratitude to them in different forms, Hue said.

Thanksto the efforts, the poverty rate among households in the country dropped to5.23 percent at the end of 2018, equivalent to 1.3 million households, areduction of 1.47 percent from one year ago. The poverty rate among ethnicminority households decreased by 4.72 percent to 22.84 percent.

Inthe past three years, eight districts and 200 communes have risen out of thepoverty status.

However,Deputy PM Hue said the rate of poverty relapse is still high, particularly afterthe strike of natural calamities such as storms and floods, which requires theGovernment and localities to continue taking more synchronous and effectivepolicies, and use resources in a more effective manner.

Herevealed that the Government will soon submit to the National Assembly a masterplan on sustainable socio-economic development in ethnic and border communes.

Presidentof the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man announced that the VFF will organizea month for the poor, starting October 17, with the aim of mobilizing donationsto build houses and prepare a warm Lunar New Year festival for the needy acrossthe country./.