Hanoi (VNA)🅷 - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has launched a national movement to join hands to support the poor, targeting an annual average decrease of up to 1.5 percent of the poor household rate in the 2016-2020 period in line with the multidimensional poverty line.

The movement was kicked off at an online conference to implement the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction in the 2016-2020 period in Hanoi on October 15, during which the PM and participants responded to a text-message campaign to raise fund for the poor and called for the entire society to join the campaign. With each message of “VNN” sent to 1409 from October 15 to November 30, people can donate 15,000 VND to the fund. The number of messages by one person is unlimited. Under the old poverty line, as of 2015, the proportion of poor households was 4.25 percent, a sharp drop from 14.2 percent in 2010. During the 2011-2015 period, the ratio declined 2 percent each year averagely and 6 percent in poor districts. Meanwhile, average per capita income of poor households increased 1.6 times over that in 2011, while the rise was 2.5 times for those in extremely difficult and mountainous areas. In the period, nearly 47.34 trillion VND was poured into the national target programme for sustainable poverty reduction, which has helped improved the living conditions for the poor as well as the infrastructure system in poor localities. In the 2016-2020 period, the ratio of poor households is expected to drop 1-1.5 percent each year averagely in accordance with the new poverty line. The reduction is set to reach 4 percent per year in poor communes and districts and 3-4 percent among families from ethnic minority groups. Resources for the programme is nearly 48.4 trillion VND, the majority of which is from the State budget. UNDP Country Director in Vietnam Louise Chamberlain held that Vietnam should allocate more resources in activities to improve capacity of the poor in getting rid of poverty. The UNDP pledged to work closely with the Vietnamese Government to mobilise financial sources, seeking creative and comprehensive solutions and connecting parties to support Vietnam in fulfilling all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, she stated. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that poverty reduction is among top concern of the Party and State. Vietnam ’s achievements in the fields have been recognised by the international community, he said, noting that the country’s poverty rate dropped from 58 percent in 1993 to 4.45 percent in 2015 to the old poverty line, equivalent to 9.92 percent to the new line. Vietnam has finished the UN Millennium Development Goals while there are still over 1 billion poor people in the world, mostly in rural areas, he declared. However, he noted that the poverty rate of over 50 percent is still seen in 41 districts nationwide, while income of people from ethnic minority groups is equal to only one sixth of the country’s average figure. At the same time, some localities are still confused in the classification of poor households, he said. He called for high determination and solidarity of the entire society in implementing resolutions of the Party and National Assembly in poverty reduction and fulfilling UN SGDs. The PM highlighted the need to strengthen communications in the field, as well as the improvement of people’s intellectual standards as a major solutions, along with the development of industry and services as well as the building of new-style rural area and the application of advanced technology in increasing livelihood for people. He called for all families, enterprises, agencies and international organisation to uphold their social responsibility and raise funds for the poor and promoting activities of assisting poor localities and households in escaping poverty.-VNA