Hanoi (VNA) – The 2016 report“Characteristics of the Vietnamese rural economy” was released in Hanoi onNovember 7, providing information collected from a 2016 rural household surveyin 12 provinces of the country.

The report is based on a survey of 2,669 ruralhouseholds in 12 provinces, namely Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, NgheAn, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Long An and former HaTay.

Addressing the workshop unveiling the report,President of the Central Institute for Economic Management Nguyen Dinh Cungsaid Vietnam has harvested a number of economic achievements since it began theDoi moi (reform) process three decades ago. It is developing at a faster pacethan many other lower-middle- and middle-income countries.

The survey is a rare repeated survey that looksinto problems facing some regions and groups that are left behind, he added.

The report shows that access to official credit isan important tool to help eliminate poverty. However, the poorest and mostvulnerable households usually encounter difficulties in accessing credit. About28 percent of households had at least one loan while over 71 percent had noloan.

Cung said household businesses are important torural livelihoods of Vietnam. Although they make up a small portion in terms ofincome, they receive considerable investment resources.

The success of household enterprises is closelylinked with the wealth, educational level and ethnicity of the households.However, most of the small firms with few employees have informal businessactivities, he added.

Meanwhile, migration is still popular,especially in Quang Nam, Nghe An, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, and migrants’destinations are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak. Most of the migrants are menfrom poorer families in their communities.

The report also says that households in northernmountainous provinces like Lao Cai, Dien Bien and Lai Chau lag behind on anumber of indicators of welfare such as poverty mobility, access to healtheducation and other services.

The sustained economic growth over the lastdecade has led to significant improvements in the well-being of the people ofVietnam. More poor households are gaining access to government support andservices to help lift them out of poverty. However, there remain significantdisparities in welfare and access to resources across different householdgroups.

Director of the UN University World Institutefor Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) Finn Tarp said to ensureVietnam’s economic attainments are distributed equally, policy makers shouldpay more attention to narrowing this gap in the coming years and tackleinequalities to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable groups won’t beleft behind.-VNA